A few suggestions to the Stack Overflow community regarding the off-topic question

Question

I know the Stack Overflow FAQ goes to some length to delineate what questions can be asked and what questions can't be asked. Granted the emphasis is squarely on programming and anything that doesn't really appear to have a connection with this theme is deemed as off-topic. However, there are several situations where a question pushes the boundary of this and I fear there might be a tendency to be biased against these kind of questions. I'll explain.

I recently asked a question (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16449987/how-do-i-use-private-use-area-characters-for-inkscape-icon-font-creation) that was adjudged by many to be off-topic and it was suggested that I post the question on Super User. I do agree that on the face of it, it does appear to be off-topic, but here is why I think it's not, and why it was a mistake to close it.

1. The solution to the question (at least the one I found) requires some editing of the resulting SVG file, and hence I believe that qualifies it as on-topic. I know a possible question to this assertion might be 'Well, how would we know in advance that the answer is programming-related'. That's why I suggested a few features (see numbered suggestions below). We learn every day, and sometimes some of us use visual tools to do things that are much easier and quicker to do with code. If someone has been through the same thing and suggests a programming approach as an answer to a problem that the questioner has, I think it should be permitted.

2. A Programmer has the best chance of answering this question, not a Super User. On Super User's FAQ, it says that you are NOT to ask questions about 'programming and software development'. I would imagine that if the answer to my earlier question required that you edit some code, then that would be deemed to be 'programming-related' and as such not in the area of expertise of a conventional Super User. A Programmer who has experience with Inkscape might say: 'Hey Chuck, I've tried, and there's no cool way of inserting Private Use Area Characters in Inkscape the way you want to. What you want to do is use regular alphabets and then later edit the SVG code after you've created the truetype font and converted this font using an online font-face generator, and here's how to do it' (It turns out that's the way I got it done). A Super User would never be able to answer my question this way, because a Super User is not a Programmer #conventionally (and by rule is not allowed to be) and would have limited knowledge of dealing with a problem that is better dealt with in code (or requires a code-editing task as part of the entire process).

I truly believe my question is valid and should stay on StackOverflow. However, this perception is subjective and there are some that would disagree that it should be on SuperUser. For that reason I would like to suggest the following:

1. Grace Period: Putting the [closed] moniker on a question without enabling the questioner to clarify his/her intent is not the best approach #InMyOpinion. Users can vote to have the question closed, and all the votes to close might be acquired, but the question shouldn't actually be closed without a 'Question-Close Challenge', which is an opportunity for the Questioner to keep the question active. If the Questioner doesn't respond within a specific but short time frame, or his/her response is not satisfactory, then the question can be closed and the [closed] banner officially emblazoned on the question. This would also allow any initial answers to come that would not ordinarily get through after the question is closed. I haven't been on Stack Overflow long but I do notice every now and then some folks who are just itching to close questions without first trying to understand where the Questioner is going.

2. Questioner-Override: People post questions on Stack Overflow and while they wait for any valid answers, they are still actively trying to solve the problem using other means. If they find an answer to their original question, I think it's only fair for them to say how they solved it, irrespective of whether the question is closed or not. I asked a question, I have an answer that is fresh in my memory, I know someone else might have this same issue in future, but I can't post the answer on Stack Overflow because the question is closed, and I can't post the answer on Super User because there's code in it and that is considered programming #WhatATragedy. If I posted the answer, and it was adjudged to be wrong, then I guess the community would reprimand me with downvotes or calls for closure, but not the way it's being done right now.

3. Question-Forking: If someone thinks a question on Stack Overflow is a better fit for Super User, the question shouldn't be migrated it should be forked to Super User #NewFeature. The question remains visible on Stack Overflow and visible in Super User. This takes care of the subjectivity issue because if you have 4 answers from Super User and 2 from Stack Overflow and the Questioner selects an answer from Stack Overflow, then I guess we now know where the question originally belongs i.e. the selected answer would determine where the question is based. If someone on Super User suggests a point-and-click approach, and another person on Stack Overflow suggests a coded solution, why shouldn't the Questioner be able to determine the best approach to solve their specific problem?! These high walls we build across related communities belittles how far we've come as an intelligent society as well as how many approaches there probably are to solving a problem. I understand this might not be an immediate solution but perhaps something for the future.

The FAQ seems fine to me; although a one-page off-topic/on-topic visual matrix might help to quickly douse any confusion that might come up in the minds of users. Based on my interpretation of the FAQ I think my question goes, but I happen to be in the minority on this one and that is fine (downvotes and all).

Anyway, these are my thoughts, and I'd like to know what the community thinks.

Answer 1

Your question was "How do I do X in Inkscape?". It was not "How can I programmatically achieve X for an SVG file?". The first question is most likely off-topic, where the latter might not be. That ultimately the answer is "Well, you can't do it in Inkscape, but here's how you approach is programmatically" doesn't really matter.

Putting the [closed] moniker on a question without enabling the questioner to clarify his/her intent is not the best approach

Closed does not equal "dead". You have proceeded to post duplicates of your question, which you were told not to do. Instead, you should clarify the question so it is clearly on-topic for the site where you post it. This is your option for clarification and might see your question reopened.

If they find an answer to their original question, I think it's only fair for them to say how they solved it, irrespective of whether the question is closed or not.

That brings us back to what I said before. The question matters. The answer no so much. If you found a programmatic solution to your problem, modify your question to be on-topic for the site. This might see it reopened and will allow you to post your answer. Allowing you to answer an off-topic question is not the right approach, even if your solution is a programmatic one.

the question shouldn't be migrated it should be forked to SuperUser

I see no need for this. Make sure your question is on-topic for the site where you're asking it and leave it there. Forking is essentially creating cross-site duplicates. Even if implemented (which might not be all that trivial) it's messy and confusing.