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Before assuming it's just going to be things like "PHP SUXXX LOL GO PYTHON" check out some of the questions that have been closed. Here's one I came across this

Before assuming it's just going to be things like "PHP SUXXX LOL GO PYTHON" check out some of the questions that have been closed. Here's one I came across this morning on open source face recognition libraries: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/953714/face-recognition-library http://stackoverflow.com/questions/953714/face-recognition-l... The original question was asked in June of 2009. It was marked as "protected" in June of 2010. Then it was closed as off topic in April 2013. While it may be true that the question itself is not framed particularly well, the answers are really useful, including one from November, 2011 that was posted more than two years after the original question. If the original question was considered off topic in 2013, then it was presumably also off topic in 2009 when it was originally asked. If it had been marked that way at that time, some very useful answers would never have appeared.

belorn 13y ago
There is a trade off between having a site like SO, and a forum (and all the grey areas between). One is time sensitivity. What technology libraries 4 years ago is still the top-of-the-line library today? Maybe face recognition libraries ages better than say a web frame work or data base access library, but its a very fuzzy line which requires a crystal ball to get right. Such questions is better places on sites like HN (ask HN). The quality of the answer is the other big trade-off. Would "I'm looking for a free web framework in Python, Java, C++, or C" create the same quality answers as "I'm looking for a free face recognition library in Python, Java, C++, or C"? My guess is it would not. This mean that two similar looking questions will get very different quality in answer. One could suggest that OS invented something like wikipedia's ignore all rules policy, and let moderators decide to allow the question about Face recognition Library but not one about web frameworks. That could make the system more useful, but also create more issues.
- SkyMarshal 13y ago
  Time sensitivity is becoming an issue for SO, but I would think that's a reason to leave time sensitive questions open rather closed - so they can be continually updated.
- nknighthb 13y ago
  Don't mistake seeming popularity for "top-of-the-line". More often than not, an old, mature library is a much better choice than the latest fad.
harshadura 13y ago
true story
mhurron 13y ago
That is your example of a good question on StackOverflow that was closed? That question exemplifies why SO needs moderators. The question is "I want this GIVE IT TO ME. I refuse to do any research on the subject." It should have been closed in 2009, but SO hadn't been inundated with horrible questions like that yet. The current moderation, while having gone a little too far I agree, came into being because of questions like that. You're conflating 'Is this useful?' with 'Does this belong here?' I suppose someone else doing your work is always useful to you, but it doesn't belong on SO. There are questions that get closed where people have done their work and have asked in a good way. Current SO moderation has gone too far in cases. However, this is not one of those cases.
- Quarrelsome 13y ago
  What the hell is up with that attitude? You're completely missing the point of a welcoming community by closing the door with an RTFM sign. He's writing his own shit but is wondering if there is a library out there already that is better/already does it. The point of a community is to be helped and then help. You make it sound like you got to where you are by yourself and that's the only _correct_ way. To be frank this attitude has no place in a community. "Does thing belong here?" NO. "Are we helping each other?" That's should always be the purpose of any community site and the reciprocation of help is something that has driven every newsgroup, irc channel and community dev sites for DECADES.
  - mhurron 13y ago
    Do it for me is not a question. It is a demand and a lazy one. > You make it sound like you got to where you are by yourself Hardly. I ask questions. RTFM doesn't answer everything, nor does it explain, but you actually ask intelligent questions and are in a position to understand answers if you did some work before hand. Of course the referenced post wasn't looking for an answer to understand, they wanted 'use libfoo.' > "Are we helping each other?" That's should always be the purpose of any community site I have to write a script to install this thing here at work, would you mind doing it for me? That would be a BIG HELP to me. See the problem yet? Technically it is a question, it would be a help to me. I suppose a community site would be more than happy to go about that then. Oh and the response on any newsgroup for decades would be "Do your own damn homework, come back when you have a question."

belorn 13y ago

There is a trade off between having a site like SO, and a forum (and all the grey areas between). One is time sensitivity. What technology libraries 4 years ago is still the top-of-the-line library today? Maybe face recognition libraries ages better than say a web frame work or data base access library, but its a very fuzzy line which requires a crystal ball to get right. Such questions is better places on sites like HN (ask HN). The quality of the answer is the other big trade-off. Would "I'm looking for a free web framework in Python, Java, C++, or C" create the same quality answers as "I'm looking for a free face recognition library in Python, Java, C++, or C"? My guess is it would not. This mean that two similar looking questions will get very different quality in answer. One could suggest that OS invented something like wikipedia's ignore all rules policy, and let moderators decide to allow the question about Face recognition Library but not one about web frameworks. That could make the system more useful, but also create more issues.

SkyMarshal 13y ago
Time sensitivity is becoming an issue for SO, but I would think that's a reason to leave time sensitive questions open rather closed - so they can be continually updated.
nknighthb 13y ago
Don't mistake seeming popularity for "top-of-the-line". More often than not, an old, mature library is a much better choice than the latest fad.

harshadura 13y ago

true story

mhurron 13y ago

That is your example of a good question on StackOverflow that was closed? That question exemplifies why SO needs moderators. The question is "I want this GIVE IT TO ME. I refuse to do any research on the subject." It should have been closed in 2009, but SO hadn't been inundated with horrible questions like that yet. The current moderation, while having gone a little too far I agree, came into being because of questions like that. You're conflating 'Is this useful?' with 'Does this belong here?' I suppose someone else doing your work is always useful to you, but it doesn't belong on SO. There are questions that get closed where people have done their work and have asked in a good way. Current SO moderation has gone too far in cases. However, this is not one of those cases.

Quarrelsome 13y ago
What the hell is up with that attitude? You're completely missing the point of a welcoming community by closing the door with an RTFM sign. He's writing his own shit but is wondering if there is a library out there already that is better/already does it. The point of a community is to be helped and then help. You make it sound like you got to where you are by yourself and that's the only _correct_ way. To be frank this attitude has no place in a community. "Does thing belong here?" NO. "Are we helping each other?" That's should always be the purpose of any community site and the reciprocation of help is something that has driven every newsgroup, irc channel and community dev sites for DECADES.
- mhurron 13y ago
  Do it for me is not a question. It is a demand and a lazy one. > You make it sound like you got to where you are by yourself Hardly. I ask questions. RTFM doesn't answer everything, nor does it explain, but you actually ask intelligent questions and are in a position to understand answers if you did some work before hand. Of course the referenced post wasn't looking for an answer to understand, they wanted 'use libfoo.' > "Are we helping each other?" That's should always be the purpose of any community site I have to write a script to install this thing here at work, would you mind doing it for me? That would be a BIG HELP to me. See the problem yet? Technically it is a question, it would be a help to me. I suppose a community site would be more than happy to go about that then. Oh and the response on any newsgroup for decades would be "Do your own damn homework, come back when you have a question."