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I never even STARTED contributing to Stack Overflow, because of the high barrier to entry for new users. Since now you essentially can't post a question withou

by domador 10y ago

I never even STARTED contributing to Stack Overflow, because of the high barrier to entry for new users. Since now you essentially can't post a question without answering several yourself, I didn't bother asking questions about certain thorny technical issues. I tried a couple of times, ran into the barrier, and gave up. Maybe some of these could have been the kind of thought-provoking questions that the blog post's author would have enjoyed. Who knows how many other would-be Stack Overflow users have had a similar experience. Could Stack Overflow be cutting off its own long tail by having such restrictive barriers to entry for casual, minor would-be contributors like myself? Fortunately, many of the questions I've needed help with have already asked and answered by others on S.O. But I've had to find help for my more exotic questions elsewhere.

bhandziuk 10y ago
I don't know if you were being hyperbolic but asking a question requires no previous community engagement. There is no barrier to entry. This is part of the issue with SO though in that so many people ask questions without trying to figure things out for themselves or because it is their first time asking a question on the internet they have a very hard time with it. Veteran users are frustrated by new user's attitude and new user's attitude is often that they are asking a question because they are hitting a wall. They've stalled out on their task and are frustrated and the question they end up posting shows this. It will lack context, enough information to reproduce, be an XY problem or some issue like that. These questions are either difficult or impossible to answer. Making them stop is a very hard problem, unfortunately.
- domador 10y ago
  No, I was not being hyperbolic. When I tried asking a question, the site told me I had to answer a number of other people's questions first (or something along those lines) before I could post my question. It happened on a couple of separate occasions, and then I just stopped trying. Maybe they've removed this restriction since then, but it was sure annoying (and discouraging).

by domador 10y ago

bhandziuk 10y ago

I don't know if you were being hyperbolic but asking a question requires no previous community engagement. There is no barrier to entry. This is part of the issue with SO though in that so many people ask questions without trying to figure things out for themselves or because it is their first time asking a question on the internet they have a very hard time with it. Veteran users are frustrated by new user's attitude and new user's attitude is often that they are asking a question because they are hitting a wall. They've stalled out on their task and are frustrated and the question they end up posting shows this. It will lack context, enough information to reproduce, be an XY problem or some issue like that. These questions are either difficult or impossible to answer. Making them stop is a very hard problem, unfortunately.

domador 10y ago
No, I was not being hyperbolic. When I tried asking a question, the site told me I had to answer a number of other people's questions first (or something along those lines) before I could post my question. It happened on a couple of separate occasions, and then I just stopped trying. Maybe they've removed this restriction since then, but it was sure annoying (and discouraging).