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I have the impression that many new answers to old questions often do not get the number of upvotes they deserve. What can we do so that these answers are also upvoted?

"Old question" in this context does not necessarily have to be several years old. Sometimes already after several days or weeks new answers are not upvoted anymore.

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    $\begingroup$ Congratulations on 1k rep! $\endgroup$
    – amoeba
    Feb 15, 2017 at 9:33
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    $\begingroup$ Thank you. Congratulations for 33.3k rep. $\endgroup$
    – Ferdi
    Feb 15, 2017 at 9:36
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    $\begingroup$ I don't disagree, but why single out new answers to old questions? New answers get their moment in the sun for anyone watching what is active. There are at least two quite different kinds of users here: those who follow the site almost daily and (I guess wildly) contribute very many of the votes and those who visit the site when they have a specific problem (which may be just once!), so how people use the site is germane. If we agree (easily in my case) that many answers deserve many more votes, the role in this of old or new question and old or new answer is harder to analyse. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Feb 15, 2017 at 12:29
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    $\begingroup$ @Nick Nevertheless, there is a pattern. I have been systematically digging up old questions and posting answers. I notice that they get exceptionally little attention. It might be worthwhile pointing out that such activities do have their objective rewards besides the personal ones that come with crafting good answers: two upvotes will bring you a bronze "Revival" badge (this happens most of the time) and five will add a silver "Necromancer" badge (this occurs only sometimes). Once in a while the OP actually notices and accepts the answer, which is somewhat gratifying. $\endgroup$
    – whuber Mod
    Feb 15, 2017 at 13:56
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    $\begingroup$ @whuber It seems that I have 9 Necromancer badges. I should have been in LOTR. And 3 Revival. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Feb 15, 2017 at 16:08
  • $\begingroup$ @NickCox Necromancer is easily my proudest achievement -- the name alone is worthwhile. $\endgroup$
    – Sycorax Mod
    Feb 15, 2017 at 18:27
  • $\begingroup$ Necromancer is one of my favourite badges too! It seems I have 40. @whuber has 58! I wonder if anybody has more. (Is there any way to see badge statistics: who has how many of them?) $\endgroup$
    – amoeba
    Feb 15, 2017 at 19:50
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    $\begingroup$ @Michael I don't get your title edit: "How do people encourage others..." sounds like a question about what people do in practice to encourage others, whereas OP is clearly asking about what we should do. I think the title was better before. But I am not a native speaker. $\endgroup$
    – amoeba
    Feb 15, 2017 at 19:52
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    $\begingroup$ @amoeba You can query badges with SEDE e.g. How to distinguish between gold, silver, and bronze tag badges on SEDE? $\endgroup$
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Feb 16, 2017 at 17:53

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