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> This is a place where technical questions are asked and answered I think this is a great reflection of one of the largest problems that Stack Overflow has to

> This is a place where technical questions are asked and answered I think this is a great reflection of one of the largest problems that Stack Overflow has to solve, and that is user education. The definition of what is on topic for Stack Overflow is much more specific than just being "technical", but most users don't even know that. This results in many new questions being closed. The community is constantly trying to reword these "closed" messages to be as friendly and helpful as possible, but to the newcomer it just feels like rejection. In many ways, Stack Overflow has solved all it's "technology" problems, and now is left with a lot of psychology and communication problems. The site could definitely use a professional communications specialist. (FWIW, for those curious, "on topic" is defined here: http://stackoverflow.com/help/on-topic http://stackoverflow.com/help/on-topic)

sanderjd 10y ago
It may be true that most users don't know how narrowly the topic is defined, but it's also true that many users do know, and simply think it is defined far too narrowly. Sometimes, if you just can't seem to communicate some policy concept to your target audience, it's a problem with the policy, not the communication.
- coryfklein 10y ago
  > Sometimes, if you just can't seem to communicate some policy concept to your target audience, it's a problem with the policy, not the communication. I agree 100%. If you were to claim that the "on topic" policy for Stack Overflow is too narrow, I would respectfully disagree.
  - sanderjd 10y ago
    Yep, I think it's too narrow. I'm more than happy to agree to disagree! I'm curious though, since you're certain this is the correct policy, why do you think it has been so hard to communicate?
    - coryfklein 10y ago
      Probably because the general internet population is conditioned to a "one place fits all" approach. Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, etc all are places where any content of any kind is welcome. I personally think the Stack Exchange network is effective because it creates communities that specialize rather than a single generalized community. But new arriving users have a preconceived conception that all content is welcome. I think a lot of that could be alleviated by binding together the "Stack Exchange Network" into a more cohesive single site though. Kind of how each subreddit can have its own rules, culture, and community, but it's still very clearly part of Reddit TM. It would be neat if there was a single entry point into the Stack Exchange Network where you could post a question, with a dropdown for selecting which "network" you think is most appropriate. They do appear to slowly be increasing this sort of cross-syndication between network sites, but it definitely has room for improvement.

sanderjd 10y ago

It may be true that most users don't know how narrowly the topic is defined, but it's also true that many users do know, and simply think it is defined far too narrowly. Sometimes, if you just can't seem to communicate some policy concept to your target audience, it's a problem with the policy, not the communication.

coryfklein 10y ago
> Sometimes, if you just can't seem to communicate some policy concept to your target audience, it's a problem with the policy, not the communication. I agree 100%. If you were to claim that the "on topic" policy for Stack Overflow is too narrow, I would respectfully disagree.
- sanderjd 10y ago
  Yep, I think it's too narrow. I'm more than happy to agree to disagree! I'm curious though, since you're certain this is the correct policy, why do you think it has been so hard to communicate?
  - coryfklein 10y ago
    Probably because the general internet population is conditioned to a "one place fits all" approach. Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, etc all are places where any content of any kind is welcome. I personally think the Stack Exchange network is effective because it creates communities that specialize rather than a single generalized community. But new arriving users have a preconceived conception that all content is welcome. I think a lot of that could be alleviated by binding together the "Stack Exchange Network" into a more cohesive single site though. Kind of how each subreddit can have its own rules, culture, and community, but it's still very clearly part of Reddit TM. It would be neat if there was a single entry point into the Stack Exchange Network where you could post a question, with a dropdown for selecting which "network" you think is most appropriate. They do appear to slowly be increasing this sort of cross-syndication between network sites, but it definitely has room for improvement.