Voting down incorrect answers.
Is there a way to vote down answers that are clearly incorrect ... even though they may have been voted up by other users? It is frightening to think that folks may get the idea that incorrect answers are correct because other users voted them up!
A current example is the recent thread about principiante.
18 Answers
Having a "voting down" option just seems like it would encourage a lot of maliciousness and negativity on the forum. I think comments are a better, more appropriate way to express your disagreement. After all, all the users know this is just a forum, and all of us are capable of doing our own research to double check!
If somebody questions the, "correctness," of an answer, challenge it in the comments section. Sombody will address the issue and we will all learn from it right or wrong. All things considered the site works really well. If somebody asserts something incorrectly,let's assume it was inadvertent or through lack of knowledge, members will review the entry, challenge it, discuss it and correct it. In that way we all benefit and learn. The incorrect poster has helped us albeit in a roundabout way, thus earning his or her, "vote-up" Let's not carried away with what in the big picture is a minority issue. Respectfully to all, that is my opinion.
In escense, I am with Nizhoni1.
Regarding the voting down part. The threads I enjoy the most is when people debate or muddle through the definition of a word or construction of a sentence. Reading the wrong and right answers are both useful to me.
With all the discussion lamenting doing homework for folks it would seem if someone adopted an answer that was incorrect without critically examining it, that could be a lesson in itself.
This site is open to to the world.All kinds of learners and all levels of ability. As we move through life we have to learn who to trust, how to evaluate things for validity and when you might need to double check something for accuracy to name a few things. Even though we are on line, this is a lot like walking down a street of New York or any large cosmopolitan city.
I have received PMs about certain words I used from the dictionary they thought were unacceptable, but then see them used on the site without any negative response.The feedback lets me know of some words that need to be considered in a different way as well as the variability of understanding with people whose first language is Spanish.
I think process is more important than flagging. I understand the importance to have correctly phrased site but a punitive response does not necessarily foster learning.
Nicole-Bailey said:
While I agree with you in principle that we do not want to have incorrect answers accepted as the "best answer", I don't think there is a failing in the system here.
When a person "accepts" an answer as "Best", they are merely letting us know which answer they found to be most useful for their question. In the case of "Game/Challenge" threads, answers are accepted by the number of votes or by some other criteria established by the poster such as creativity, etc.
I agree. We should remember that in this system we are learning from other people, all of whom are imperfect and can and will make mistakes.
While that sounds totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable on its face, that is the way children learn a language at home. Often it's from parents or siblings who may be only marginally literate themselves. These mistakes do not doom them forever.
We are all works in progress, we all learn from one another, and nothing that is said here is ever the final word on anything. But together, we can and will correct our imperfections to the best of our ability.
I think the use of the comments system for pointing out errors works really well, especially seeing as we have a great team of dedicated administrators who correct the posts if the original authors don't in a reasonable timeframe. As for people coming along and taking incorrect answers as being the truth, this part of the site is a discussion forum, not a dictionary, there will always be differing opinions (and nothing in language is ever cut and dried). Also languages change over time and it takes dictioniaries time to catch up.
The short answer is never believe anything you read on the internet. Ever! 
I think that you have made a very valid point here. Most of the time, follow-up posts will point out the mistake and give alternate answers. As I understand it, this is all we can do except for administrators. Maybe someone else knows of another way.
I've already commented, but I want to reserve judgement here because the word principianta seems unusual.
It does exist in the Collins and SpanishDict dictionaries.
If you search for it in the ONLINE RAE, you will find it. But you can't link to the page and get back to it like you can most any other word. (the URL brings you back to principiante)
It does not exist in the online Velasquez, nor in the Chicago Spanish Dictionary.
Google searches find few references.
And importantly, Waltieco, who says he is fluent and from Guatemala, started this thread saying that principianta is clearly wrong.
I'm not so sure about the "clearly" part, but something is definitely fishy about this word. At best, it's a very rare form of principiante.
Unless I am missing something, the answer that was voted to the top of the list was answered by our esteemed administrator Eddy.
I'm sure he is either correct or will make any changes necessary.
I would never, ever vote one of Eddy's answers down!!! 
Never mind "principiante/a". As jack obrien points out there have been answers he and I have seen that are clearly wrong but which have not only been voted up but accepted as best answer.
Jeff, then why didn't you and your friend contact somebody? I mean, what good does it do mention this here but not having done something?
Accepted wrong answers are pointed out and then, unless the member "unaccepts" deleted.
But first, we must see the accepted wrong post.
In my view, it is vital that we continue to encourage debate and discussion on this website, especially concerning the responses to questions. I am a new member but I am very impressed, so far, with the manner in which the vast majority of people here use the postings and comments sections in a very positive way to encourage others in their journey towards fluency as they seek to learn and develop their Spanish language skills. The immense value in discussing and debating the answers lies not simply in reaching the correct answer/way to use the Spanish language, but, as Nizhoni rightly mentions, the process of learning how and why Spanish is spoken and written in this way today . I agree with the view expressed by many here that voting down answers is unhelpful since it doesn't help the person who loses the mark to understand why their answer was incorrect.
I am always grateful for Constructive criticism and clear guidance from native and other Spanish speakers who are more competent and knowledgeable than myself. I appreciate it as long as it is communicated with a gentleness that recognises that we all make mistakes and making those mistakes is a necessary and useful part of the learning curve as long as we learn from them I aim to correct any mistakes I am made aware of as quickly as possible This approach of continuing to correct people in a gentle manner should hopefully ensure that we encourage people to keep using what they know without fear of embarrassment/ridicule should they make any mistakes however big or small. This in turn should help to ensure that Spanish Dict remains and outstanding Community and language resource for all aspiring linguists.
Jack said:
The scary part is wrong answers being Accepted as Best Answer. I've seen that happen a few times.
Quentin said:
Hey, are you trying to prevent the only way that I can earn points? Better to rule over the dunce corner than serve in the forum to only provide correct answers. That's a quote from Heidita's Inferno.Usually when I see what I think is an accepted, wrong answer I contact an administrator (I don't flag it because what do I know?) or PM the person and explain why I think tha it might not be a correct answer. - qfreed
Indeed, jeje, you certainly are in urgent need of a couple of points
Well, I have asked many times to be sent a PM or flag an answer that is obviously incorrect or what you think is incorrect.
The only one I sometimes do get these messages from is from Quentin.
Please let me know if you see an "accepted" incorrect answer!
Never mind "principiante/a". As jack obrien points out there have been answers he and I have seen that are clearly wrong but which have not only been voted up but accepted as best answer.
There is something missing here which is, perhaps, a flag type which identifies an answer as in need of review. Who would do this or how, I wish I knew but it is a failing in the system that viewers can be hoodwinked by a "best answer" or an answer which has been voted up but which is, nonetheless, wrong.
The scary part is wrong answers being Accepted as Best Answer. I've seen that happen a few times.
We all learn from mistakes - in fact if we never make mistakes (in English or Spanish) why are we here? Making a mistake and learning from it is by far the best way of learning something - so seeing something being corrected is very helpful.
I understand this site is trying to offer the best Spanish language possible however let's keep in mind we all cannibalize our own language every day. If we didn't we would sound stuffy and stuck up. In many cases there is no correct answer but rather a set of possible answers depending on the originating country. Depending if you learn English (for example) from Boston, San Francisco or the foothills of North Carolina you will end up speaking the same language but with huge differences. So, same expressions but from different countries are the same as comparing English and American languages, they are similar yet different.
