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Today I answered a question which you can consider to be a little off topic but there was some major misunderstanding that how that person was approaching an issue so I gave him a little advice to put him in the right direction.

Soon after my answer I got down voted and was advised by a Stack Overflow member that I shouldn't answer off topic questions:

Please don't answer off-topic questions; by actively answering them, you give the question that questions like this are appropriate for SO, which only encourages more off-topic questions.

My argument is IF someone has a problem and they dont even realise that what is the problem and where is it? and they ask a question on SO not about the actual problem but about the symptoms of that problem, Would it be not better to explain them how they end up having these problems and they can be avoided.

Since the person doesn't even realise where the actual problem is their questions will appear to be off topic. Would it be not better if we can help them to address the actual issues rather than down voting these questions or putting them on hold?

I might be wrong in saying all this but its just a thought, Help someone in need when it doesn't cost you a penny, why not then pal?

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  • 7
    What is "a little off-topic"? How is the distance from topicness to be decided? What's the threshold and how did you arrive at it?
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:17
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    We have to draw a line. If we'd help all people that need help then you can basically ask any question you like.
    – juergen d
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:17
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    Answering off-topic questions will on reinforce the idea that that question was worth asking to begin with. Don't do it.
    – Bart
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:18
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    geez guys take it easy, I just wanted some feed back didnt expect this much bashing in response to a very simple question.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:21
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    It's not bashing; it's good advice. You should consider it as such.
    – user102937
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:22
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    @MuhammedAli So you wanted us to just ignore the question and not respond at all, or you wanted us to tell you that you were right and that answering questions the site has determined shouldn't be answered is a good thing?
    – Servy
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:23
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    Pro tip: If you have to write a list to properly answer the question, the question is probably too broad or too vague.
    – user102937
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:23
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    All right guys I am taking off my this question and my answer to that question. I get your point. I have a different point of view when it comes to help someone.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:27
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    @MuhammedAli - So, you don't care about the long term health of Stack Overflow? The point is that by helping these people you are making Stack Overflow worse for what it is supposed to do.
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:29
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    @MuhammedAli If you want to help people in that way, then you should do so on a different site.
    – Aaron Bertrand Staff
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:29
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    No I do respect the rules of this plat form, but my question was that if we could lose the filter a bit more and help more people, which could eventually attract more users to this platform.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:32
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    @Oded as you can see I am a relatively new to this site, getting used to the rules and regulations but I felt like I had to say something about this and I did, I have heard you guys and yes it does make a lot of sense what you guys are saying, My suggestion can result is a poor quality and many more off topic questions.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:40
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    Glad to see you have come in with an open mind and are here to learn. Too often we see people who only come to argue.
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:42
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    @MuhammedAli the thing about posting on Meta is there seems to be a downvote-first,-let-others-actually-interact-later subculture. If your question happens to fall across their radar, you'll take a hit even as others try to help and answer your question.
    – jball
    Nov 26, 2013 at 17:45
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    you should reconsider what answer you mark as accepted. Otherwise it will only gather more downvotes than it has now and some of them might even trickle to your question (hint hint)
    – John Dvorak
    Nov 26, 2013 at 18:32

2 Answers 2

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It's always appropriate to answer questions.

If it's really off-topic then it will get closed and probably eventually deleted so any rep you got may disappear, but you may have helped someone with their problem and that is what is truly important.

What comes around, goes around.

It's also helpful if you're able to edit it in to on-topic.

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  • 4
    Would you be happy if the site would end up with a 100% increase in off-topic questions? Or some volume of questions that would end up with people not being able to keep up with cleaning them out?
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:40
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    I think the current quick closing and deleting of those questions work quite well (as well as can be expected) to stop the flood of off-topic questions.
    – Lance Roberts
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:42
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    So, you don't think that giving answers to off-topic questions just encourages more of the same?
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:42
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    @LanceRoberts Thankyou for your advice, and this what I had in my mind when I asked this question here but as you can see I was bashed to even ask such a question with 11 down votes :)
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:44
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    I think off-topic is subjective, and what some people feel is off-topic isn't. I see bad off-topic votes in Review all the time.
    – Lance Roberts
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:44
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    @Oded, it's not been truly decided as off-topic until 5 people vote on it, and then you can't answer anyways.
    – Lance Roberts
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:47
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    @LanceRoberts If you feel that all questions should be answered, and you don't want to be on a site that filters questions to only those that are in a fairly narrow definition of "on topic" designed to result in high quality answers, then why are you on this site? Virtually every other q/a site I've ever been on, ever, has virtually no question filtering. This is about the only one that does. If you want to be able to answer every single question than use those other sites. They don't work for a reason, which is why SO came to be. People come here specifically to avoid OT questions.
    – Servy
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:47
  • My question here has been edited all together, the reason I asked this question is, just a bit ago I answered a question, which was you may say "OFF-Topic", which I think is debatable that whether that question was really off topic or not but I answered to that question and got down voted.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:47
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    But I answer could have helped the OP to put him in the right direction.
    – M.Ali
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:48
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    @MuhammedAli - sure it can. At the expense of the experience for everyone else.
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:52
  • I'm surprised you haven't voted to Re-Open the question yet
    – LittleBobbyTables - Au Revoir
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:53
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    @LBT He's probably out of reopen votes. When you vote to reopen every closed question you see they don't last long.
    – Servy
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:54
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    Ehm, as much as I disagree with this answer, what's up with the delete vote?
    – Bart
    Nov 26, 2013 at 18:57
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Stack Overflow has a pretty well defined scope.

Part of the success of Stack Overflow is in the intolerance of off-topic questions - those get removed. Meaning that the good, on topic stuff stays around.

The problem with answering such questions, either as full answers or in comments, is that you are helping these people.

Now, I am not against helping people. But by helping them you are telling them (and those who chance upon the question), that Stack Overflow is useful for off-topic questions as well - and you know what? They will ask off-topic questions themselves.

Which will end up snowballing and we will end up with yahoo answers.

That is why answering off-topic questions is not a good idea.

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  • But yahoo answers is helpful, right? :)
    – Taryn
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:24
  • @bluefeet google is helpful too, but with different goals. :-)
    – Aaron Bertrand Staff
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:25
  • @bluefeet - I don't have an answer to that. But there is this site...
    – Oded
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:27
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    @Oded unfortunately, I clicked that link which brought me to a helpful question about Low-Carb Appetizers for Thanksgiving? this is really great, you are the best!
    – Taryn
    Nov 26, 2013 at 16:32
  • WOOT WOOT YOU TOTALLY READ MY MIND ... like a wrecking ball ... call me maybe .. +1
    – Kermit
    Nov 26, 2013 at 17:44

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