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Too many SE sites causes confusion

Having duplicate sites and tags seems obsessively organized, disorganized, or both. Could merge them all together.

For example, if I had a SQL script in a Drupal module that keeps a list of servers/dbs and reboots them if necessary. I come here to post it; Where to? SO/sql, sql pg, sql oracle, database, Database Administrator/the same tags as before, Drupal Answers/same, Webmasters/same, Web Applications/same, Server Fault/same, on and on. By the time the time I'm done writing this post, someone has created 5-10 more sites related to programming, each requiring their own login and separate set of tags yet named the same as all other sites.

Looking at the stats, I see SO is probably the best place to go for visibility and collaboration (why else are we here ?). However, looking at the creation dates, SO was created first and I presume that it was created with tags. So is the Stack Exchange site going away from the method of tags and embracing separate sites?

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    In the same time you took to write this post, you could have read each site's FAQ (at the top of every page) and realized each scope is different and thus not falling to your current stance. Hint, Web Applications is not about developing Web Applications or even programming
    – phwd
    Nov 16, 2011 at 20:27
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    The other SE sites are not even approximately the same as the SO tag (if it exists) with the same name. Did you spend any time on the other sites? And there's 60ish SE sites, whereas SO has almost 32k tags.
    – user154510
    Nov 16, 2011 at 20:41
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    "60ish SE sites...," "read each site's FAQ." I thought I would take the time to ask what others do. It is better to tag, or go to new site? Just asking, would save some time.
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 16, 2011 at 21:43
  • Generally if you post something on the wrong site, the users & mods will migrate it to the appropriate site for you.
    – animuson StaffMod
    Nov 16, 2011 at 22:16
  • @pwhd Faq for Unix & Linux site: "What kinds of questions ... ? * Shell scripting .. UNIX C API and System Interfaces .." These tags already exist in SO. If someone has a bash question, which site should they go to ?
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 17, 2011 at 15:51
  • @animuson - If I had a question regarding linux server setup, would it go Serverfault, Ubuntu, Linux & Unix, etc... ? If I want to search for answer first, is there a way to search all sites at once ? Please, please don't say google. I guess what stands out to me is that stackoverflow has outgrown the tag system. People find it too noisy and crowded. The solution appears to be make a copy of the SO structure and make new user accounts. In a tag that is for open opinions, I think that is a bad idea, think the data needs to be kept in one place and the access structure needs to be improved.
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 17, 2011 at 16:09

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Having duplicate sites and tags seems obsessively organized, disorganized, or both. Could merge them all together.

Yes you could, but while there is some crossover between areas of IT, there are profound differences between a programmer, a dedicated DBA and a network sysadmin.

For example, if I had a sql script in a drupal module that keeps a list of servers/dbs and reboots them if necessary.

Do you? With a problem that you need an answer for? Or is this a contrived example?

I come here to post it; Where to ? SO/sql, sql pg, sql oracle, database, Database Administrator/the same tags as before, Drupal Answers/same, Webmasters/same, Web Applications/same, Server Fault/same, on and on,

Well that depends on what your problem is. If the actual code to reboot a computer isn't working because you're getting an "access denied" error from the workstations then we'd probably address that on Server Fault. If your code was wrong it could go on Stack Overflow. If your database was performing badly then... and so on.

By the time the time I'm done writing this post, someone has created 5-10 more sites related to programming, each requiring their own login and separate set of tags yet named the same as all other sites.

Really? 5-10 more sites while you wrote this question? [Citation Needed]

I don't want to be rude but perhaps the reason you're struggling is because you don't want to take the time to understand what each site does? That's your choice but that doesn't mean the solution is to merge the sites.

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  • "profound differences" ? lol "Do you ?" Yes. "[citation needed]" No. It was a humor attempt. I didn't mean you, don't take it personally.
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 16, 2011 at 22:20
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There is a common misconception that because a question has something to do with multiple sites, those sites are redundant. Each site has a different community and topics though. To take your own example of an SQL query in Drupal:

  • Is the question mostly about the actual SQL syntax and how to form it in SQL? If so, it belongs on Stack Overflow as it's inherrently a programming question.

  • Is the question more about using Drupal's built-in database manipulation libraries? If so, it belongs on Druapl because it's about something specific to Drupal.

  • Is the question about managing the database server, setting it up, and optimizing the performance of the database, it belongs on DBA. DBA is not for questions about how to write your SQL query.

  • Is the question about how the speed of database queries affects how fast your page loads, and how that might affect your Pagerank rating? Then maybe it's on-topic for Webmasters.

  • Is the question about... uh... your question's not on-topic for Web Apps, because it's not about using a web app.

  • Is the question about configuring the server that your database or site is running on? Then it could be on topic for Sever Fault, because it's about configuring servers.

It's been rehashed over and over that separate sites are good because they develop separate communities. To use another example, questions about Macs are 100% on-topic for Super User. But a lot of Mac users ask their questions on Ask Different. They're different types of communities. As Jeff likes to say, this is because "people who own three computers each running a different operating system, who love linux and windows and OS X use Super User, while people who have an iPod and an iPad and a MacBook and an iMac use Ask Different". Just because something is tangentially related to multiple sites doesn't make the sites redundant.

Tags and different sites are fundamentally different. The tag on Stack Overflow will be very different from the tag on Server Fault, becuase they achieve different things. The former will be about writing SQL statements; the latter will be about setting up SQL servers. If they were all on one site, then it would be harder to find the info you want, because you'd have everything ever about SQL that different people in different places are doing.

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    Thank you nhinkle. This is helpful
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 16, 2011 at 22:20
  • @Robert I spent some time on some of the other sites and I arrive back at the original dilemma. There are too many sites and diffusion of information. What you say about the sql tag is true, then I agree wholeheartedly - there should be and needs to be that distinction between the two categories. I would suggest sql and sqlsetup.
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 17, 2011 at 15:31
  • I looked through SE site 51 and there are proposals under way to make site for tags that already exist. I saw one for shell programming. Please give me an example or two for me to understand (I am still not). If someone has a bash shell programming question, should they go to Shell Programming site, tag bash or should they to to SO, tag bash ?
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 17, 2011 at 15:41
  • @JasonHarris site proposals do exist for highly redundant sites. These proposals typically get closed before getting out of beta though for exactly that reason.
    – nhinkle
    Nov 17, 2011 at 17:00
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If it has anything to do with code, it's generally welcome on Stack Overflow. Those other sites you refer to are not primarily about code.

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    Thank you Robert, that was helpful and saves me time.
    – Jason Harris
    Nov 16, 2011 at 21:58
  • SO, Programmers, Code Review, Game Development... All will host "code" questions, depending on how you define that. Probably more to come.
    – ergosys
    Jan 13, 2012 at 22:44

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