4

Currently, when flagging or voting to close a question as off-topic, you see two options:

  • This question was caused by a problem that can no longer be reproduced or a simple typographical error. While similar questions may be on-topic here, this one was resolved in a manner unlikely to help future readers.

  • Other (if you have vote to close privileges) or Blatantly off-topic (if you have flagging privileges)

Since the only 'canned' reason is for typographical errors, it becomes very tedious to vote to close off-topic questions that are simply not about DevOps.

I propose a new custom off-topic reason:

Questions about general programming problems are not on-topic unless they relate to DevOps in some way. You may be able to get help on Stack Overflow instead.

Ideally, I'd prefer linking to the help center or some on-site documentation instead of Wikipedia, but we haven't really got a comprehensive page that documents this site's scope yet.

Although there is some benefit in forcing all closures to use 'Other' (i.e. each asker gets some advice tailored to them about how to improve their question), it does take a lot more time to write a comment, and having a detailed 'canned' reason would be useful.

Any thoughts? My proposal for the wording is just a draft, and I'd happily settle for anything to that effect—I'd mainly like feedback on whether anyone else would find a new close reason helpful.

3
  • Sounds reasonable for me.
    – Tensibai
    Aug 21, 2017 at 8:18
  • How do we differentiate between a DevOps programming question and a general programming problem?
    – James Shewey
    Sep 20, 2017 at 15:44
  • @JamesShewey That's a question I deliberately didn't try to define the answer to (we've tried here, and it doesn't really get constructive answers or consensus). Instead, the best answer I can say to that is "use your judgement"—everyone with close vote privileges here has to have demonstrated at least a minimal understanding of what DevOps is, and I feel it's probably better to leave it to community consensus rather than try to define it exactly. Not a satisfying answer, I know, but it's the best I can do.
    – Aurora0001
    Sep 20, 2017 at 18:00

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

The close reason is now available in the off-topic choices.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .