From my point-of-view, it's actually a good thing when that happens. When I see several posters offering the same solution, then I *really* pay attention to it, as there must be *some* reason that so many of these enlightened folks choose to do it the same way.

Especially if they're all saints :)

We, of the lower ranks, aren't just looking for solutions to current problems, we're looking to *learn how and why* the solution works, so we can do it in the future on our own, and grow as developers. So, there is benefit in seeing that the solution being offered is a pretty standard one.

Lastly, nobody is/should be 'competing for points' here

Ah... points will come... even I occasionally luck into them :)

Trek