Why Was My Answer Deleted?

Question

I recently posted an answer to the question Dealing with rashes between thighs and around the groin. The answer stated:

Others have good advice: none-cotton, tight underwear; balm or talcum powder; dry clothes.

However, I have one more option: when I'm on the move and start feeling chaffing in my bum, I'll do the moonwalk. This works best with the loose basketball shorts I usually wear, but can be done with other shorts or pants as well.

To do the moonwalk, stow away any trekking poles you have, drop your pants and underwear so that the waistband is below your butt cheeks (and crotch, if you're having problems there). Grab the crotch of your pants like a bad-ass G, and start hiking.

I find I air out after about 10-15 minutes of moonwalking, and can pull my pants up after. Just make sure to watch out for strangers coming up the trail in front of or behind you!

Today, I have found the answer to be deleted, with comments of

amusing, but unhelpful. – Liam

and

bchilders - not useful. Please re-read How to Answer – Rory Alsop

Reasons for why an answer might be deleted can be seen here and here.

So, I ask, why was my comment deleted? According to some of those who apparently had a part in deleting it, my answer was not useful - however, I contend the opposite. This answer was jocular, yes - the moonwalk itself is jocular. But the technique itself is legitimately useful, and I have used it myself on many occasions to great effect!

For an ultralight hiker who needs to make miles, who forgoes talcum powder and lube, this is an excellent technique for stopping chaffing early, while still hiking. Of course, most will agree that other options are preferable and take precedence, such as wearing sweat-wicking underwear. However, sometimes these options do not work, such as in a hot, humid climate where large amounts of sweat are inevitable.

I have read both articles on why answers might be deleted, and I have found no reason for why mine qualifies. I answered the question, I wrote to the best of my ability, I was polite and friendly to the asker, and I did, indeed, have fun. The answer was not commentary, did not ask a different question, and provided an answer I did not see in other answers or comments

Was there some way I should have improved my answer? Should I have specified that, for between-the-legs chaffing, you will need to do a bit of a waddle? That sometimes, when the chaffing is particularly bad, I will grab a cheek in each hand and pull them apart as I walk? That, no, you should not perform the moonwalk on popular trails near metropolitan areas? I don't know.

Thus, I ask, of those who voted in particular, but also to the community at large, what are the specific reasons for my answer being deleted? If this deletion was not made in error, I would like to know the reason, so that I can provide better answers in the future - but I would also request that in the future, those who vote for the deletion of posts provide clearer answers for their decisions. If it was made in error, I request that those who voted for deletion who also see this meta question reverse their votes, so that other hikers in the future who wish to know how to deal with chaffing will have another possible option that may work for them.

Answer 1

If you edit it to be a valid answer - perhaps including the sentence you wrote about waddling - that would help, but answers that are just jokes will get deleted, as they do not provide a valid and useful answer to the asker.

Answer 2

What I see here in some responses to this question bothers me. I implore you to please not be so dismissive of @bchilders and have a real discussion. Some of you are (Thank you Rory), so this comment is targeted at those who are simply saying "this is ridiculous and has no place here" without any supporting reasoning.

As for the actual situation at hand here concerning bchilders' answer...

No matter what you think of the technique itself or whether it should be attempted by anyone, it appears obvious (to me, at least) that the answer by bchilders was a real answer and that it is literally a technique that bchilders uses for the situation asked about in the question.

And, since it is an awkward thing to talk about and suggest (despite being a valid technique), it is understandable that someone might lighten the mood by talking about it in a silly way, as that is known to be a common way many humans deal with awkward situations.

As to the actual technique itself, I will throw in my experience on this one...

I have not used the technique personally while in The Great Outdoors, but I have done so within the privacy of my own home. And, I actually do know of others who do use this technique even in The Great Outdoors. I was with a group once which included a young boy who frequently had this problem. He was young enough that his parents did not mind him exposing himself in front of everyone, and nobody else minded that he was doing so since he was a very little guy and it did not feel the same.

I have mentioned this to some people over the years, many of whom just thought it was weird, but I have had a very few people who have said they either have done it or known someone else who has done it.

As for calling it the "moon walk", I have not heard it called that exactly, but on the trip I mentioned the boy's parents called it "mooning the world," and there were jokes made to that effect, such as "Look, he's mooning the whole world."

This practice seems to be an extreme minority thing. Even though I have heard of other people doing it since, I only heard about it because I first mentioned the one instance where I encountered it. If I had not seen that instance and mentioned it to others, then I would not have heard about others doing it either and would still be completely unaware of any of its practitioners.

Summary

I assert that exposing yourself, as per bchilders' answer, very much is a usable technique to the problem, and that there are people who do it (even if an extreme minority group).

However, I will also add that I myself would not do it, and that anyone who would should be very careful to avoid mooning other hikers and to avoid getting arrested for indecent exposure since this could be illegal in your area (even if it's not illegal in your area, please do not expose yourself to me and my family).