Surely these type of questions encourage debate and bring more traffic to SO.
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1If it's subjective it doesn't have a single, correct answer. How can it warrant something it doesn't have?– Super Long Names are HilariousCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:28
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3Because another person's opinion, no matter how hard you try, is not something you can solve.– randomCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:29
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Yes but discussion is healthy - I often learn things I didn't know by reading 'subjective' questions. And you know what? Who cares if there is no single answer - maybe one of the several answers will be what someone is looking for.– SupertuxCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:31
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@random - I like to read others opinions on matters - that's why I ask 'subjective' questions now and again. When I'm looking for the opinions of people more experienced in certain fields than myself.– SupertuxCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:32
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8I object very strongly to the word "censorship" in this context. Censorship involves telling the owner of something (be it a printing press, a web site, or a mouth) how they can't use their own property. The owners of this website telling you how you can't use StackOverflow (or letting the community tell you) is not, and can not be, censorship.– dmckee --- ex-moderator kittenCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:34
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1To amplify my previous comment, if you want to engage in a discussion, go to a discussion site. Or set one up. Your site, your choice. Someone else's site, their choice.– dmckee --- ex-moderator kittenCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 0:35
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5this question itself seems subjective and argumentative– akfCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 2:04
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Personally I think only spammed questions should be able to be closed - if you don;t like a question then just downvote it and move on - you'll never have to look at the question again.– SupertuxCommented Sep 7, 2009 at 11:20
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Generating traffic is not the goal. Generating quality questions--and quality answers to those questions--is the goal.– user164207Commented Dec 8, 2012 at 5:50
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2 Answers
Because the S[OFU] sites are designed to handle specific, answerable questions. Generally, subjective and/or argumentative (they're not the same thing) questions are not answerable. In fact, by definition, anything which is truly subjective cannot have One True Answer.
Where does this guideline come from? The FAQ for all of the sites:
Avoid asking questions that are subjective, argumentative, or require extended discussion. This is not a discussion board, this is a place for questions that can be answered!
Traffic on these sites comes generally from Google juice -- other people out on the web searching for answers to the questions which have been asked here. Subjective/argumentative questions may potentially boost traffic, but according to what I've heard from those in the know on these sites, they won't boost it by a noticeable margin -- and they do reduce the overall quality of the sites.
(And yes, I recognize the irony of me answering this way, given that I do have participatory answers in subjective questions on at least two of the sister sites!)
The purpose of stackoverflow is to provide accurate, canonical answers to programming related questions (for SU and SF substitute the appropriate topic). While you are correct that argumentative questions might generate a hire rate of traffic, it is not the type of traffic the site is attempting to attract. The site is trying to attract user's who are looking find practical, helpful solutions to their programming problems (and user's to provide those solutions), not users who are "looking for a fight" or to debate what the best programming language ever is (clearly fortran).
answered Sep 7, 2009 at 2:23
