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I wrote this answer and wanted to make sure that I am not violating this community's etiquette. My answer builds on two suggestions made by other users in the comments on the question. Those other users have not, or at least not yet, written their own answers. I think I am on the safe side since (i) I clearly acknowledge their input and (ii) I also significantly (in my view) expand on their comments and add thoughts of my own. However, I would be curious to hear your views.

I guess this question applies generally but the "stakes" might be higher when a bounty is involved, such as in this case.

Follow-up question: Would / should I be "obliged" to any particular behavior in case the authors of the comments decided to actually write their own answers?

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See Etiquette for answering old questions addressed in comments?. I don't think anything changes just because a bounty's at stake. (If someone's really keen to win that bounty they needn't give anything away in comments before they're ready to write an answer.)

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    $\begingroup$ Agreed. 1. Whatever has been made been public can be quoted and developed with acknowledgments. 2. If in small doubt, be generous. "This answer draws upon the characteristically elegant, perceptive and witty comment of @Scortchi, which goes to the heart of the matter." 3. Anyone feeling possessive about their ideas should not make them public. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Commented Nov 16, 2017 at 19:43
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    $\begingroup$ I agree completely; aside from acknowledging other people's effort that you draw on (which you're supposed to do anyway) -- or even appear to draw on -- I see no problem whatever in using information in other comments in an answer; I wish people would do it more often. Indeed, I think it's often acceptable to use information in other answers in the same thread, within reason (I feel it's incumbent to add some value in that case, though; for example, I think it's to be encouraged when trying to make a canonical answer to a common question). I don't see that the bounty changes things much $\endgroup$
    – Glen_b
    Commented Nov 16, 2017 at 22:23

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