-9
\$\begingroup\$

I have noticed that some new sandbox posts are being shutdown as duplicates of other much older posts. There is nothing wrong with that.

But I think there should be a time limit after which challenges can be reused.

Specifically because of new langauges that allow for shorter solutions, and because they can still be fun!

I understand that the we don't want copying answers and such, but that doesn't mean that the challenge can't be done again.

I also know that we allow non-competing answers with newer languages.

But should we allow rehashes of old challenges?

\$\endgroup\$

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
15
\$\begingroup\$

Challenges should never be reused.

If a challenge has been posted in the past and you think it would be fun to participate in it, participate in the existing challenge. Don't repost an old challenge because

  1. It isn't your own work
  2. It doesn't provide new content for the site
  3. By the very definition of the term, it's a duplicate.
\$\endgroup\$
4
  • \$\begingroup\$ Why is "It isn't your own work" in the list and boldified? Nothing on any SE site belongs to the poster after it's been posted \$\endgroup\$
    – cat
    Feb 24, 2016 at 19:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ "Answers on the SE sites are publicly licensed and no longer belong to their authors once posted." -- terdon♦ on Unix.SE \$\endgroup\$
    – cat
    Feb 24, 2016 at 19:36
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ @cat Content on Stack Exchange is licensed under CC-BY-SA and requires attribution. That aside, at least on this site, I think it's common courtesy to avoid posting things that you didn't come up with yourself. \$\endgroup\$
    – Alex A.
    Feb 24, 2016 at 19:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ That's fair enough, not that I disagree with this answer \$\endgroup\$
    – cat
    Feb 24, 2016 at 19:38
-1
\$\begingroup\$

No, but newer language answers should be allowed to be competitive.

Newer languages shouldn't miss out just because they were created later.

\$\endgroup\$
4
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ Languages do not miss out, they're just aren't eligible for the green checkmark. Changing the accepted answer because a newer language has a built-in for this (which may have been prompted by that exact challenge) is simply unfair to the previous winner. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dennis
    Feb 24, 2016 at 18:36
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ I would actually support this, because I think this rule does more harm than good, but if you want to overturn this rather central rule of the community, a) you're going to have to make a solid case for it and b) do so in the appropriate meta post. \$\endgroup\$
    – Martin Ender
    Feb 24, 2016 at 18:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ To add to what Dennis said, we can't expect the author of a challenge that's several years old to care enough to change the accepted answer anyway. \$\endgroup\$
    – Alex A.
    Feb 24, 2016 at 18:40
  • 5
    \$\begingroup\$ Down with checkmarks! \$\endgroup\$
    – trichoplax is on Codidact now
    Feb 24, 2016 at 20:58
-6
\$\begingroup\$

Yes, they should be allowed after about 2 years since the old one.

Nothing says a challenge stops being fun after it fades away.

\$\endgroup\$
1
  • 3
    \$\begingroup\$ That makes no sense at all. The whole point about disallowing even similar challenges is that answers can simply be copied from the other challenge. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dennis
    Feb 24, 2016 at 18:35

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .