# Should I edit a hint to a complete answer; if, the author does not complain?

In this post I edited @fouriertransform's HINT to a complete answer. Am I allowed to do this?

• No, you should not. The author wrote the post the way they did for a reason, and your edit radically changed the content. In this case, it is acceptable because the original poster accepted the edit, but usually it is bad practice. – user296602 Sep 9 '16 at 20:29
• Just write your own answer, referencing the other if you want. – quid Sep 9 '16 at 20:47
• @T.Bongers Oh, i did not think about that. Should i use >! to hide my answer. If the person wants to see the answer, he can hover over it. – A---B Sep 9 '16 at 21:02
• @A---B Again: no. – Did Sep 9 '16 at 21:12
• That is still a radical change. Don't do it. – user296602 Sep 9 '16 at 21:17
• Anyone can propose edits to (almost) anything, but it is uncollegial and disruptive to make changes that affect the meaning/intent of the original author. If your feeling is that a full answer is more appropriate than a hint (this can depend on the Question, of course), you are certainly welcome to give a full answer on your own account. Short of that I'd put the option of leaving a Comment for the author of the original answer, suggesting a specific clarification. – hardmath Sep 10 '16 at 1:42

One of the boilerplate reasons for rejecting an edit is

clearly conflicts with author's intent

This edit deviates from the original intent of the post. Even edits that must make drastic changes should strive to preserve the goals of the post's owner.

That is, even very substantial edits ought to preserve the intent of the post. Hence a hint-only answer shouldn't generally be edited by a third party to become a fully spelled out answer with all the details, nor vice-versa. (One exception to this, of course, is when a post is marked as community wiki.) Inclusion of the spoiler tag doesn't really affect this.

In this case, however, the edit was accepted by the original author of the answer; thus, it shouldn't be rolled back or otherwise rejected after the fact. I think that a better practice for the future might be to write your own answer, at the level of specificity you feel is appropriate, and give credit to any other answers that inspired your own.

• Thanks, i will take care from the next time. – A---B Sep 10 '16 at 6:20