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Sometimes, I find a post that is totally unrelated to programming. It's either asking about why can't they connect with their service, why can't they login to Facebook and such. My question is, as stated in the title, how should I flag it?

If I flag it as off-topic, which of the options should I choose? It's not asking for code, nor asking to fix a code, nor about servers, and it doesn't belong to any of the sites listed.

I know we can just flag it as other and describe what it's about, but since it's wasting moderator's time, is there a better option?

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  • 1
    "Questions about general computing hardware and software are off-topic for Stack Overflow unless they directly involve tools used primarily for programming." - It is the first off-topic option.
    – Oded
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:38
  • 3
    Well, it's not about computing hardware and software either..
    – aIKid
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:38
  • 1
    What is it about then? You are being overly hypothetical now.
    – Oded
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:38
  • 3
    @Oded For example "How to kill these slugs on my roses"
    – Richard Tingle
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:39
  • And Facebook is a piece of software, as are most services on the web.
    – Oded
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:39
  • Use of software is still software. The first option is the one you want for the situation you describe.
    – TJennings
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:39
  • Now that's my question, what is the question about?
    – aIKid
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:39
  • Not being able to log in to Facebook is 'general computing hardware and software'.
    – Martijn Pieters
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:39
  • You are overthinking it. If something is obviously off-topic, it is obviously so. If none of the canned answers apply, use the "other" and supply your own off-topic reason.
    – Oded
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:41
  • 3
    @RichardTingle - Off-topic -> Other -> "... it is about slugs and not programming".
    – Oded
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:41
  • 3
    @Oded - Is there any reason why there isn't a canned reason for completely off topic and we have to supply a custom message for these cases?
    – Martin Smith
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:43
  • 1
    @Oded While that is true it has always seemed to me like a waste of moderator time, any 3K+ user could close such a flagged question but a moderator has to be called in to do so
    – Richard Tingle
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:43
  • 7
    @Oded As a 3K+ user I can vote to close as Off topic-->"other" but back when I was sub 3K Off topic-->"other" wasn't available as a flag, only "other (needs ♦ moderator attention)"
    – Richard Tingle
    Nov 4, 2013 at 12:46
  • 1
    Also, take a look at my answer to meta.stackexchange.com/q/202945/213634
    – user213634
    Nov 4, 2013 at 13:20
  • 2
    @Oded The problem with the first option is that it ends "You may find help on SuperUser." For those blatantly OT questions, one shouldn't really direct the OP to SuperUser (or any other SE-site, actually).
    – user213634
    Nov 4, 2013 at 13:29

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