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In the Low Quality review queue, you get four options. Occasionally there are answers that pop up here where none of the four options quite fit. Not to single anyone out, but as an example that prompted this question, I recently reviewed an answer at QGIS equivalent to ArcGIS Aggregate Polygons? that is essentially a link-only answer. I could choose:

  • Looks Ok - well it doesn't, it's link only with no explanation
  • Edit - can and have done this, probably ideal solution, but sometimes I either don't have the time or knowledge to do so
  • Recommend Deletion - if I do this, I get some canned comments to choose from, one of which is it's link only. However I don't actually want to recommend it gets deleted, because even if low quality it does answer the question and is a good solution.
  • Skip - I could just offer the suggestion and get no credit for reviewing, but a) I'd like that credit and b) it wouldn't let me express I think it should stay and if those that follow do review it and recommend deletion, poof (sort of).

I can and do leave a comment, but I'm still left with choosing one of the four options. Can we get an I'm Done option like for the new post review queue?

Or am I supposed to hit skip or recommend deletion with the understanding that the answer won't actually be deleted or hidden (with at least three downvotes?) unless a mod steps in and makes it a comment/removes it/etc? Which is sort of like asking what the actual possible outcomes from Recommend Deletion are.

If the answer is hit skip because you can't fully complete the review (time or knowledge) that's fine. I sort of wish more people would do that with the new post queue; they don't call it a review task for nothing.

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  • Maybe a workaround could be to recommend deletion and flag for moderation attention explaining why that link-only-answer should be turned into a comment. This post has some con arguments about converting such types of answers into comments, though.
    – Andre Silva
    May 25, 2015 at 17:51
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    @AndreSilva One of the canned responses if you click Recommend Deletion is already 'this is a link only answer and not spam'. You don't get that choice when initially flagging, but it is there in the review queue for low quality posts. That option usually results in the notification placed on the answer that talks about needing more explanation/etc. In which case maybe I just answered my own question to some degree. :) But that's mostly for link cases. There's also the not an answer option/flag, with a canned response of 'should be a comment on another post'.
    – Chris W
    May 25, 2015 at 20:56
  • I've set status-deferred on this because it is something that I understand to only be implementable SE wide i.e. is better researched/asked at Meta Stack Exchange.
    – PolyGeo Mod
    Dec 15, 2015 at 7:50

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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On a link only answer like this I usually Skip and then Downvote separately. Sometimes I follow the link, copy a paragraph of pertinent text, and then paste it back into the answer as a quote.

To get a new option will need higher authority than we have within our site. Consequently, to pursue this I think you would need to go to Meta SE where I found:

Add downvote option to Low Quality Review Queue list of potential actions

That may or may not be precisely what you are after, but is a feature request that I just voted for.

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  • I wasn't sure if we could change those options or it would have to be site-wide/meta. I know (think?) we can customize the available canned responses, at least to some degree. I also know I've seen those yellow button options change since I started, but maybe that was a site-wide change. I did note another linked question at the one you linked to, specifically about voting being a review option. But failing us being able to do anything about it, I'm as much looking for the guidance like in your first paragraph of what to do in the meantime.
    – Chris W
    May 24, 2015 at 1:39
  • @ChrisW I think the only canned responses we mods can change are the Off-topic Close Reasons where we have the flexibility (not exercised for a long time) to provide/alter three (and no more than three) of them.
    – PolyGeo Mod
    May 24, 2015 at 2:15

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