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I flagged an answer (the shortest one) in this topic since the answerer posted it twice (no matter if it is correct or not), but my flag was declined by moderators with a standard phrase: "flags should only be used to make moderators aware of content that requires their intervention".

If this is not a case where moderators should intervene, then what is the meaning (assuming that has one!) of the celebrated phrase?

Later edit. Someone frustrated by his two days effort to solve correctly a problem, and after giving him a hint (to use an idea which is already present in my answer to this question and which received $7$ upvotes), wrote in his answer: "thanks to YACP for stealing the idea from user3462, claiming to have a proof based on the idea, deleting the claim and saying it didn't happen, getting angry at me for not giving him credit, then getting angry at me again for thinking the idea was worth giving anyone credit for in the first place". I flagged his answer and guess what I've got:

"flags should only be used to make moderators aware of content that requires their intervention".

What is this? I've thought that the answers are posted for answering mathematical questions, not to express our frustrations.

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    $\begingroup$ Presumably your flag was reviewed without looking at the whole thread -- this happened to me once or twice as well. Just flag it again with a custom reason explaining the issue. $\endgroup$
    – Lord_Farin
    Commented Oct 9, 2013 at 10:57
  • $\begingroup$ Regarding your edit: I think it belongs in a new thread. $\endgroup$
    – Lord_Farin
    Commented Oct 15, 2013 at 8:01
  • $\begingroup$ @Lord_Farin Well, I don't think so as long as the moderators used the same meaningless phrase in both occasions and proves the same thing: the noncombat attitude of moderators when they have to react. $\endgroup$
    – user26857
    Commented Oct 15, 2013 at 8:03
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    $\begingroup$ The phrase is standard for declined flags, I think... (Confirmation appreciated.) $\endgroup$
    – Lord_Farin
    Commented Oct 15, 2013 at 8:06
  • $\begingroup$ @Lord_Farin I can understand this, but why use the same "motivation" in each case when can give better explanations in your own words? (Actually I didn't oblige them to be moderators, but if they are then show some effort please!) $\endgroup$
    – user26857
    Commented Oct 15, 2013 at 8:11

2 Answers 2

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My bad. I completely misunderstood your flag.

You wrote:

User already posted an extension of this answer.

And given Martin's comment (link viewable to 10K+) which began

Please read more carefully. I have already remarked above that this map ...

I mistakenly assumed that the word "user" in your flag refers to Martin. And the "extension" referred to is what Martin already wrote in the question statement. And so I thought the flag was pointing out that the answer does not answer the question (and which would have been dealt with already by the votes on the answer), and not, as you intended, that the answer is already incorporated in a second answer. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

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Regarding the "Later edit": often times flags are collected into groups and clearing one will clear them all, and for the same reason. In this case, I was clearing another flag and yours got cleared at the same time.

However, linking to someone's profile and calling them a freak is not good practice.

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