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I recently came across a geometrical curiosity when trying to answer a relatively elementary geometry question. It uses a method of construction and some basic algebra in a way that I had not encountered before. In fact, I thought that the method was worth committing to my 'problem-solving' memory on its own virtues, even without the question which inspired it.

If I understand how this site works, I should post a 'minimum working example' version of the original question and answer it myself, because, in my opinion, the concept I [re]discovered is important to the community. However, how do I decide whether the method is really that important/interesting/nontrivial for more experienced people? Do I or do I not post a self-answered question?

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    $\begingroup$ The term "minimal working example" is taken from the original site on the network, which was about programming. I find it hard to make very much sense of the term in the context of this site. Whether to post a self-answered question is a tough one, as indeed it can be hard to evaluate whether something really will be of interest to the community (or at least a large enough part of it). $\endgroup$
    – Tobias Kildetoft
    Apr 2, 2016 at 17:58
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    $\begingroup$ Relevant. $\endgroup$
    – Lord_Farin
    Apr 2, 2016 at 20:40
  • $\begingroup$ @TobiasKildetoft By 'minimal working example' in this case, I mean a question for which the method I'm talking about is the natural approach, or is particularly applicable. This is not necessarily the original question which led me to the method, because that question had extraneous details and steps in its solution. $\endgroup$
    – shardulc says Reinstate Monica
    Apr 3, 2016 at 3:27

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Answering your own question should be held to the same standards we all hope for in answers by others. Explanation of the solution, with examples and code if possible.

Accepting is similar. Sometimes others can be even more clever than we imagine.

The best thing is that when you get up in points it becomes easier to accept another user's answer because instead of chasing (building) reputation we shift into chasing knowledge.

Same with downvotes. When you see that your question is reaching a possible 10,000 audience, and that a few dozen have looked at it, then a few downvotes doesn't seem like such a big deal.

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