<p>I have been answering questions from users with reputation 1, knowing fully well that chances for reward in points from up-votes, or acceptance of the answer, are low. In great part it is simply that a number of these questions tend to be less specialized and more amenable to my amateur condition; also it is a good exercise, and a community service. So no complaints.</p>

<p>However, it is not uncommon to see the user vanish into thin air, because they unregister, find the answer elsewhere, lose interest, take up spelunking instead feeling that it is a less slippery sport than statistics; or perhaps they are intimidated or overwhelmed by the predictable comments regarding the need for a self-study tag, or insinuations that they are simply dumping their homework on the site. I don't know the full spectrum of patterns, yet.</p>

<p>The question I want to raise, though, is whether it would be fair for the moderators or four-star general users to have the latitude or privilege to accept the answer by proxy after a certain period of time <em>if</em> they happen to run into the post, and consider that the question has been properly addressed.</p>

<p>If this has been addressed before, just drop a quick comment (always preferable to the cold downvote :-) ), and I'll happily erase the post, as I typically do with all my bad ideas.</p>
