Possible new close reason: "Overt request for code" [duplicate]

Question

This seems to be related to other meta questions, but I think there is a qualitative difference.

While this is obviously a site where specific questions are asked and specific answers are given (where possible), very often including example code, a line is crossed when the question's ideal answer is solely a snippet of example code that solves the problem behind the question asked, without any solicited explanation, and could just "drop in" to the questioner's codebase with minimal editing. Such a question is little more than a request for free development work on the part of the community, contrary to the spirit of the site where users seek to increase their knowledge by asking questions.

The usual response is to close such posts as "not a real question"; however, I think that's misleading based on the text of that reason; it is not, in fact, difficult to tell what is being asked in the question. Quite the contrary, the problem is that it's so glaringly obvious what the questioner wants that it's insulting.

Another possible response is to close the question as "too localized"; the exact code snippet would be unlikely to help anyone else even as a guide. However, that too can be misleading; it's very rare that the requested solution is so specialized that nobody else would ever be able to apply any part of it in their own work.

I propose the following close reason:

• Overt request for code - While StackOverflow welcomes questions that require answers with example code to illustrate the solution, this question does not demonstrate any effort made towards solving the problem, and instead simply solicits answers consisting primarily of original working code that could be copied and pasted into a program.

Answer 1

I'd like to see a close reason like this (and others along a similar style and level of detail), but not by adding a 6^th close reason.

Instead what I would like to see is more specific "sub-reasons", for close votes and certain kinds of flags that allow you to be more specific about the exact reason. In terms of UI and mechanics this could work exactly like the OT vote currently works - a list of sub-options is shown as a second phase.

The reason I'd like to see this is because currently the "why was my question closed?" or "why was my answer deleted?" links that appear after closure/deletion are very vague. Capturing more detailed information like this would allow better help and advice to be given to new users. This would happen automatically, from one canonical snark free source rather than inconsistently and often (perceived) rudely in an ad-hoc style.

This approach fits with the "we already have a reason for this" responses that request for new close reasons typically elicit on meta. It fits within the "summer of love" theme in a way that is no worse (probably better even) for existing users. It removes the cold hard "read the FAQ" that is currently the best feedback a lot of users see after something didn't go well for them, without inserting a huge additional human load.

Answer 2

We already have this: "Too localized".

When somebody wants an answer that is only going to benefit them, that is what "too localized" is for. I think somebody asking you for code fits that bill:

This question is unlikely to help any future visitors; it is only relevant to a small geographic area, a specific moment in time, or an extraordinarily narrow situation that is not generally applicable to the worldwide audience of the internet.