1. What happens when the one person who answers everything goes offline:
I've seen this in a few communities I'm part of.
When that one person is offline people start tagging them directly. Nobody else steps in. The chat just waits. Sometimes someone who knows the answer will reply but only because the main person isn't active. Most of the time the question just sits there unanswered until they come back.
That's the problem. The community only works because of one person. Remove that person and everything stops.
2. The hardest part for me:
The hardest part of strategic silence for me would be watching a question sit there unanswered when I know exactly what to say.
My instinct is to just reply. I know the answer, someone needs help, why wait? But after reading this I understand why waiting matters. If I always answer first nobody else ever builds that habit. The community never learns to support itself.
3. What I actually do:
Honestly if someone tags me directly I reply. That's just respect.
But if someone asks a general question and tags a specific person I wait. I give it time to see if that person or someone else answers. If it takes too long and I know the answer I'll step in. Not because I have to just because leaving someone stuck when you can help doesn't feel right either.
That's my version of strategic silence. Not ignoring questions just giving the community space to answer first.