3

Look at this question for example.

The user put the htaccess tag which is not a valid tag. It needs to be replaced with .htaccess. We cannot edit this because it has been migrated.

Why should those tags even count though? Why should they show up in the tag list? We already decided the post (and therefore the content and tags) don't belong on that site.

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16
  • 4
    Moderators can still retag migrated questions, so flagging them is a short-term solution.
    – Bill the Lizard Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:57
  • @Billy the gecko: Understood, but the premise is silly right to the core.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:00
  • 2
    Examining mistakes is a critical part of any process. What you are suggesting would eliminate all that information.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:02
  • @devinb: You need to reread my suggestion and the ensuing conversation then instead of flailing your arms after your emotional reaction.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:04
  • 2
    @devinb: But on the other hand, retaining bad data is foolish and potentially dangerous.
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:07
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    It seems that the only person making inappropriate responses is you, Rich B.
    – Eric
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:20
  • You can't actually flag for moderator attention, on closed questions.
    – Brad Gilbert
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:25
  • @Eric: Feel free to flag any 'inappropriate' responses for the mods.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:26
  • 2
    @Bill the Lizard, locked posts cannot be flagged, so there really is no short term solution.
    – Timothy Carter
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:27
  • A very good point by @yshu.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:28
  • 1
    @Brad Gilbert, you can flagged closed questions, you can't flag locked questions.
    – Timothy Carter
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:29
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    meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6439 is a better option I think.
    – perbert
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:35
  • 5
    @Rich: You are intermixing insults (crybabies, thinking single-dimensionally, master of the obvious, stupid people) and accusations of 'emotional' responses with your otherwise useful suggestions. Your responses would be better and more appropriate without these additions. Plus, when taking an objective read through the responses, it seems to me that your responses are the emotional ones rather than those that you are claiming are emotional.
    – Eric
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:40
  • 3
    @Eric: You make an excellent argument, you ugly jerk. You make a strong case, with clear examples and concise phrasing, and also you smell. However, your last sentence is opinion -- worse, it is opinion without support, stupid! I don't think that is a very good way for a master of the obvious to end an otherwise intelligent comment.
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:43
  • @Eric: I think you might want to take the time to reread what I have written. You seem to be seeing particular words and assuming they are being used offensively. Take a step back and try reading all over again. Like I said though, feel free to inform the mods if I have acted offensively.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:51

4 Answers 4

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6

Why don't we just delete the original question immediately after migrating? If it isn't applicable to the site, I don't see any value in keeping it. Doesn't it just accomplish the anti-goal of seeding the wrong terms to search engines?

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    This is what I want to happen. I truly do not understand the idea of leaving the stump. Just to appease the crybabies and feel gooders?
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:56
  • 7
    It is there so that if someone asks "What is the best kind of ipod" on SO, it will pop up with a similar question "What is the best kind of ipod [CLOSED]" and the user can visit the closed question, and realize their mistake.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:57
  • 2
    The migrated questions aren't immediately deleted so that the OP (and anyone else with the same question) has a link to follow to get to the right site. I imagine at some point the stumps will be removed. Hopefully it will be automated to happen once they reach a certain age.
    – Bill the Lizard Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:00
  • @devinb: There are far better solutions than keeping an unedited, uneditable copy of the post around.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:00
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    @Axe Murderin Rich: Isn't it painfully obvious that this site caters to the whiners?
    – belgariontheking
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:01
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    @Bill: Why not just redirect to the proper site and post and display an explanation?
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:01
  • @btk: I haven't used an axe for my murderin in years.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:02
  • 1
    @devinb: Except now you've made it so that if you search "What is the best kind of iPod" on Google you'll wind up with the closed question from SO. How does that do anyone any good?
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:04
  • @Rich: Then why does my wife always come home grinning and covered in blood after hanging out with you?
    – belgariontheking
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:04
  • @Pesto: Exactly. "Oh good, other people on SO have asked about syncing to itunes as well! Whoo hoo!"
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:07
  • 2
    Deleting the stub and redirecting to the migrated question should probably be brought up as a separate question.
    – Bill the Lizard Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:12
  • 1
    @Willy the reptile: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6439
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:16
  • 1
    @Rich: Yes, like that. :)
    – Bill the Lizard Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:27
  • @Pesto: I think blocking closed questions from being indexed by Google or Bing would be a good idea. Regardless of the [close] reason.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 17:35
2

Oh man, this just opens up a whole new way to game the system for the Taxonomy badge. Just create meta questions on SO, tag them with things you've made up, and hope the tags last until the question is closed for migration. It's almost too easy.

