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Guys,

I think it would be fair if we all respected that newcomers have certain limitations in the privileges that impedes their following such rules as asking helpful questions as comments (unless a question to self, this requires 'comment everywhere' available from rep 50) and editing own answers to others' questions (also requires some rep).

Please consider those before downvoting.

Thank you.

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  • 1
    Do you have an example of where privilege limitations have caused an ill-advised downvote?
    – Stu Pegg
    May 19, 2011 at 7:26
  • 1
    it was deleted, but i guess with the right amount of privileges you could take a look here: sharepoint.stackexchange.com/questions/12752/… May 19, 2011 at 7:29
  • Abe Miessler should know what I'm talking about May 19, 2011 at 7:30
  • 1
    If you're willing to add an explanation of what happened to your question for this example you'll get a larger audience to discuss it. Currently only 5 people have any idea what happened in that thread: You, Abe, and 3 mods.
    – Stu Pegg
    May 19, 2011 at 12:02
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    I answered someone else's question regarding powershell but didn't include the error handling initially. Having around 1-10 reputation points at the moment I could neither edit my answer, nor add comments, so i added another answer regarding the error handling. The first answer was voted up, the second down, and the second was subsequently deleted. May 19, 2011 at 13:57
  • 1
    It could have been the frequency limitation that didn't allow me to edit: sharepoint.stackexchange.com/privileges/new-user May 19, 2011 at 14:00
  • 1
    Thanks for adding the run-down.
    – Stu Pegg
    May 19, 2011 at 16:35

2 Answers 2

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The limitations of privilege are not an obstacle to be worked around, rather a symbol of the community's caution towards new users.

The first time you enter the Stack Exchange group of communities you are required to prove that your intentions towards the community are benign and helpful. This comes in the form of the New User Restrictions.

Helpful questions in comments are welcome, but understandably they're restricted until the community recognizes you as someone who has contributed, and hence understands their use.

Once you've become a recognized contributing member of one of the SE communities (rep > 200) you automatically get an extra 100 reputation in every other SE community you join to bypass these restrictions.

Long story short: Being to be downvoted for attempting to bypass the reputation limitations is to be expected. Everyone has to suffer these limitations at least once, so grin and bear it for the duration of their brief inconvenience.

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  • Thanks, Stuart. It's not the intention to work around a limitation that drove me and could also drive others following the same path of willing to share valuable addition to what was just posted. Also what you say is all valid, but does not answer the question of whether we should follow the letter or the spirit of the rules. Whether we should punish the eagerness to share or the eagerness to spam. May 19, 2011 at 18:25
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In this case the answer should have been moved to a comment, or a suggestion made to edit the answer with the additional information. We sometimes make mistakes, and this is an easy one to forget since those of us moderating the site passed that reputation privilege a long time ago.

Thanks for reminding us!

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