Related to Is a bad approach for a problem a good reason to close a question?, this question is about the opposite instead: Is solely suggesting another solution a bad answer? We've been over this already, partially, in the question Short answers and code-only answers, but I wish to point out one particular variant:
This answer to Finding Primes in Java.
The question uses a rather bad implementation of algorithm A. I suggest algorithm B, and (in the 5 minute edit period) have managed to make quite something of my answer: I have managed to include time complexity for the current solution and the proposed solution, I have added a fancy GIF (animated images are worth their weight in bandwidth/screen space) and, generally, my answer is well sourced.
But it doesn't review any of the code. It reviews the solution. It takes a short look at the asker's code, tosses it into a pit and comes up with its own solution. There is no such thing as a review. I have more answers like that:
Blackjack Strategy - trivializes asker's code, suggesting a different implementation.
Min of 3 numbers - doesn't notice the bug in the code by suggesting a different implementation. Takes the different implementation and tries to escalate it to a yet non-existing problem.
Yet when you look at the scores, those are my best answers! One would think that if they truly were bad answers, they'd be downvoted, surely? But they don't. And I think I know why: They're good answers. They are bad reviews, though.
That last statement warrants the following questions:
- Is solely suggesting another solution a bad review?
- Is a bad review a bad answer?
- Are questions asking for other solutions bad questions, as they don't invite reviews?
