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[EDIT2]

Something is wrong with answer ordering: different versions of Chrome (under different environnments) show different behaviour.

Noticed here: How to debug IE9 HTA?

  • WinXP(VM) and Win7, Chrome Version 33.0.1750.154 m: constant order
  • Linux, Chrome Version 23.0.1271.95: random order

Might extends to other browsers?

[EDIT1]

In the end it looks like a browser specific issue, in the very particular case of:

  • a self-accepted answer with N votes,
  • other non-accepted answers which with N votes too,
  • sorting answers by vote,
  • the browser is an old version Chrome, Firefox (which version?), maybe others too.

In this case, the order of the answers with N votes varies randomly at each refresh, including the accepted one. This doesn't happen on more recent versions of Chrome, accepted answer is always first and the order remains the same between refreshes.

[ORIGINAL]

I understand the choice of using random for ordering equally voted answers: a simple way of giving the same visibility without the hassle of taking rep or time into account, etc.

However I had the case where I needed to refer to an accepted answer which had the same number of votes than other, less acurate answers, and was surprised to have to search it each time I reopened the page (there can be many answers with 1 vote).

See this question for example: How to debug IE9 HTA?, where the accepted answer is not ordered at the beginning.

Do accepted answers deserve more visibility than others when votes are equal?

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23
  • Are you sure? I thought accepted answers were always the first after the question?
    – codeMagic
    Mar 25, 2014 at 0:56
  • Can you link us to the question where this is occurring for you?
    – Taryn East
    Mar 25, 2014 at 0:57
  • @codeMagic: AFAIK, accepted answers are ordered by votes when you accept your own answer.
    – Flimzy
    Mar 25, 2014 at 0:57
  • @Flimzy that may be but there was nothing in the question suggesting that it was a self-answer
    – codeMagic
    Mar 25, 2014 at 0:58
  • 1
    @codeMagic: No, but that makes your "always" supposition inaccurate :)
    – Flimzy
    Mar 25, 2014 at 0:59
  • 2
    @Flimzy touche!
    – codeMagic
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:00
  • @codeMagic Yep I refreshed the page several times when I saw that
    – zeiky
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:09
  • But was it an answer posted by the OP or a different user. Also, @TarynEast suggested, can you link to it?
    – codeMagic
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:10
  • @TarynEast I'm not at work anymore, from memory it was this question but I cannot seem to reproduce this behavior. Could it be browser dependent?
    – zeiky
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:13
  • I'm confused. Are you asking if accepted answers deserve more visibility period, or if they deserve more visibility if they have the same amount of votes as non-accepted answers?
    – NullUserException อ_อ
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:14
  • I reproduced the issue with that question. In this browser I have deliberately chosen sorting by "votes" for answers... so it could be that.
    – Taryn East
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:15
  • @TarynEast Normally, the accepted answer will always be on top, regardless of how many votes it has. The only exception is when it's a self-answered question. In this case, the answer will be sorted as usual.
    – NullUserException อ_อ
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:16
  • @NullUserExceptionอ_อ Only when they have the same amount of votes as non-accepted answers (and apparently in the particular case of self-answered questions only, thanks for mentionning this)
    – zeiky
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:20
  • @TarynEast That's strange, I'm ordering by votes here and the accepted answer always appear before the other non-accepted answers with same score (0 in this case). Browser issue?
    – zeiky
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:23
  • 2
    Note: this is a self-accepted answer.
    – Taryn East
    Mar 25, 2014 at 1:36

1 Answer 1

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7

Normally accepted answers are shown on top. If the question asker accepts his own answer, this doesn't apply. Such an answer doesn't get pushed to the top. It is sorted just the same way as if it wouldn't be accepted, which is randomly among those answers with the same score.

This is not a bug but by design. If it really behaves differently in chrome, then that would be a bug.

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