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Recently I've been noting that I sometimes get invalid flags when I dispute that the answer on a question is not an answer.

As two examples these two answer https://security.stackexchange.com/a/48824/3339 and https://security.stackexchange.com/a/48817/3339 enter image description here

Are both valid answers. They might be wrong but they are answers. It was to my believe that the "not an answer" was only to be used when answers should in fact have been comments or when they are of extremely low quality e.g. (one sentence).

So what are the rules for flagging as "not an answer"?

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    I don't understand your preamble, perhaps because you aren't using the official terminology. Are you saying that you saw these answers in the 10k flag review, that you cast “invalid flag” flags, and that they show up as “disputed” in your flag history? If so, that's as designed: all “invalid flags” show up as “disputed” (because the original flag disputes them).
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Commented Jan 17, 2014 at 13:23
  • @Gilles added an image. I meant that I flagged something as invalid, which now seems to be disputed. Does this disputed mean that the flag was actually valid and that I was wrong for flagging it as invalid?
    – Lucas Kauffman
    Commented Jan 17, 2014 at 13:29

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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I think you might be misunderstanding what that stuff in your flagging history means. It's kinda exposed implementation detail though and not very intuitive.

When you disagree with flags on a post, you're actually adding your own flag onto the pile, with the string "invalid flags". So the text with the yellow background is what you're saying; it's not a judgment on your judgment.

The "disputed" is the outcome of said flag, which is meaningless here because you disagreeing with the existing flags actually causes the dispute. (The flags you marked as invalid get disputed as well.) Because of that, 100% of "invalid flags" flags come back as disputed. It might as well say "none" or nothing at all, but it tells you that the flags on that post have been handled.

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