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Quite soon, I'm going to select the answer to a question I've posted. I appreciate the way the current system works means I can only choose a single answer. What really struck me about this particular exchange was that every response was expert in its content and drew attention to different aspects of my question. I could not have hoped for a better set of replies (this is not, however, a preface to me saying that I just cannot select an answer).

Here's my question: let's say I pick response X as the answer. Is there any mechanism that would allow me to announce to all those who engaged with this question that their collective contribution was outstanding and will be of great use going forward. Simply put, I want to send a positive response to the 'micro-community' that constituted the people who engaged with my question.

Also, I recently read this on the site but am having trouble refinding it: what does not selecting an answer imply to those who wrote responses and commented?

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My advice is not to overthink this.

Just pick the answer that helped you the most, and accept it. Then upvote any other answer you found useful. Don't forget to downvote any answer that wasn't. Then give back by answering things and reviewing things and continuing to ask interesting questions.

It is also possible to give bounties to reward exceptional answers, but don't feel obliged or pressured into doing this. It's quite rare.

Some people do leave all answers unaccepted when they "couldn't choose" between them. Unfortunately this leaves the question in a zombie state, and does tend to give a "you weren't good enough" feel to all answerers. I wouldn't recommend this.

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  • This is one of those rare exceptionally clear and straightforward answers that I plan to come back and reward with a bounty when the opportunity for doing that opens up.
    – PolyGeo
    Feb 10, 2020 at 2:55
  • First three paragraphs are great, but the final one kind of undermines it. Don't overthink it. That includes not overthinking matters by thinking that not accepting an answer leaves the question in zombie state. It doesn't. Questions without accepted answers are perfectly fine.
    – curiousdannii
    Feb 10, 2020 at 6:10
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    @curiousdannii Unfortunately, that leaves the question in a zombie state, and does tend to give a "you weren't good enough" feel to all answerers. I wouldn't recommend this.
    – Asteroids With Wings
    Feb 10, 2020 at 17:03
  • That's not true and I don't think that's how most people think of questions without accepted answers.
    – curiousdannii
    Feb 10, 2020 at 21:32
  • @curiousdannii I'm sorry that you disagree. But I can assure you it is true.
    – Asteroids With Wings
    Feb 11, 2020 at 11:41
  • It's actually quite interesting how people disagree differently when I'm using this account, versus an 11-year old 300k+ account 🤣
    – Asteroids With Wings
    Feb 11, 2020 at 11:42
  • @AsteroidsWithWings Sure... go ahead and prove a subjective opinion...
    – curiousdannii
    Feb 11, 2020 at 12:00
  • @curiousdannii As you did :)
    – Asteroids With Wings
    Feb 11, 2020 at 12:13
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    @curiousdannii I agree with the answerer here. I think awarding an acceptance checkmark should be done for almost every question that receives an answer on every site. The only time that I think no answer on a question should be accepted is when none of them were in any way helpful. I think being awarded 15 points and having an answer recognized as helpful encourages users to answer more questions, and to get better at answering questions.
    – PolyGeo
    Feb 12, 2020 at 6:49
  • Looks like I cannot award the bounty that I'd hoped to: meta.stackexchange.com/q/343631/215590
    – PolyGeo
    Feb 13, 2020 at 8:04
  • @PolyGeo :sadface:
    – Asteroids With Wings
    Feb 13, 2020 at 13:34

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