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I read the What is a “protected” question? FAQ. The FAQ gives a few examples of a noisy answer. Example listed in the FAQ are:

  • "Thank you"
  • "This worked for me"
  • "I'm also having this problem".

The Protected Question banner shown here displays the following. Note that the text appears to be disjoint from the FAQ:

* Low quality answers

Neither list includes "me too answer", and the FAQ only includes a "me too problem". A "me too" answer is where a new user to the site posts an answer even though the same or equivalent answer appears in various forms earlier (earlier by days, weeks, months or years; and not minutes or seconds).

EDIT: See Anumison's answer below on the strike.

Questions:

Are "me too" answers considered a "noisy" answer detailed in the FAQ?

Was it intentional to avoid "me too" and "low quality" answers in the FAQ?

Should the FAQ include "me too" and "low quality" answers?

Should the Protected Question banner use the same text or terms as the FAQ for consistency?

Sorry to have to ask. I think the "me too" answer is a noisy answer, its just not listed in the FAQ because the list is non-exhaustive.

I also hesitate to call "me too" answers "low quality" per se because they may be a rehash of a previous higher quality answer or accepted answer. So I think we need a little more than just "low quality" to describe what's offensive about them.

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Yes, "me too" answers are noise, plain and simple. Answers are reserved for actually answering the question and not for providing additional information that clarifies the problem - if you see "me too" style answers, you should flag them as "not an answer." The only place this isn't [always] true is on Meta, but Meta is a very different beast.

The image in the question you linked is special-cased for only low-reputation users who can't post an answer to the question. The protected notice I see on the very FAQ you linked to in your question is this:

New Protected Notice

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    Damn, sorry I missed that Animuson. It was right there in front of my face. I think that clears up all these questions. I cast a close as "unable to duplicate". Sorry again about that.
    – user173448
    May 13, 2015 at 3:05
  • Related: I'd like to see the FAQ add some verbiage for it. Can I take a stab at addressing it? Or should I leave it for someone more experienced, like you?
    – user173448
    May 13, 2015 at 3:08
  • @Josh My wording here is pretty vague, I'll give you that. But "me too" answers are pretty easy to identify without much effort.
    – animuson StaffMod
    May 13, 2015 at 18:25
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I would say "me too answers" which do not contribute any new content can be flagged with a custom message containing a link to the content they duplicate in the post. Give as much context as possible so the moderator is not accidentally confused into thinking the answer you flagged was the first to post such content.

If the answer does contribute new content then it is not really a "me too answer" and should be left alone from a moderation standpoint. An example of this can be seen at Subtle “Me Too” differences.

If in review you feel that the new answer does not contribute to the post or has errors then of course downvote it. If does add, then upvote it where appropriate because we should all be voting based on content and not outside factors.

tldr; If it really is only duplicate content, custom flag with specific details. If not, treat it based on its content.

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