1

Look to this question, How can I not burn my hands in hot water when doing dishes?, for reference.

I am having a problem with my question. If you go to the question, you can see that there are quite a few answers. My problem isn't mainly choosing the best answer.

I was searching through the questions tab on this site, when this question in the Meta Featured box caught my eye: What is a lifehack?

After reading this question and it's accepted answer, I reviewed all of my answers and realized that there was only one answer, which is now accepted. Now, on to my actual problem.

I still have these 6 remaining answers that aren't even lifehacks!!

What bothers me is the clutter of these extra answers. I know it won't do any good to flag the answers, because they aren't necessarily wrong. However, they are off-topic. I am just really frustrated with the extra fluff that isn't even the right kind of fluff. Is there a solution to my problem?

4

Answers are neither on- nor off-topic. They are just answers.

Given they aren't falling into any of the flaggable/deletable categories (spam, offensive, not an answer, etc.) they are just good or bad answers.

And there already is a way to show whether an answer is good or bad: Votes.

That being said: downvote bad (not lifehack) answers and leave them at that.

Something obvious and clear to you may be a lifehack to others (and vice versa). If you think an answer should be deleted you better have a dang good reason to flag for moderator attention, or be a trusted user with deletion privileges.

You may consider flagging such answers as 'very low quality' but I'd advise against this, because someone else might come around and think they have a novel solution when an answer with that solution just has been deleted and they can't see that.

Again: Vote to show the quality and lifehackishness of answers. Flags are for crap.

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  • The reason I suggested flagging is because these users suggested methods that anyone in the world would know (i.e. "Turn down your water heater."). The purpose of Lifehacks.SE is for people to discover and utilize otherwise non-conventional methods of doing everyday tasks, not for people to be preached the same thing that your parents taught you when you were 8. – James Lynch Jan 3 '15 at 3:22
  • I fail to see why you are commenting that now... how did my answer not state what I consider the correct approach for this?? – Vogel612 Jan 3 '15 at 3:23
  • I suggest reading the question I linked. That explains my reasoning. – James Lynch Jan 3 '15 at 3:26
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    I did so... my answer does not really change... There is no need to justify the thought of flagging to me, or anyone else but moderators handling your flag... – Vogel612 Jan 3 '15 at 3:29
  • I did not say that I want to flag their answers. – James Lynch Jan 3 '15 at 3:30
  • How does that invalidate my point of 'vote on the lifehackishness of answers' again?? I fail to see how your comments relate to my answer... that may be because it's 4.30 am though.... – Vogel612 Jan 3 '15 at 3:33
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    The first sentence of your answer, Answers are neither on- nor off-topic. They are just answers., is pretty much the only possible answer to this question, and the key point that everyone should understand. – Sterno Jan 3 '15 at 16:37

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