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Are bounty points taken from reputation regardless of whether there is an answer during the bounty period or not? I looked through FAQ and could not find the answer to this.

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You lose the points as soon as you open a bounty. No takebacks (except in extraordinary circumstances)

  • If you assign a "winner" the points go to that person.
  • If you do not assign a winner:
    • but someone who post after the bounty was opened got at least 2 upvotes (and has the most of such qualifying answers), they will automatically receive half the points.
    • If nobody qualifies as an auto-winner then the points are just lost.
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  • @voretaq7 Wow, I typed almost that exact title into mSO search and it still didn't come up...
    – Chris S
    Apr 3, 2012 at 17:58
  • Thanks. I have no problems giving up the points. This is a question that alludes an answer. Apr 3, 2012 at 17:59
  • yeah, google::Stack Exchange bounty found it for me. I really have given up on the site search. Google does it better.
    – voretaq7
    Apr 3, 2012 at 17:59
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    Despite Jeff's claims to the contrary the site search has always sucked big time. They may as well remove it and just whack a Google search box in its place. Apr 3, 2012 at 22:56
  • I am quite sure the site search problem is the dreadful "Microsoft disease". The microsoft.com site has it as well (and had it for what feels like decades now). It surely is contagious and apparently transferred by unsuspecting employees who are leaving Microsoft and starting different jobs (or start-ups). The employees themselves develop no symptomps, but the company's site search function is screwed forever.
    – the-wabbit
    Apr 4, 2012 at 18:02
  • @john or you could just read serverfault.com/faq#bounty which is linked from, y'know, the faq, which is linked approximately one bazillion different places. We can lead horses to water.. Apr 23, 2012 at 4:50
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    @Jeff, either you're replying to the wrong person or the wrong question. My comment above refers to the site search, not bounty. As for the question, I didn't ask it. Apr 23, 2012 at 5:43
  • @john my point is that search is irrelevant all one needs to do to understand bounties is read the site FAQ! serverfault.com/faq#bounty Therefore, your comment is also irrelevant. Search is the wrong approach here; reading the FAQ is the correct one. The FAQ directly answers the question and is linked from thousands of places on the site.. Apr 23, 2012 at 17:52
  • @vore you need to read the above, too Apr 23, 2012 at 17:54
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    @JeffAtwood The FAQ has a good reference on how to create bounties, and as you point out the answer to octo's question is in there (though maybe not as obvious as it should be when you look at the FAQ index - how does a newbie know bounties are "what you do if you don't get a good answer"?). That mSO answer has lots of extra information beyond what's in the FAQ, and my comment on search is along the lines of "There's more to know here, but our (meta) site search tools have a hard time turning up this additional information. Here's a link courtesy of Google."
    – voretaq7
    Apr 23, 2012 at 19:07
  • @vore point taken on the section title. It wasn't the newbies I was really referring to, but those who hold diamonds. The mods most of anyone should know the faq cold, and if they don't.. everyone is screwed. Apr 23, 2012 at 23:36
  • Bounties, in my experience, are what you do when you don't get a good answer AND wish to throw away some of your earned points. I don't care much about points, but can't understand why getting no answers warrants losing the bounty into the ether.
    – user160910
    May 6, 2013 at 20:55

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