Update 07/21/2015 - First, to @SaultDon, I beg your pardon. I jumped to the conclusion that the Open FileGDB driver was also installed as part of the OGR_FileGDB library as opposed to being part of QGIS core. This conclusion led me to think that the Open FileGDB driver would not work unless you followed the process I laid out, thus making your statement of it being a shorter process incorrect. I was wrong.
To All, the primary differences in our answers are that one driver is read-only, the other read/write. This makes neither one more correct than the other, and in a way, both are equally necessary depending on your workflow.
I stand by my statement that the edit was arbitrary, but by the moderator not the asker, as the mod accepted and refined the edit to direct people to a different answer. I think if you have a better answer, add it as a new one. If you think another answer is better, vote it up, especially if it is new and more updated. If someone wants to shift acceptance to a newer answer, that is their prerogative. If the newer answer proves to be better, people will vote it up. That is what the voting process is for.
As others have said in their answers and comments, I don't think there many times when it makes sense to edit an answer, unless fixing links and the like. Even in cases of rashly incorrect answers, I'm torn, but tend to think that removing them if bad enough is acceptable, but short of that, adding a comment to the answer and there pointing to a newer/correct/updated answer.
This question is in reference to an Answer I put up a long time ago regarding Support for a File Geodatabase in QGIS.
My answer was edited to include the following statement:
Update: This question was asked long time ago and there is now a direct way to open File GDB in QGIS. Please see answer from SaultDon
I in no way believe my answer is the best answer in any situation, or the only answer. My answer has receive 50
upvotes and was accepted. The answer linked to is a much shortened version of my answer, which includes a few of the same steps mine does.
The steps included in my answer, while dated, are still, so far as I can tell, the only valid means of enabling both Read
and Write
support for the File GDB in QGIS.
My questions is in regards to how this matches with the editing guidelines as shown in the Help Section:
When should I edit posts?
Any time you see a post that needs improvement and are inclined to suggest an edit, you are welcome to do so. The original author of a question or answer may always edit their own post, regardless of reputation level.
Edits are expected to be substantial and to leave the post better than you found it. Common reasons for edits include:
To fix grammar and spelling mistakes To clarify the meaning of the post (without changing that meaning) To include additional information only found in comments, so all of the information relevant to the post is contained in one place To correct minor mistakes or add updates as the post ages To add related resources or hyperlinks
I could completely understand if the other answer was more accurate than mine to provide a reference to it. My answer is not wrong though, and adding this reference to the other answer seems to be saying that it should be disregarded. Isn't the upvote process supposed to be the means of indicating the relative strength or quality of an answer? There are only 3 answers, and the answer being referred to has 20
votes, so it isn't like someone might just miss it if they are looking through the list.
This edit just seemed arbitrary as opposed to really improving the answer provided.
Is a question asker allowed/encouraged to Choose a Correct
answer based on their opinion and then make another answer point to it?