I came across an answer to an obvious duplicate recently, along the lines of:
var date1 = new Date("7/13/2010"); var date2 = new Date("12/15/2010"); var timeDiff = Math.abs(date2.getTime() - date1.getTime()); var diffDays = Math.ceil(timeDiff / (1000 * 3600 * 24)); alert(diffDays);`
My first reaction was to point the answererer at the How should duplicate questions be handled? and to say that they should really flag this as a duplicate not answer it. But then I read the answer in this FAQ and it's changed a lot! Whereas it previously stated:
Should I answer it?
No, not if you think it's a duplicate. If you don't think the answers on the target question are good enough, write an answer there.
If you don't think the question is a duplicate, then by all means do answer it.
It now states:
Should I answer it?
It depends. Try to look at the proposed duplicate from the perspective and perceived skill level of the asker - could they use a little extra help understanding how the information in the duplicate pertains in the context of what they're working on? A short answer explaining how or why the duplicate likely eluded them will not only help the asker, but also help future visitors better refine their search skills.
If the answers on the proposed duplicate needs no introduction, then there's no need to provide one. If you want to contribute a better answer, just write one on the proposed duplicate instead.
Did I miss a meta post on this? Was this change in policy discussed with the community? This seems to of been arbitrarily changed yesterday without any discussion. Are we now encouraging users to answer obvious duplicates?
I despair I really do...
Update
I have now updated the FAQ based on my answer below.