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4
  • To the tag cave! We must get our badges post haste!
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:49
  • 1
    I smell a suplex coming your way.
    – TheTXI Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:49
  • 1
    @TheTXI: Are you implying that Jeff needs to shower?
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:50
  • 1
    @Pesto: Well he has always been a master observer of the obvious.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:51
1

I think a simpler solution would be to not lock the post when it is migrated, that would allow users to edit the tags if necessary. I know that mods should still be able to go in there and clean up the tags, though.

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9
  • Why? We don't want a separate copy on the site where it does not belong to be getting edited.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:50
  • If that was the case, then the entire post should be deleted when it is migrated.
    – TheTXI Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:55
  • /me claps slowly for TheTXI finally catching up.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:04
  • 6
    If you want people to "get it" about you wanting the stub to be deleted, you should say so instead of putting forth a completely different suggestion.
    – TheTXI Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:09
  • 1
    @TheTXI: No, I should present the problem, and let the answers bubble up as the solution. You are not new here, you should get it by now.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:12
  • 3
    So you make a post as a feature request, but you hope that a completely different solution bubbles up that answers the real problem? Sounds awful roundabout. Next time try requesting "Delete Migrated Posts"
    – TheTXI Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:20
  • @TheTXI: That has already been suggested. This is a different suggestion. All I have done is agree that deleting the whole post would be an acceptable answer to this issue. You seem to be getting locked into the emotion surrounding your lack of support, but you are not considering the differences in the two concepts.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:27
  • When in doubt, revert to the tried and true "everyone is being emotional but me" tactic.
    – TheTXI Mod
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 16:26
  • @TheTXI: Well then you explain why you are arguing against a point I am not making.
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 16:30
0

In general, we are assuming that tags are correct. In most cases, the user tags their question with mostly appropriate tags. Even if the question has been migrated, the tags are still appropriate to be there.

The tags are there so that anyone searching might come across that question. If they have a similar question it would be helpful to know that the first one was migrated as 'does not belong here'. So it still needs to be searchable.

The tags should not be editable because, once migrated, the question should not be changed in any way, otherwise it opens up the possibility of having migrated questions that are fundamentally different.

I'm in favour of keeping it the way it is.

Although, moderators should be able to update 'outdated/deprecated' tags on closed questions.

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26
  • What do you propose we do about all the invalid tags that are now locked into existence that will allow other stupid people to use them?
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:58
  • 2
    Searchers IN SO should still be able to find it, so that it can direct them to migrate. Otherwise, we'll migrate/delete a questions, and then someone will come along ten minutes later and ask the SAME THING.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:59
  • 1
    I suggest that you flag it for moderator attention, and give the moderators the ability to edit those tags.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 14:59
  • 1
    @devinb: They'll do that anyway. After all, existing questions don't seem to dissuade people from asking duplicates over and over again.
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:02
  • 2
    I agree, there are foolish ignorant people who can't be helped. There are also people who do check if their question has already been asked, and now those people will also be creating extra duplicates. You are taking away another one of the methods that help people do things correctly. You're making it easier to fail. And then of course, you'll belittle and mock those people.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:09
  • @Rich B: Sent by what? Every search that yields a migrated result would redirect the user? Every search would search all sites? Clarify this functionality.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:12
  • "There are also people who do check if their question has already been asked" [citation needed]
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:13
  • @Devinb: Click on a migrated question link would redirect them. What is difficult to understand about this?
    – GEOCHET
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:13
  • 2
    @devinb: Do you think the number of users in the "checks whether a question already exists but still can't determine whether a question is appropriate for a given site" category is significant? I really doubt it. And is it somehow making it harder to fail if we retain potentially inaccurate tags and seed search engines with off-topic questions?
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:16
  • @Rich B: But you're arguing that those questions shouldn't appear in searches, that they should be deleted. So there would be nothing for them to click on. Also, to your earlier comment. I check if my questions have already been asked. I also check in the recommendations that it provides: the "possibly similar questions".
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:27
  • @Pesto: So maybe we should make closed/migrated questions excluded from being crawled by search engines.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:28
  • But if you exclude them from 'local' (internal to SO) searches, then you are allowing people to keep asking the questions over and over again, because it (from their knowledge) has never been asked on SO before. There is no way for them to know that it's already been dealt with.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:29
  • 2
    @devinb: To boil down your argument: you want to retain questions that aren't site-related on the off-chance that someone else will want to ask the same question and be educated by the existing one as to the correct site to use. There are a lot of things that go wrong in this proposal that are unrelated to the issue (for example, the unreliability of SO's search egnine). But focusing on the crux of your argument, I just don't see how the value of that potential education for a hypothetical user exceeds the detriment caused by increasing the noise for everyone.
    – Hilarious Comedy Pesto
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 15:40
  • 2
    @Rich: I love the way that even when people are trying to work with you, you still seem intent on working against them.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 17:33
  • 2
    @Richb: You guys were mostly focused on trying to convince me I was wrong.
    – devinb
    Commented Sep 15, 2009 at 17:41

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