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The thing is StackOverflow really really works. If I search Google for a programming query I nearly always find links to useful information on SO, if not the pr

The thing is StackOverflow really really works. If I search Google for a programming query I nearly always find links to useful information on SO, if not the precise answer. (I've even found my own answers via Google when I have forgotten how to do something) That is SO's first and foremost use case. And I reiterate - it works extremely well. The community features are secondary to that (it's not Quora), and there are thousands of users who will tell you that it is not 'impossible' to use.

Gobiner 16y ago
I've found plenty of helpful information on StackOverflow via Google as well, but I definitely would not say that it "really really works." I've asked two questions (C#/.NET so there's a large pool of potential answerers) and neither question ever got the answer it deserved, even though both got answers from genuine experts (Jon Skeet and Eric Lippert). I found the answer to my first question on some MSDN blog after I asked on StackOverflow, the second question is still unresolved.
- dansingerman 16y ago
  Maybe my enthusiasm for the quality of StackOverflow results in Google is because I remember the pre-SO days of scrolling through experts-exchange's hideous site and fictional paywall for a low quality answer in a tiny font.
  - 6ren 16y ago
    Me too; though I also thought that experts-exchange was a good idea at the time, including its concept of an economic reward system (in fact, I got a wonderfully helpful answer on that forum). Yet, it turned out to have problems, which lead to SO with an even better, karma/game mechanics reward system. And now, some people experience problems with SO. This opens an opportunity for something even better than SO. I wonder what that would be?
- allwein 16y ago
  Have you gone back and provided the answer to your first question? If not, then you're part of the reason that SO doesn't "really really work" in all cases.

Gobiner 16y ago

I've found plenty of helpful information on StackOverflow via Google as well, but I definitely would not say that it "really really works." I've asked two questions (C#/.NET so there's a large pool of potential answerers) and neither question ever got the answer it deserved, even though both got answers from genuine experts (Jon Skeet and Eric Lippert). I found the answer to my first question on some MSDN blog after I asked on StackOverflow, the second question is still unresolved.

dansingerman 16y ago
Maybe my enthusiasm for the quality of StackOverflow results in Google is because I remember the pre-SO days of scrolling through experts-exchange's hideous site and fictional paywall for a low quality answer in a tiny font.
- 6ren 16y ago
  Me too; though I also thought that experts-exchange was a good idea at the time, including its concept of an economic reward system (in fact, I got a wonderfully helpful answer on that forum). Yet, it turned out to have problems, which lead to SO with an even better, karma/game mechanics reward system. And now, some people experience problems with SO. This opens an opportunity for something even better than SO. I wonder what that would be?
allwein 16y ago
Have you gone back and provided the answer to your first question? If not, then you're part of the reason that SO doesn't "really really work" in all cases.