Accept my answer, nudge nudge [duplicate]

Question

I've got a few questions I've answered, and I've been the only one to answer.

The answer has been up voted but the question author has still not accepted, even though the answer is valid.

Would it be possible in this scenario to have a 'Nudge Author' button available, that asks them to review the question and accept an answer.

possible duplicate of Feature Request: "WAKE UP and accept my answer please". See also How to teach users to accept answers instead of thanks?. — Gilles 'SO- stop being evil', Jun 5, 2011 at 11:58
@Giles, agreed missed that when searching. Seems this is a heated subject though. To comment or not to comment! — addedlovely, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:02
Sometimes you can have a question with only one (upvoted)answer that does not really answer the question, or not completelly. — yms, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:26
@yms indeed, and sometimes you can have one answer that does :P for interest, this is the answer that provoked this question: stackoverflow.com/questions/6079017/… — addedlovely, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:31
That user was seen for the last time the day he/she posted that question. I think you are out of luck there...It happens all the time, just be confident that if you answer is good you may get updvotes from future visitors. — yms, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:36
I don't agree with a manual 'poke' feature since that could be abused or annoying, but I agree in making an automated hint system to remind users. meta.stackoverflow.com/q/354584/534406 — BoffinBrain, Aug 6, 2017 at 21:51

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:36:01Z

I see several cases:

The asker came just to ask one question, got his answer, and moved on. He didn't bother to learn all the features of Stack Exchange like accepting answers. Your comment is just noise because he's never going to read it.
The asker is new to Stack Exchange, but staying on. Be a little patient, after a few posts he'll wonder what that tick mark is and figure it out. In the meantime, your comment is just noise (it's too early).
The asker knows how Stack Exchange works. Your answer didn't solve his problem, so he didn't mark your answer as accepted. In this case, nudging for acceptance is downright rude.

So, no, nudging towards acceptance out of the blue is not acceptable in general.

There's one situation in which it is acceptable: if the asker left a “thank you” comment, then it's ok to reply to it and tell him something like

Welcome to Stack Overflow. Please don't leave a comment just to say “thank you”. If this answer solved your problem mark this answer as accepted.”

(You can add something about voting up if the asker already has the required 15 rep.)

Out of interest is there an automated message sent out for people with low accept rates? — addedlovely, Jun 5, 2011 at 11:43
@addedlovely: If they learn to upvote before they learn to accept, yes. If they revisit the question, yes. Otherwise, no. — Gilles 'SO- stop being evil', Jun 5, 2011 at 11:58

Shadow Wizard Is Sad And Angry · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-05 11:04:33Z

0

No that would drive people away.

Just write comment on the question like "if it helped please Accept it" explaining why he should accept.

The comment will be visible to the person in the global Inbox on top and that's the most we can, and should, do.

answered Jun 5, 2011 at 11:04

170k31 gold badges413 silver badges821 bronze badges

I wouldn't suggest having the button available from the get go, only when a few criteria are met, like an upvote or two on an answer, and not having accepted an answer after maybe a week. I don't think it would drive people away, after all if a question is answered it should be marked as such! But I agree that if you ask a question you don't want to be hounded to accept on every question!
– addedlovely
Jun 5, 2011 at 11:09

Add a comment |

2 Answers 2