The answers to the question Mixed signal PCB layout for PSoC contain useful and correct information, but in no way address the actual question.
What is the proper response? I don't feel that I should up vote them, but down voting feels kind of harsh. I did leave comments.
One of the answers is mine.
I didn't address the question about the layout directly, because I felt there are other factors which deserve attention in getting a higher ENOB. Sometimes a question focuses too much on what OP sees as the solution, while a wider view at the options may be a better approach. (That was before you added details.)
According to the hints you get upvoting means "This answer is useful". Like I said OP can be too much focused on what he thinks should be the solution that he becomes blind to alternatives. In this question OP literally asks for a timer, but in the end the accepted answer just had a comparator, no timer at all. If you found it useful, for instance because it points at something interesting you had overlooked, then upvote. If you rather want to hear something different, then don't. But make clear that while useful it's not satisfactory, and emphasize the point of your question.
Downvoting means "This answer is not useful". So if you found it useful you I don't think you should downvote. Personally I use a bit different standard. I downvote rarely, because to me it means more like "This is pretty bad". I'd rather leave a comment, so that the poster can improve or correct the answer.
I didn't look at the specific question that brought this up, but I want to comment on the wider principle.
I think it is often reasonable to provide background information that you think may be relevant and useful to the OP, even if it does not answer the specific question as asked. When this is done, it's good to state so clearly. I wouldn't downvote a answer like "This is not a direct answer, but some issues you should consider are ..." assuming the rest was reasonably written, correct, and at least vaguely relevant background material.
I also agree with Steven in that to me downvotes mean bad, misleading, poorly written gibberish, or outright wrong. At least those are my criteria for downvoting a answer.
Here is a good example of what I am talking about. This does not directly answer the question, but I think (obviously, else I wouldn't have written it) it was nonetheless useful information, particularly for the repository of knowledge this site is trying to build. Whether it actually helps the OP, I don't know, since that depends on particulars we weren't given. I can understand if the OP doesn't accept this answer, but note that it did receive two upvotes and no downvotes.
Just because an answer does not give you the answer you want, it does not mean you have to down vote it. Voting is also for others to indicate the validity of the answer, not nececerily for the person who asked the question to indicate their displeasure that the answer was not to their personal standards or matched their preconseptions. It is entirely possible that the question is phrased badly, does not give all the information or there might be a completly valid answer that was not forseen.
If a person does not like an answer to their question and the response is wholy or partly constructive they can just ignore the answer.
The bottom line is you have the ACCEPT button solely for the purpose of showing you accept ONE of the answers is what you believe is correct.
Downvoting is not a personal insult; it's a way of telling the poster, "Hey, this question/answer doesn't make sense in this context; please fix it."
The answer might very well be useful, but if it answers a different question, then in context, it doesn't make sense. In that case, I downvote. Remember: one of the points of Stack Exchange is to compile a resource for future visitors to answer their specific questions. Someone that is led to a SE site with a specific question should leave with a specific answer, not a brain dump of information.
In the context of answering a question: It is not up to the community to interpret your question differently based on what they think would benefit you the most.
In general: If someone thinks your question is better asked a different way (or that you should really be asking a different question), those communications should be carried out in comments.
Don't let people tell you what to ask.
