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I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.

I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.

I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.

I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.

I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.

I've noticed myself reacting to this too, although I try to mitigate against it as much as possible.

I sometimes try and post a short correct answer as quickly as possible to kind of "mark" the question with my answer to discourage other similar answers. I then I would edit my answer to improve it, using the 5 minutes grace period to edit without it appearing as an edit (although I'll still carry on editing after then if I can improve it, I just use the grace period to edit without worrying about writing edit descriptions).

Conversely, if I find someone has answered the question while I was writing my answer, and I don't feel my answer adds anything, then I've deleted my answer on occasion, although if I provide a link and the previous answer doesn't I'd leave mine. Once I can edit I'd be inclined to remove my answer and add the link to the other answer. Since comments were added I've also been adding to answers by commenting on them, again, once I've got edit rights I might edit directly for simple improvements (adding links, spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.) and just use comments for actual comments.

I've also learnt a few of the keyboard shortcuts for the edit box (hover over the buttons to see them on the tooltips.) The shortcut I use the most is CTRL+L to add a link to selected text. That makes it much quicker to write a quick answer with a few useful links in it.

I've also taken the attitude that there is also a long game to be played. If you can provide a better answer then the initial rush of points that the first answers got is possibly just the tip of the iceberg and there's probably much more points "underwater" to be made once the site is indexed by Google and we start finding answers to questions in Google search results. (although the fact that new users can't vote straight away - you need +15 rep to upvote - might mitigate against this.)

Update: for a really good description of how the long game will play out and why the fastest gun answers aren't a problem see Adam Davis's Answer.