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Yesterday, this question popped up on SO. It's clearly off-topic there, so I wanted to flag it. There's no generic "Off topic" flag, though, and running through the off-topic flags:

  • "Questions about general computing hardware and software are off-topic for StackOverflow"
    The question is about a billing issue, not hardware or software.
  • "Questions on professional server, networking, or related infrastructure administration are off-topic for StackOverflow unless they directly involve programming or programming-related tools"
    This question isn't about server or network issues.
  • "This question was caused by a problem that can no longer be reproduced or a simple typographical error"
    Maybe, but this doesn't seem to fit all that well.
  • "Questions asking us to recommend or find a tool, library or favorite off-site resource are off-topic for StackOverflow"
    This question isn't looking for a tool, just a resolution for billing issues.

As I've been forced to do with other recent "this question is simply off-topic" questions, I opted to use the "Other" flag, specifying that the question was off-topic in the comment field. This seems to be standard/encouraged protocol. However, the flag was declined with the following message:

Please use standard close votes or close flags for this instead of flagging for moderators.

As I'm just a 1.2k rep user on SO, I don't have access to close votes, and there didn't seem to be a relevant close flag. If the "Other" flag is no longer recommended for off-topic questions, how should I have flagged this, and how should I flag similar generic off-topic questions with no real matching flags in the future?

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    I wonder why there isn’t an “other” close reason in the flag-to-close menu like there is in the vote-to-close menu. Seems like that would be the most appropriate thing to do.
    – Ry-
    Apr 1, 2014 at 17:27
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    @minitech - I had also assumed this was there, and while I didn't decline this specific flag, I've declined others just like it for the same reason. I thought there were flag equivalents for all of the close votes.
    – Brad Larson
    Apr 1, 2014 at 17:51
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    @BradLarson I'd like there to be a flag equivalent for a generic "off-topic" close vote, if that counts for anything. ;) And since I found 2-3 questions marked as duplicates of the "how should I flag off-topic questions when no off-topic reason from the dialog applies" question I linked, I'm not the only one.
    – cf stands with Monica
    Apr 1, 2014 at 17:58

1 Answer 1

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This is one of those cases where you simply need to wait for someone with close vote privileges to vote to close using a custom close reason. You can post a comment to draw attention to the fact that the post is offtopic.

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    So I shouldn't flag questions of this sort at all, and just let the 3k+ users handle it?
    – cf stands with Monica
    Apr 1, 2014 at 17:36

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