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During my time at PPCG I've seen many answers which don't post the byte count, but instead put "way too long". For example, Thomas Kwa's answer here. I have also seen this on a plethora of Java answers.

Personally I find this rather irritating as I still want to see the answer's byte count. So what's the community's view on this?

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    \$\begingroup\$ I have edited my answer to include a byte count. \$\endgroup\$
    – lirtosiast
    Commented Oct 10, 2015 at 18:23

1 Answer 1

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Submissions for code golf should include an accurate byte count. Without it, the submission should be considered invalid since it isn't properly scored.

The default course of action in this case should be to notify the user with a comment, optionally linking back to this meta post.

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    \$\begingroup\$ "The default course of action in this case should be to notify the user with a comment": why not just edit in the byte count? "When should I edit posts? Any time you feel you can make the post better, and are inclined to do so. Editing is encouraged! Some common reasons to edit are:... to clarify the meaning of a post without changing it; to correct minor mistakes" \$\endgroup\$
    – msh210
    Commented Oct 21, 2015 at 22:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ @msh210 It should be the responsibility of the answerer to ensure that their submission abides by our rules. \$\endgroup\$
    – Alex A. Mod
    Commented Oct 21, 2015 at 23:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ @msh210 There are two reasons why we might edit. The most obvious one is when we can make the post better. But another reason is to correct the behavior of the submitter so next time they do it properly. Our moderation privileges are here not just to make the individual posts better, but to make the site better. We should use them to that end. \$\endgroup\$
    – corsiKa
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 17:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ I would edit the answer and leave a comment explaining that, in the future, the author should score his or her answer. This improves the post and makes the site better. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rainbolt
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 19:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ It should be emphasized should means it is recommended, expected in general. It does not mean must, i. e. occasional non-observance of this recommendation is no violation. RFC 2119 \$\endgroup\$
    – Kai Burghardt
    Commented Sep 5, 2023 at 18:36

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