3 ms·

When one considers that the median experience of asking a question on stackoverflow is "immediately closed as a duplicate of a vaguely similar question from six

When one considers that the median experience of asking a question on stackoverflow is "immediately closed as a duplicate of a vaguely similar question from six years ago", this seems like a pretty superfluous change. A far more meaningful way to reward askers would be to simply change how dupes are handled. Instead of closing questions with a link to a related question, give users a mechanism to answer questions with a link to a related answer. Then if the link really does solve the problem the asker can accept that answer, and if not the original question can stay open. I get why SO chose their current aggressive stance on dupes, but it's probably time to try something else.

eitland 7y ago
> I get why SO chose their current aggressive stance on dupes, but it's probably time to try something else. Work is under way here and elsewhere: https://forum.codidact.org/ https://forum.codidact.org/ Based on my past actions I guess I would be happy to donate a few dollars to anyone who makes a better q/a site and makes me aware of it. By better I mean: - important current database (allowed with current licensing) - rewrites the meta game to make helping (answering) more valuable than administering (deleting). - raises bar to asking questions (stack overflow seems to always be crying over all the stupid questions they get yet the thought of raising the bar for asking questions never seen to get any traction) - have a karma tax or something on questions and contributors: just because someone was the most valuable contributor or something was the best question two years ago doesn't mean they still are. - don't split into many subsites for every topic, if people want to ask it and other people want to answer it and it isn't illegal or scary or anything, bust leave it alone. Karma tax will take care of it in the long run.

eitland 7y ago

> I get why SO chose their current aggressive stance on dupes, but it's probably time to try something else. Work is under way here and elsewhere: https://forum.codidact.org/ https://forum.codidact.org/ Based on my past actions I guess I would be happy to donate a few dollars to anyone who makes a better q/a site and makes me aware of it. By better I mean: - important current database (allowed with current licensing) - rewrites the meta game to make helping (answering) more valuable than administering (deleting). - raises bar to asking questions (stack overflow seems to always be crying over all the stupid questions they get yet the thought of raising the bar for asking questions never seen to get any traction) - have a karma tax or something on questions and contributors: just because someone was the most valuable contributor or something was the best question two years ago doesn't mean they still are. - don't split into many subsites for every topic, if people want to ask it and other people want to answer it and it isn't illegal or scary or anything, bust leave it alone. Karma tax will take care of it in the long run.