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While questions with similar titles seems to be asked a lot on Pro Webmasters meta (yes, I've searched), they seem to survive because they are not about the same question. So I'll take my chances.

So here is my hard-luck story: My carefully crafted question: https://webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/39817/methods-for-keeping-no-good-scrapers-off-the-site was closed as an "exact duplicate" of Tactics for dealing with misbehaving robots

The closure must have been based upon title alone, because my question starts out of by referring to the industry standard honeypot and blocking method offered as the "solution" in the former thread, then goes on to explain why I believe this is not the right solution, provides an alternate solution using CAPTCHA (not at all mentioned in the former thread). And then asks for criticism/feedback of that particular idea (and if there exists other potential for improvement).

So what are my options here? Is there any hope of getting my question reopened? Or should I just bite the bullet and start a needless argument against the upvoted "non-solution" that exists in the alleged "exact duplicate"? Or should I just repost it with a new title? (since I'm pretty sure that it is the title similarity that prompted the closure in the first place.)

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Reset to default
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You should edit your question to make it clear that it's not a duplicate. If necessary include a link to the other question and also explain why none of the answers help.

Then once you've done that do one (or all) of the following:

  1. Go to chat to see if there's anyone there and discuss the reopening of the question there. They might be able to suggest further edits.
  2. Ask a question here on meta asking for people to consider voting to reopen.
  3. Flag for moderator attention.

If you have made the necessary edits your question might well be reopened.

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  • Have you read the question? It should be obvious to anyone who reads past the heading that is not a duplicate. As for going to chat, pleading for re-opening in chat, etc. Thanks for the suggestions, but no thanks. I've already received (from other sources) a very good answer.
    – Free Radical
    Jan 16, 2013 at 15:25
  • @GisleHannemyr - I was trying to present a general solution so that when someone else came with the same issue with one of their questions they wouldn't immediately post a new question.
    – ChrisF
    Jan 16, 2013 at 15:27
  • I appreciate that. And do not misunderstand, I am grateful for your explanation of the "rules" here. However, I was a bit put off by the suggestion that I should edit the question and make sure that it is not a duplicate when it is blatantly obvious that it is not a duplicate.
    – Free Radical
    Jan 17, 2013 at 8:03

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