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My 4 year old question was flagged as a duplicate of this 4 month old question by the same user who posted that question. My question has more upvotes on both the question and the answer, and is (obviously) significantly older. I also happen to think they aren't even the same question--the other question is a much more specific case that most users wouldn't need. It seems to me like a silly attempt by that user to drive more traffic to their own question.

I can't flag the flag itself for review, so what's the proper response to these sorts of cases? Just flag for reopening? Try to get a moderator involved?

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    1. This should probably better asked at MSO 2. Why do you premise abusive behavior here exactly?
    – πάντα ῥεῖ
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 16:43
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    Whoops, I guess I thought I was there... should I delete this question and re-ask it there? 2 It seemed like either poor investigation or abuse to me, but I don't have tools to investigate other questions that user has closed (AFAIK) to see if there's a pattern. So I figured the equivalent of a flag for abuse would turf it to someone who had those investigative powers. But you're right, I probably should have titled it "possible abuse"
    – ari
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 16:52
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    "should I delete this question and re-ask it there?" Probably yes.
    – πάντα ῥεῖ
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 16:53
  • @πάνταῥεῖ This question is on-topic here, as it can be generalized.
    – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 17:19
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    @Sonic I agree that this can be generalized, but the OP refers to a very specific example from SO, so that should be discussed there in 1st place, with all the necessary background wisdom.
    – πάντα ῥεῖ
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 19:00
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    You need to visit your "local" meta, ask (humbly) whether the newer answers would apply to your older question. I would also mention the fact that your question has attracted 25,720 times in less than four years while the much newer question in three months has been visited only 579 times. Do the sums as to the average no. of views per month and I think you have a strong case. Disclaimer: I did not understand what the two questions were about.
    – Mari-Lou A Слава Україні
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 19:04
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    @Mari-LouA " I did not understand what the two questions were about." That's my point.
    – πάντα ῥεῖ
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 19:07
  • And the author of the newer question has also marked these two questions as duplicates: 1. stackoverflow.com/questions/50118786/… 2. stackoverflow.com/questions/49428785/… See if other questions have also been earmarked as duplicates. It seems the new author must have a golden hammer in the relevant tag(s). @πάνταῥεῖ I was composing my commment when you posted yours, I've just given some advice on what to say on SO meta.
    – Mari-Lou A Слава Україні
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 19:11
  • @Mari-LouA I didn't really want to argue and was the one (ATM) upvoting your comment. And as your research shows, that there might be an abuse regarding the user's mjölnir powers (the golden hammer), better asked at MSO in 1st place yet.
    – πάντα ῥεῖ
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 19:17
  • Assuming there are no relevant deleted comments on either question: was it really necessary to frame this as an accusation and then bring it all the way to Meta.SE right at the outset? It seems likely that a comment pinging the close voter explaining why you think your question isn't a duplicate would have been enough to defuse the situation and bring forth an amicable resolution.
    – duplode
    Commented May 7, 2018 at 19:37
  • The MSO question about this situation, asked by the close voter.
    – duplode
    Commented May 7, 2018 at 19:39

1 Answer 1

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I've reopened the question as it was clearly a conflict of interest to use the gold badge close privilege to close other questions as duplicates of their own, new question.

Using the privilege to close questions to point to one you have answered is perfectly fine.

In future a flag is probably your best recourse, though it might take a little while to get processed.

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    Note: this has been brought up in MSO
    – Suraj Rao
    Commented May 7, 2018 at 12:16
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    @SurajRao And the long debate that generated there clearly states that it was not "clearly" an abuse of close privilege, as ChrisF claims. Maybe it was an abuse, maybe it wasn't, the debate is still going, so it was not "clear", one way or the other.
    – xDaizu
    Commented May 7, 2018 at 15:33
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    @xDaizu using the gold tag badge privilege to close other questions as duplicates of your own question is a conflict of interest. I probably went too far to say it was an abuse
    – ChrisF Mod
    Commented May 7, 2018 at 17:09

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