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It has been my goal for a while to make a Brain-Flak answer on this question. As of post we are 30 characters away from achieving this (15 are allowed per post). I have developed an answer that will put us at 15 away, but because of the rules on the challenge no one may post twice in a row, so someone else would post the Brain-Flak answer I have been working towards.

While discussing this dilemma in chat it was suggested that I give the answer I developed to someone else to post so that I wouldn't have gone last. However this seems like an intentional subversion of the rules. It is my answer and using other users to get around the rules of the challenge seems might be unfair to users who are new to the site or are not as active in social features of the site like The Nineteenth Byte. It might also set a precedent that might justify using sock accounts to get around the limitation on posting for such challenges. Can another user post an answer I made one an answer chaining question with consecutive answer restrictions?

Not allowing people to answer twice in a row is a pretty common stipulation in questions, so answers should be generalized to all such questions not the specific one I am concerned with.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ IMO it would be okay, as long as it doesn't count towards your number of answers to the challenge. \$\endgroup\$
    – Riker
    Mar 13, 2017 at 23:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ Honestly, I'd simply post the answer that allows the Brain-Flak one. Assuming the intermediate answer did all of the hard work getting to the Brain-Flak answer, then that should be the one you are proud of, not the Brain-Flak one. \$\endgroup\$ Mar 14, 2017 at 14:55

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If you had worked with the other user to come up with the solution, having them post it because you posted the last answer would be fine, because it's at least partly their work too. However, in this case, you did all of the work, and asking another user to post your answer just so you can post another answer you've been working on seems like pretty clear subversion of the rules. So, don't do that. Just be patient and wait for another user to post an answer.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ If someone gave another user part of the submission and asked them to work out the rest would that be a subversion of the rules? It is patly there work but it still seems very much like they are trying to sidestep the rules. In that case both parties would have done some work, but the intention is still to subvert the rules. \$\endgroup\$
    – Wheat Wizard Mod
    Mar 14, 2017 at 0:47
  • \$\begingroup\$ @WheatWizard The intent is still to subvert the rules, so no, it wouldn't be acceptable. \$\endgroup\$
    – user45941
    Mar 14, 2017 at 0:48
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The point of is that the challenge comes from the constraints imposed by the previous answer. The existence of a rule prohibiting two consecutive answers by the same person reinforces that point. Giving away an answer as an end-run around the rule would be intentionally violating the spirit of the game. If people start doing that then I think there would be a case for no longer considering questions on topic because they would no longer be real contests nor challenges.

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