What would you think if there was a "bad answer" option?

Isn’t that pretty much what the flagging function is for?

@wildflower No, I think I see what emilyrose means. I was just in a thread where the questioner was pretty specific, but some of the answerers were confused (it was a gender issue).

I guess when that happens (wrong answers or erroneous reading of the Q) others usually respond and correct it in the thread. I think that is better than having a heap of “negative points,” which might lead to people feeling attacked or to flame wars.

I think it would be begging for more negativity that we don’t really need.

Well, failing the use of ‘edit’ or flagging to correct an incorrect or incorrectly posted answer, maybe the asked should be able to mark it as ‘bad’ or similar, but I defo don’t think it should be an option for all users to give negative ‘lurve’. That leaves the system a bit open to abuse – by trolls and such….

I don’t think it’s a good idea. The point system we now have is confusing enough to some users. Why muddy the waters more?

I’m chiming in with “bad idea”, too. If someone missed the point of the question you can tell them that. There’s no reason to add a virtual hand slap.

I think it would be a good idea to lose 3 lurve for a bad question.

Prime Example: the question about anal sex with the very misleading title

@scamp: WHAT “point system?”

@aanuszek1: Some people would thrive on that sort of negative attention, too.

I think it would get used. And abused.

I actually do think it’s a bad idea but couldn’t erase my question. How do we do that? Is that even possible while still in “edit“mode???

@emilyrose I thought it was a good question. It is worth exploring periodically. Lurve to you.

@JackAdams Lurve points

This would stifle the expression of dissenting points of view. If someone asks a loaded question, they could use this feature to bludgeon anyone who calls them out on it. Another Q&A site which shall remain nameless tried this for awhile and had to abandon it because it was used as an ideological weapon.

Flag the answer or respond to it. Easy enough.

It would be abused, big time….

Well, if it is obvious that it is a bad answer, it will be obvious, so we don’t need to have a ‘bad answer’ option to point it out. If it is a case of misinformation or misunderstanding the question, than if someone feels compelled to point that out, they can do so with a polite comment. If it is abusive, flag it. I realize I haven’t said anything others haven’t.

However, I’d also like to point out that I can see someone getting a ‘bad answer’ tag and then the rest of the question page would be filled up with things like that person or others debating whether it really was a bad answer or not. People wanting to know who tagged it as a bad answer, hurt feelings, etc. and discussion of the original question will be lost.

I agree, that some people would purposely start flaming questions just to start an uproar and see how many people could tag them with “Bad Answer.”