deleting or editing an answered question

Question

After being informed that my (answered) question contained inaccuracies and misconceptions, I chose to delete it- and was then auto-warned that it is considered bad policy to delete an answered question, and that if I persisted in that practice I would be blocked here.

Now, it strikes me that editing an answered question instead would be problematic as well inasmuch as that if I edit that question then I might thereby render the existing answer wrong- resulting in mayhem and carnage, metaphorically speaking.

I want to do the right thing here; what options do I have?

Answer 1

The reason that the system warns you when deleting answered questions is to prevent users from reaping the benefits of getting an answer, but not sharing the value of the question & answer with rest of the platform.

Clearly, that is not the case here. I decided to delete the question for you. This may have a slight effect on some statistic on your user profile in the backend, but there is no reason to assume this has any effect on your ability to participate here.

Answer 2

I saw the question, provided an answer, and I did not think that there were inaccuracies in the question. The premise of the question was perfectly reasonable. This was a super question. I thought the comments were critically inappropriate and punitive in downvoting, however. And I thought the commenter was somewhat misinformed, or had determined there were misimpressions in the question without understanding the premise of the question. The question was perfectly reasonable, the critical comments were impolite and uncomfortable to read.

I feel a deep sense of responsibility for this debacle and the adverse outcome. Consequently, I will take my leave from stackexchange. I would do anything to make this up to Nielsen. I shall miss his good nature, and that of Robt. DiGiovanni, and quiet flyer's persistence in following the math and finding the answer. I have taken lessons from you all, and many more, on this site. Anyway, onward... Adieu!

Answer 3

I think it's a bit silly to downvote or delete a question because it has misconceptions. If you have made incorrect assumptions, then describing what assumptions you've made are incorrect and why is a perfectly good answer to the question, not a reason to downvote and delete it.

I'd encourage you to undelete your question. Or rather to flag for a moderator to undelete it, since moderator-deleted questions cannot be undeleted by non-moderators. But of course it is your decision.