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I set a bounty to a question (How fat is a triangle?). After about 6.5 days I got two answers. Both look good anad relevant, but in order to fully understand them, I need more time, since the question and answers are full of details. Currently I have only 1.5 day to award the bounty (including the grace period), which is insufficient for reading, asking clarification questions and waiting for clarifying answers.

Previously, when a similar thing happened to me (in The square cover number and the number of horizontal sides ), I just gave the bounty to the (single) answer, although it was imperfect, because I believed it could be improved and there was no time to wait. I think this time-pressure is bad for the site because it encourages the OP to give the bounty to imperfect answers, instead of encouraging the answerer to improve it.

I understand that the limitation on the grace perion comes to encourage the OP to make a choice rather than think forever. However, the time might be too short. So here are several suggestions:

A. The grace period should automatically grow in 1 day for every new answer.

B. (anorton's suggestion): The grace period should grow for each new user posting an answer.

C. The grace period should be 7 days from the posting of the first answer.

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    $\begingroup$ So, you want to be able to make the grace period last indefinitely by posting "answers" (they might be later deleted, but just posting will extend the grace period), or making trivial edits to already existing answers? Somehow I don't think this will ever be implemented. $\endgroup$
    – user642796
    Sep 1, 2014 at 13:34
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    $\begingroup$ How about for each new user to post an answer, the bounty period gets extended, and remove the "edit" extension? That would prevent some "gaming" of the system. $\endgroup$
    – apnorton
    Sep 1, 2014 at 15:23
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    $\begingroup$ The lesson here, is that you shouldn't wait until the last moment to study answers. Also, calling triangles "fat" is rude, you should use the term "horizontally challenged" instead. :P $\endgroup$
    – Asaf Karagila Mod
    Sep 1, 2014 at 21:12
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    $\begingroup$ @AsafKaragila but the answers were only published at the last moment... $\endgroup$
    – Erel Segal-Halevi
    Sep 2, 2014 at 4:53
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    $\begingroup$ A possible compromise is that the grace period should extend up to 7 days from the posting of the first answer. This gives the OP a week to study at least one answer, while preventing endless extensions. $\endgroup$
    – Erel Segal-Halevi
    Sep 2, 2014 at 5:06
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    $\begingroup$ Time to grant bounty could be few days longer, than time in featured queue. Just suggestion. $\endgroup$
    – Tacet
    Dec 7, 2014 at 23:08

1 Answer 1

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I'd rather keep the system as simple as possible. More special clauses means more confusion, more misuse and more bugs. "Should the extension be granted for edits, or just for new answers... and if an answer was undeleted, does that count as an edit or a new answer...?"

I'd say if you got an answer that you want to study for more than a day, that answer deserves the bounty.

I might also add that your questions tend to be on the more-nebulous edge of the spectrum, and I sympathize with answerers who have little desire to engage in rounds of follow-up comments.

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