> SE is successful because there are a strict set of rules that restrict the set of content that can be posted. It is these rules that have lead to its success.

> SE is successful because there are a strict set of rules that restrict the set of content that can be posted. It is these rules that have lead to its success. Well, you can have "the rules" in a spectrum of ways ranging from "loose", to "reasonable", to "strict" to "pedantic". The contingent that I am talking about has been leaning very hard on "pedantic". The sites have never been even remotely consistent in their enforcement of the rules, so it is really not possible to make the claim that "strictness" is what has made stackexchange a success. Many of the things that the strict people abhor are some of the best things on the sites-- like comments, open-ended questions, answers that question the question. This is especially true in stackexchanges like "The Workplace". It remains to be seen what really caused Monica to get ousted (not "fired") as a moderator. I expect it to be something quite ugly relating to the upcoming guidelines that most people haven't seen yet.