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When deleting from the review queue, it's perfectly possible to do so without leaving a form comment:

enter image description here

Add a comment for the author?

Leaving a comment is optional, but can help the author learn how to improve their post or avoid making the same mistake in the future.

I'd like the same option to be available (maybe as a checkbox) when voting to close as a duplicate or using a custom reason to save me the trouble of manually deleting it later.

These comments are already deletable at will, so if I'd rather they not be posted at all in some cases, I should have that option. In both cases (duplicates, custom reasons), IMO they're unnecessary:

  • the close review already shows duplicates in tabs
  • for custom reasons, they should be shown at the top in review instead of hidden in an editable comment (since the custom reason itself can't be edited). (And the reason is already shown in the close vote dialog anyway, so it's not as if they vanish if the comment is deleted, or, as I am asking, not posted at all.)

TL;DR:

I'd like an option to be made available which would allow me to vote to close without leaving a comment. I'm not asking for this to be made the default, nor am I asking that the comments not be posted at all in all cases for everyone.

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  • Duplicate comments are automatically deleted once the question gets closed as a duplicate, provided they've not been edited. I do agree that it's useful for off-topic, as well as cases where someone votes for the duplicate reason but another reason wins. – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog Mar 24 '20 at 2:54
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    A comment is only automatically left when you close-vote as a duplicate or with a custom reason. Are you saying that you want to be able to select to not leave those comments? Or, are you asking to be able to automatically leave comments for other close-vote reasons? – Makyen Mar 24 '20 at 2:58
  • @Makyen "without leaving a comment" – muru Mar 24 '20 at 2:59
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    You haven’t made your argument for why this is needed. A feature request is not merely “this would be neat” - we must understand why you need this and we need you to explain what about the current system is problematic. You should also show an understanding of why the status quo exists and how you would mitigate the impact of the change you’re requesting. For example... if you leave no comment (or delete it) how is anyone, op or fellow close voter, supposed to understand why the question is being voted closed? – Catija♦ Mar 24 '20 at 6:22
  • @Catija the argument is simple: I can delete the comment anyway. I would rather it not be left at all if I that's what I wanted, instead of deleting it. For duplicates, the close review queue already shows the duplicate in a tab, so it's obvious. For other reasons, it should be shown in the top bar, where the reasons are listed, not at the bottom hidden in comments. – muru Mar 24 '20 at 6:31
  • @Catija if these comments are mandatory, then why are they deletable? – muru Mar 24 '20 at 6:32
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    Still, though, it would be nice to hear why SE should go out of their way to provide this option. Some examples of where a comment might not be warranted and that you frequently run into such cases would be a good idea. – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog Mar 24 '20 at 6:53
  • @SonictheAnonymousHedgehog SE goes out of their way to post the comment, I think it's only fair that they go out of their way to not post the comment. – muru Mar 24 '20 at 6:57
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    The current configuration makes sense to me: the comment makes sense in 90% of cases, and in the 10% of cases where it doesn't make sense, it can be manually deleted. If you can provide an argument that you run into that minority case too often, or that my percentages are way off, that would make this more likely to be positively received. – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog Mar 24 '20 at 7:01
  • @SonictheAnonymousHedgehog I don't think it makes a difference if they make sense 90% or 99% or whatever % of the time - I can delete them 100% percent of the time. Why should that action be manual where the posting is automatic? What's the justification for that? – muru Mar 24 '20 at 7:16
  • No, that only covers custom close reasons. And there might be cases where I might want to use a custom close reason, but not leave a comment. The custom reason can always be seen in the close vote dialog, so the comment isn't necessary. – muru Mar 24 '20 at 10:54
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IMO they're unnecessary:

  • the close review already shows duplicates in tabs
  • for custom reasons, they should be shown at the top in review instead of hidden in an editable comment (since the custom reason itself can't be edited). (And the reason is already shown in the close vote dialog anyway, so it's not as if they vanish if the comment is deleted, or, as I am asking, not posted at all.)

No, they're not. Casting a close vote doesn't notify the OP, but comments do. In case of a duplicate, they can even close it singlehandedly, instantly removing the question from the review queues, which on some sites have grown quite large. The less questions in those queues, the better.

Note that some authors don't have enough reputation to view close votes on their own question; if you use a custom off-topic reason but remove the comment, they won't see it at all, until the question is actually closed. I'll admit this is a problem with unclear 'Needs details or clarity', too broad 'Needs more focus' and 'Opinion based' as well.

I'd like the same option to be available (maybe as a checkbox)

I guess that would work, but deleting the comment afterwards is just one extra click (since you have to confirm the deletion). The rare cases that this matters isn't worth the developer time it requires to implement (and maintain) the feature (IMHO).

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  • And if I delete the autoposted comment immediately after voting to close, they don't get notified either. So, what's the point of the first paragraph? Also, the part from "In case of a duplicate, ..." seems to be about something else. It certainly doesn't explain how posting the comments makes the review queue any smaller. – muru Mar 24 '20 at 11:54

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