14

I'm seeing a lot of questions recently along the lines of, "Convert this SQL query to LINQ for me" followed by a copy/paste of a SQL query.

I've started voting to close when I see these under "Must show a minimal understanding" but each time I see that others are happy to provide answers.

Just wondering what the consensus is here?

Improve this question
11
  • 17
    You'll find a lot of users would rather answer for the rep than keep the site orderly. It's a total, "I got mine" game
    – random
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 12:55
  • 4
    I vote to close when I see them. But as @random says, practice is that they get answered. As do Regex and SQL query requests. If there is a consensus for closing them, it would be a meta-only one it seems.
    – Bart
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 13:09
  • 2
    @bummi not a duplicate - the question might be but the answer is now totally different as off topic does not now mean not programming or dev as per the accepted answer but now includes not enough effort
    – mmmmmm
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 13:29
  • @JohnnyBones Good spot, missed that one!
    – JMK
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 14:59
  • 1
    "...but each time I see that others are happy to provide answers." This is an effect from the broad and big userbase SO has. Many people do not (seem to) care for the rules, unfortunately. But there's also people who answer questions and vote to close (give the user answers but keep the site clean).
    – Time Traveling Bobby
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:13
  • Just wondering why you're voting to close questions with a minimal understanding, yet you're keeping this one open when you know it's a duplicate? That represents a little of a dichotomy; kind of like when you see a cop tailgating someone on the highway.
    – Johnny Bones
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:31
  • @JohnnyBones It's not obvious to all users that they can vote to close their own questions. Especially since it's a 250rep privilege.
    – Bart
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:35
  • @Bart - There is a Delete button/link, though.
    – Johnny Bones
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:38
  • @JohnnyBones Questions which have upvoted answers can't be deleted by the OP.
    – Bart
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:38
  • Ah, yes... Forgot about that.
    – Johnny Bones
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:40
  • This is exactly the kind of situation that the old "too localized" close reason was perfect for: meta.stackexchange.com/a/175709
    – jscs
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 20:22

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
12

Sadly most questions that ask for code are answered, promptly, by passing users more interested in reputation than doing "the right thing". What surprises me is how often those users have 10/20/30k+ reputation.

My rule of thumb is simple - if you haven't posted some kind of code showing what you've tried, you get a close vote. Of course, there are exceptions, but I would expect anyone asking for help converting SQL to LINQ to have tried something themselves.

I leave a comment asking them to show what they've tried so far, but I always immediately close-vote, because often the OP will make no further edits and will just slurp the free answers coming from the masses.

Typical canned comment I have pre-prepared:

Your question doesn't explain what you've done to try and solve the problem; it currently reads like a request for code. Please share your attempted implementation and explain how it fails to meet your requirements.

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    Thanks good answer, also I've never seen that AutoReviewComment script before, very cool!
    – JMK
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 13:53
  • Some people answer questions that they know aren't good, not for rep, but because they think "helping" is good at any cost.
    – jscs
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 20:20
1

Why does there need to be a policy? If you feel the user is being lazy and simply crowdsourcing their problem, down vote them.

However there will be users who genuinely need some help, but you should be able to spot those ones. LINQ is sufficiently different to SQL that people can need help with the syntax and slightly different concepts, they understand if you help solve their specific problem but they won't necessarily understand by looking at the previous million questions on the topic.

Improve this answer
3
  • 4
    Though if you need genuine help, you should ask a genuine question. What these often boil down to is a "Here, you do it for me". And for any other topic we'd generally close them, not just downvote them.
    – Bart
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 13:30
  • 4
    I don't think "genuinely need some help" is the right phrasing. I firmly believe users who ask us to write their code for them without trying anything at all (not necessarily referring to these types of questions) genuinely need some help (much more so than users who are fairly close to a solution), whether programming help or some other sort of help, but I'm not particularly inclined to help them.
    – Bernhard Barker
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 13:40
  • Not sure why you got a downvote for this, I definitely see your point
    – JMK
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:16
1

My first 3 questions on SE were all related to C#, which I had 2 weeks to learn before being thrown on a project. Had they all been closed, I would definitely not be a member of this community.

OK, I think I just shot myself in the foot on that one, but you get my point. ;o) The fact that someone was willing to help me when I had more-or-less no understanding of the product was a big influence on what made me stick around and want to contribute in return.

Improve this answer
2
  • you saved yourself with the last sentence +1 :)
    – user221081
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 14:58
  • Yes this is a good point as well, +1
    – JMK
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 15:43

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