GA current questions are all accessible for comment unless locked.
Most answered and expired questions are also available for follow up
comment.

Why are some not available as follows?

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=448156

ps Betty .. If it's a crossword, is the answer over two entries? If so
check two of the other intersecting answers.

-a-s-r-l-p-o-e

-a-I-T-l-p-o-e

RADIOTELEPHONE

S7

---

Clarification of Question by silver777-ga on 29 Dec 2004 12:28 PST

Thanks Bryan,

That's what I thought, but you can still access some expired questions.

Phil

Howdy-hi, Phil!

When (as in the case you cite) a customer has cancelled his or her
question prior to the 30-day expiration date, the question becomes
mummified in such a way that no one may post any further comments.
This can be a source of great frustration. More than once, I have
found answers to questions and could not post the information, since
the customer had expired his or her own question.

In short, questions that expire "naturally" may be commented upon
indefinitely, but questions that are killed off by their creators
become frozen. Even the customer cannot post further remarks to such a
question, as I learned once when I cancelled a question which I had
posted:

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=405495

I hope this covers the matter. I felt it was important to rush in and
post an answer quickly, lest you should cancel this question, which
would have further compounded the mystery. ;-)

Best,
Pink

In her usual style my question was answered promptly with the clarity
and level of service one now becomes used to. Answered within seven
minutes of posting I might add. Well executed!

Hi, Phil

It's 'cos the question has expired!

Bryan

Hi Ho Pink,

Thank you for the opportunity to question your most interesting answer!

Mummified ?? Cryogenetically removed from comment ?? What will they
think of next? I must agree I have seen many a question murdered, but
natural expiration seems only fair. So "expired" in the selection
response of questions differs from "expires on" within the actual
expired question, which may or may not be commented upon, dependant
upon the identity or origin of the murderer? The clue of course is the
grammatically incorrect use of "expires on" when referring in the past
tense. Hhmm .. makes sense.

I have just responded to one of Bryan's questions of near two years
ago. You rated rather well in the vote.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=112645

Thanks for the answer. I will send a star or two your way, along with
another packet of peanuts. Btw did you receive the other
correspondence?

Kind regards,

Phil

Phil,

I always appreciate a nice packet of peanuts. The last ones were
gobbled up by a packetderm. Which is to say, they were "trunkated."

~Pink

phil,

that post script was very cryptic . . . and who, pray tell, is RADIOTELEPHONE?

this must be part of the ongoing conspiracy

btw, the library is still under close surveillance (closed until Jan 3rd)

Miss Irene

p.s. a further question:  how long are GAR's allowed to keep a question locked?

seems like we waited for days for this one to unlock 
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=447664

(but time warps when you're sitting on the edge of your chair . . .  )

ts

ts,

A question can remain locked indefinitely if the Researcher who is
working on it renews the lock repeatedly. Each lock lasts a maximum of
four hours (for questions priced under $100) or eight hours (for
questions priced at $100 or above).

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/faq.html#locked

It is not uncommon for a Researcher to relock a question over and over
in order to have time to prepare a well-researched answer. More than
once I have set an alarm clock to wake me during the night so that I
could renew a lock that was due to expire. During a large research
project, doing this is the only way to ensure that someone else
doesn't nip in and take the question, rendering one's labors
fruitless.