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It is obvious (see here and there) that this site suffers from a lack of (up)votes. Votes are crucial to this kind of site.

There are questions on this site which have received an answer but that have not been upvoted.

If you make an effort to answer a question, why is it then so hard to upvote this question? Or put differently, if you think that a question deserves an answer why shouldn't it deserve an upvote as well?

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If you think that a question deserves an answer why shouldn't it deserve an upvote as well?

Because it may be the case that it is the subject of the question that "deserves" an answer, while at the same time the question itself (the dreadful style of writing, the lack of enough information to understand the specific issue the OP faces, the non-existent stimulating remarks of the OP as regards the problem he or she faces etc) may do everything to discourage answers, or simply be a bad/mediocre introduction to an interesting issue.

This is not to say that we do not need to be voting more on this site -we do.

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    $\begingroup$ ''the lack of enough information to understand the specific issue'' But how do you want to write a proper answer if you don't understand the question or the issue, to use your own words. $\endgroup$
    – user4239
    May 19, 2015 at 16:32
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    $\begingroup$ Easy: in such cases, and when the OP does not respond to calls for clarifications etc, one explicitly makes a series of assumptions in order to have a well-formed question to answer to. Maybe this will not be the question the OP had in mind? Well, too bad, the OP should have responded to the calls. In such cases, it is obvious why an answerer will tend to not upvote an answer. $\endgroup$
    – Alecos Papadopoulos
    May 19, 2015 at 18:12
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    $\begingroup$ It's better to stick to the facts than making assumptions. If the OP does no want to clarify, let it be and go on to the next question. That would be a lack of interest from his side and then there's no need to make an effort to provide an answer in such a case. $\endgroup$
    – user4239
    May 19, 2015 at 18:26
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    $\begingroup$ I disagree. The answers provided here are not directed only to, neither do they serve only, the OP. The SE world has an explicit vision to create a repository of knowledge through the Q&A format. Not everybody shares this vision, but not everybody is against it either. I do share it, so when "facts pertinent to the OP's specific interests" are missing, i see value for the site in supplementing some assumptions in order to provide an answer that appears to have the potential to be of general interest, current or future. $\endgroup$
    – Alecos Papadopoulos
    May 19, 2015 at 18:34
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    $\begingroup$ Q&A that's the point here. It stands for Questions and Answers. And not the other way round. The aim is to find answers to questions and not to find questions that fit answers you have in mind. $\endgroup$
    – user4239
    May 19, 2015 at 19:05
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    $\begingroup$ "That's the point here" - according to whom? You can stick to the one way, it is a perfectly reasonable way to view things. I will keep on doing it both ways. $\endgroup$
    – Alecos Papadopoulos
    May 19, 2015 at 21:13

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