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Can you get StackOverflow to "sponser" this idea? Not just for crypto (which you've done) - but for all PHP related answers? Because the problem is there are m

Can you get StackOverflow to "sponser" this idea? Not just for crypto (which you've done) - but for all PHP related answers? Because the problem is there are many "old" accepted answers, with high upvotes, that will always come up as number 1 or 2 in google searches. Given PHP has changed so much, many of those answers are outdated, use incorrect and insecure methods, and some are now just wrong. This is not just security - but a whole host of answers. The "meta" StackOverflow rules will tell you to downvote the old answer and post a new one - but that is not practical - and will take years to take effect. Plus, many people simply read the first large upvoted answer, copy + paste the code, and move on. edit: I guess it would be nice to be able to "flag" an accepted answer (not a question) as outdated, get 5x people with gold badges for that tag to accept it - and then the answer is highlighed as wrong/out of date (or even deleted). Something like that.

CiPHPerCoder 9y ago
> Can you get StackOverflow to "sponser" this idea? Possibly. I wouldn't even know where to begin. > Because the problem is there are many "old" accepted answers, with high upvotes, that will always come up as number 1 or 2 in google searches. Yeah, that's my concern. I can definitely edit anything tagged [php], due to having a gold [php] badge, and I think I can edit anything because I have a reputation higher than 10,000. The hardest problem for me, here, is identifying these old accepted answers with high upvotes. My general approach is something like this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/php+encryption?sort=votes&pageSize=50 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/php+encryption?so... https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astackoverflow.com+php+encryption https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astackoverflow.com+php...
- laurencei 9y ago
  IMO (as someone with 45k rep on StackOverflow, largely in PHP) - the best way is to modify the "flag" option on answers - and have an extra option called "out of date". If someone flags an answer as out of date, then anyone with a gold badge in that tag (i.e. PHP) - can review and accept or decline the flag. If 5 gold people accept it - then the answer is formally highlighted as out of date, or even deleted. You could raise this on Meta Stackoverflow as one possible way to start: https://meta.stackoverflow.com/ https://meta.stackoverflow.com/ edit: There probably should be another flag option - called "security" - where even if an answer "works" and is "in date" - people can flag it as insecure due to a better option. Think of all the stupid SQL injection answers. You can downvote it to hell - but sometimes they should just be flagged/deleted.
  - voltagex_ 9y ago
    Please don't delete out of date information. Signed, someone who's done a lot of legacy code maintenance (have you tried to find VB6 or .NET 1 doco these days?)
    - nickpsecurity 9y ago
      Ok, so it's not deleted but maybe it gets a banner with links on up to date stuff like in OP. Then, if they can't use that due to legacy software, they go forward with whatever the answer contains for what they're stuck with. That might help both types of users.
- hobs 9y ago
  Want some help? Why not query some of it? https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/edit/783705 https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/edit/7837...
- duskwuff 9y ago
  > Possibly. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Ask the folks on meta.stackoverflow.com. Be prepared for some resistance -- the concept of calling out bad answers in any way more nuanced than downvotes or comments is not popular -- but your involvement with the greater PHP community may give you some extra leverage.
yAnonymous 9y ago
The other problem with StackOverflow is that even if you try to correct outdated and wrong answers that will not work anymore at all, the edits will often be refused by elitist assholes who think you don't have enough points to edit such popular answers.

CiPHPerCoder 9y ago

> Can you get StackOverflow to "sponser" this idea? Possibly. I wouldn't even know where to begin. > Because the problem is there are many "old" accepted answers, with high upvotes, that will always come up as number 1 or 2 in google searches. Yeah, that's my concern. I can definitely edit anything tagged [php], due to having a gold [php] badge, and I think I can edit anything because I have a reputation higher than 10,000. The hardest problem for me, here, is identifying these old accepted answers with high upvotes. My general approach is something like this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/php+encryption?sort=votes&pageSize=50 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/php+encryption?so... https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astackoverflow.com+php+encryption https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astackoverflow.com+php...

laurencei 9y ago
IMO (as someone with 45k rep on StackOverflow, largely in PHP) - the best way is to modify the "flag" option on answers - and have an extra option called "out of date". If someone flags an answer as out of date, then anyone with a gold badge in that tag (i.e. PHP) - can review and accept or decline the flag. If 5 gold people accept it - then the answer is formally highlighted as out of date, or even deleted. You could raise this on Meta Stackoverflow as one possible way to start: https://meta.stackoverflow.com/ https://meta.stackoverflow.com/ edit: There probably should be another flag option - called "security" - where even if an answer "works" and is "in date" - people can flag it as insecure due to a better option. Think of all the stupid SQL injection answers. You can downvote it to hell - but sometimes they should just be flagged/deleted.
- voltagex_ 9y ago
  Please don't delete out of date information. Signed, someone who's done a lot of legacy code maintenance (have you tried to find VB6 or .NET 1 doco these days?)
  - nickpsecurity 9y ago
    Ok, so it's not deleted but maybe it gets a banner with links on up to date stuff like in OP. Then, if they can't use that due to legacy software, they go forward with whatever the answer contains for what they're stuck with. That might help both types of users.
hobs 9y ago
Want some help? Why not query some of it? https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/edit/783705 https://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/query/edit/7837...
duskwuff 9y ago
> Possibly. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Ask the folks on meta.stackoverflow.com. Be prepared for some resistance -- the concept of calling out bad answers in any way more nuanced than downvotes or comments is not popular -- but your involvement with the greater PHP community may give you some extra leverage.

yAnonymous 9y ago

The other problem with StackOverflow is that even if you try to correct outdated and wrong answers that will not work anymore at all, the edits will often be refused by elitist assholes who think you don't have enough points to edit such popular answers.