Return to Answer

I would like to see some more close reasons added. Rather than blindly stabbing in the dark, I want to cite the on-topic page in the help center with a slight formatting change:

and it is not about...

1. general workplace issues, office politics, and job hunting (check out The Workplace instead)
2. implementation issues, such as code fixes (ask on Stack Overflow instead)
3. how to use specific tools
4. what language/technology you should learn next, including which technology is better
5. what project you should do next
6. where to find a software library, tool or other resource
7. product or service recommendations
8. career or education advice, salary, or compensation
9. personal lifestyle, including relationships and non-programming activities
10. legal advice or aid

Items 2 and 3 have a close reason for Stack Overflow migration (with the caveat that 3 needs to be more specific than the wording here implies).

Items 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all fall under existing off-topic close reasons.

Item 9 does not have an existing reason but probably does not need one. This item really is the catch-all for "none of the other off-topic reasons we get a lot of so they need their own reasons." It is served well with the custom close reason.

This leaves items 1 and 10. I propose two changes:

1. Add a migration path to The Workplace. We do not get a ton of questions that belong there, but we do get them. Nixing beta sites and the two existing migration paths, this would likely be near the top of paths for which there is a legitimate need. The only issue here is some of the questions are on-topic here, but they really need to focus on the non-workplace aspects of the question and require the unique perspective of a programmer compared to other professionals. They also cannot devolve into How do I explain ${something} to ${someone}? which covers the "my boss says to do X, but I think we need to do Y. How do I persuade him?" questions.

2. Add an off-topic close reason for legal advice. We tend to add custom reasons such as "...because it is about legal advice" or "...because we are not lawyers" et al. I propose writing up a friendly, well-written close reason that enumerates precisely where the line is when it comes to licensing/copyright/legal questions. I think we need some consistency here, because there tends to be some confusion not only among question authors but also close voters.

I would like to see some more close reasons added. Rather than blindly stabbing in the dark, I want to cite the on-topic page in the help center with a slight formatting change:

and it is not about...

1. general workplace issues, office politics, and job hunting (check out The Workplace instead)
2. implementation issues, such as code fixes (ask on Stack Overflow instead)
3. how to use specific tools
4. what language/technology you should learn next, including which technology is better
5. what project you should do next
6. where to find a software library, tool or other resource
7. product or service recommendations
8. career or education advice, salary, or compensation
9. personal lifestyle, including relationships and non-programming activities
10. legal advice or aid

Items 2 and 3 have a close reason for Stack Overflow migration (with the caveat that 3 needs to be more specific than the wording here implies).

Items 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all fall under existing off-topic close reasons.

Item 9 does not have an existing reason but probably does not need one. This item really is the catch-all for "none of the other off-topic reasons we get a lot of so they need their own reasons." It is served well with the custom close reason.

This leaves items 1 and 10. I propose two changes:

1. Add a migration path to The Workplace. We do not get a ton of questions that belong there, but we do get them. Nixing beta sites and the two existing migration paths, this would likely be near the top of paths for which there is a legitimate need. The only issue here is some of the questions are on-topic here, but they really need to focus on the non-workplace aspects of the question and require the unique perspective of a programmer compared to other professionals. They also cannot devolve into How do I explain ${something} to ${someone}? which covers the "my boss says to do X, but I think we need to do Y. How do I persuade him?" questions.

2. Add an off-topic close reason for legal advice. We tend to add custom reasons such as "...because it is about legal advice" or "...because we are not lawyers" et al. I propose writing up a friendly, well-written close reason that enumerates precisely where the line is when it comes to licensing/copyright/legal questions. I think we need some consistency here, because there tends to be some confusion not only among question authors but also close voters.

I would like to see some more close reasons added. Rather than blindly stabbing in the dark, I want to cite the on-topic page in the help center with a slight formatting change:

and it is not about...

1. general workplace issues, office politics, and job hunting (check out The Workplace instead)
2. implementation issues, such as code fixes (ask on Stack Overflow instead)
3. how to use specific tools
4. what language/technology you should learn next, including which technology is better
5. what project you should do next
6. where to find a software library, tool or other resource
7. product or service recommendations
8. career or education advice, salary, or compensation
9. personal lifestyle, including relationships and non-programming activities
10. legal advice or aid

Items 2 and 3 have a close reason for Stack Overflow migration (with the caveat that 3 needs to be more specific than the wording here implies).

Items 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all fall under existing off-topic close reasons.

Item 9 does not have an existing reason but probably does not need one. This item really is the catch-all for "none of the other off-topic reasons we get a lot of so they need their own reasons." It is served well with the custom close reason.

This leaves items 1 and 10. I propose two changes:

1. Add a migration path to The Workplace. We do not get a ton of questions that belong there, but we do get them. Nixing beta sites and the two existing migration paths, this would likely be near the top of paths for which there is a legitimate need. The only issue here is some of the questions are on-topic here, but they really need to focus on the non-workplace aspects of the question and require the unique perspective of a programmer compared to other professionals. They also cannot devolve into How do I explain ${something} to ${someone}? which covers the "my boss says to do X, but I think we need to do Y. How do I persuade him?" questions.

2. Add an off-topic close reason for legal advice. We tend to add custom reasons such as "...because it is about legal advice" or "...because we are not lawyers" et al. I propose writing up a friendly, well-written close reason that enumerates precisely where the line is when it comes to licensing/copyright/legal questions. I think we need some consistency here, because there tends to be some confusion not only among question authors but also close voters.

I would like to see some more close reasons added. Rather than blindly stabbing in the dark, I want to cite the on-topic page in the help center with a slight formatting change:

and it is not about...

1. general workplace issues, office politics, and job hunting (check out The Workplace instead)
2. implementation issues, such as code fixes (ask on Stack Overflow instead)
3. how to use specific tools
4. what language/technology you should learn next, including which technology is better
5. what project you should do next
6. where to find a software library, tool or other resource
7. product or service recommendations
8. career or education advice, salary, or compensation
9. personal lifestyle, including relationships and non-programming activities
10. legal advice or aid

Items 2 and 3 have a close reason for Stack Overflow migration (with the caveat that 3 needs to be more specific than the wording here implies).

Items 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all fall under existing off-topic close reasons.

Item 9 does not have an existing reason but probably does not need one. This item really is the catch-all for "none of the other off-topic reasons we get a lot of so they need their own reasons." It is served well with the custom close reason.

This leaves items 1 and 10. I propose two changes:

1. Add a migration path to The Workplace. We do not get a ton of questions that belong there, but we do get them. Nixing beta sites and the two existing migration paths, this would likely be near the top of paths for which there is a legitimate need. The only issue here is some of the questions are on-topic here, but they really need to focus on the non-workplace aspects of the question and require the unique perspective of a programmer compared to other professionals. They also cannot devolve into How do I explain ${something} to ${someone}? which covers the "my boss says to do X, but I think we need to do Y. How do I persuade him?" questions.

2. Add an off-topic close reason for legal advice. We tend to add custom reasons such as "...because it is about legal advice" or "...because we are not lawyers" et al. I propose writing up a friendly, well-written close reason that enumerates precisely where the line is when it comes to licensing/copyright/legal questions. I think we need some consistency here, because there tends to be some confusion not only among question authors but also close voters.