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I wanted to auto-flag my well-received question which is a duplicate of a closed question but, unfortunately, the closed question doesn't have an answer.

How can I deal with this issue?

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2 Answers 2

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The network accommodates for this by providing the option to "Vote to Reopen" a question, even if it is merely to close it again for a different reason. So, here are a couple of suggestions:

  • If you have the privilege to "Vote to Reopen" (3k reputation), vote to reopen the (currently-closed) question and write a comment in the question stating your motivation for doing this.

    Other users with the same privilege who follow the Reopen Review Queue should use some common sense to see why the question should be reopened by looking at the edit history and/or the comments.

    Then, once the question has been opened, proceed as you wanted to originally.

  • The above process can be sped up if you engage in some discussion within chat. There are many users with the above-mentioned privileges that can aid in the voting process.

  • If all else fails, flag the question for moderator attention, stating your motivation. They may be able to manage it without further intervention if the result improves the site/clears up confusion.

Once the dust has settled, remove any comments related to the situation since they are no longer needed and otherwise just clutter any valid commentary already present.

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In a comment to the closed question, there's a link to this question: dictionary marks in biblatex. If that question is a candidate for a duplicate, that would solve the problem.

If it doesn't give the answer you need, you could update your question to mention that one, and explain why it doesn't meet your requirements.

In either case, this would avoid the need to point to a question that was closed as unclear.

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  • You are right I didn't see it
    – G M
    Sep 25, 2019 at 7:41
  • However it doesn't solve the problem of the closed question, the question is very clear and should be marked as a duplicate not as unclear what he's asking, further the linked question is unfundable the title is far worse of the closed question
    – G M
    Sep 25, 2019 at 7:45
  • You're correct on both counts: the reason for closure, and the difficulty in finding the linked question as phrased. Those qualities are distinct weaknesses of this site, and both are difficult problems. I, for one, am hesitant to rephrase a question title in a way that may be meaningless to the OP. And reopening a question just to change the reason for closure isn't encouraged. But in this case, maybe at least the latter is worth the effort. I'll raise that question in the chat. Sep 25, 2019 at 12:52
  • @GM -- I've added a few words to the title of the "linked" question in the hope that it will be more easily found in a search. Sep 25, 2019 at 16:19

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