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Top 2% here - I have used Stackoverflow this way for years. It has saved me hundreds of hours of searching over the years and still does. One thing I'd add is I

• alexc05 10y ago
  I have a question about nodejs from 2011 that still gets comments and upvotes regularly. One of my favorite parts I think is the fact that the correct answer changed over time, so I continued to update the question. At first the answer to "how to read a file one line at a time" was to use a module, later, a better module came along, eventually nodejs finally added native support for file reading. I had an "annual update" going for a while since the correct answer changed to often. Eventually someone came along and completely rewrote my question. Wiped all the history, evolution, etc... And boiled it down to "use native" I was saddened a little, but understood. I find a number of stack overflow rules/guidelines to be odd. For example: 'do not say "thanks" or "hello" people reading your question do not have time for that's [sic] It's definitely a community which has been usurped by the aspie side of programming That said, I still get thanks on it and it makes me smile when I do
• crispyambulance 10y ago
  Ironically, leaving a "thank you" will typically get deletions/nags from the self-appointed comment police. As much as I like (and heavily use) SO, it has a real problem with making people feel like shit when asking, answering and commenting. There are people who are exemplary in their politeness and helpfulness like the top-contributor, John Skeet. There are also quite "mean" people like Hans Passant (also super-high score). I wish more people would use the really fantastic users like Skeet as an example of how to behave. "Game-ification" strategies in social networks like SO tends to attract uncharitable, persnickety rule-zealots and this seems to have been re-enforced over the years.
  • Bartweiss 10y ago
    The "comment police" bit is an interesting observation - much of the really petty hostility seems to come from mid-tier power users instead of mods and high-level contributors. I think the article here undervalues how unpleasant it is for a new programmer to get even a single response of "Seriously? Marking for deletion." Those comments might get removed later, but saying "trolls are everywhere" is too pat when the people abusing new users are very visibly established, popular members of the community. Getting attacked by a random throwaway account is a very different feeling than getting attacked by someone up near the top of the totem pole.
  • dionidium 10y ago
    SO mod on comments: "You should expect comments to get deleted. If they are oh-so-important, they should get rolled into the post they are commenting on. At which point they are obsolete." http://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/255140/592746 http://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/255140/592746 So, your problem, clearly, is that you think your "thank you" is "oh so important." If your ego wasn't so big, you'd get that.
    • crispyambulance 10y ago
      Just pointing out that one of the things the parent says gives him joy on stack-overflow is actually "not allowed". I don't have "a problem". I use stackoverflow quite productively, appreciate its utility, and help folks out with answers when I can. I've gotten acclimated to the rudeness but I wish it were a nicer place.... more skeet less passant.
      • dionidium 10y ago
        I was sarcastically criticizing the SO mod's comment, not actually claiming you have a problem. [Edited for snarkiness.]
        • crispyambulance 10y ago
          oops, sorry!