1

This is of course related to the previous ones: Why not merge reputation across Stack Overflow, Server Fault, and Super User? Single location for SO/SF/SU user info

but not limited to that.

I mean, some questions clearly belong to more than one site, so it should work like "tagging". Probably my one isn't the best example of a question that belongs to two sites, but I think it gives you the idea:

https://serverfault.com/questions/77268/history-file-grows-indefinitely https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1567735/history-file-grows-indefinitely

I'm fine with keep things usually separate, but there should a way to have a question appear on more than one site, without duplicating it or migrate it (maybe just for user with a high reputation?)

Improve this question
2
  • I have to ask, is this really a feature-request? I ask only because I've been looking into the tagging system (and the tags here) and it strikes me that there is a lot of noise if you're looking for a real feature request... just say'n
    – AnonJr
    Oct 22, 2009 at 19:41
  • Well, being three different domains, to me it looked like a feature request, but you can call it discussion. I would have called it "discussion" myself it was occurring before SF and SU were rolled out, discussing if it wasn't better to implement a "completely hide" option for "ignored tags" (instead of just graying out). Of course everything on meta is subjective :-)
    – Davide
    Oct 29, 2009 at 21:17

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
2

Is the separation between SO SF SU too harsh?

No, they all have their defined scopes. They have specific areas of computing questions.

As for multiple questions, it is NOT ok to ask questions on both sites. Jeff has stated we do not want duplicate questions across the sites.

Ex: I had a bad example, which I now changed. (Question on SU has now been deleted and left one on SF) What hardware (antennae) to use for an outdoor wireless connection?

Improve this answer
7
  • Does someone disagree with what I did with that question? I will gladly delete the SU one if that is the better action (SF got more useful answers anyways).
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 17:46
  • 3
    we really frown on duplicating questions across sites. Please don't do that.
    – Jeff Atwood
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:11
  • Cool, I kind of wondered about doing that orginally, but I did ask on meta at the time which location would have been better. meta.stackexchange.com/questions/19102/… The SF people understood my question a lot better and I feel it works best there anyways. Thank you for the clarification. No dupes!
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:18
  • Ok, deleted my SU version and left the SF one. No more dupes.
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:27
  • 2
    to clarify: you are free to re-ask somewhere else if you feel like the audience is more appropriate on another site, but if it's in the Trilogy, please delete the old question or flag it so mods can. We don't want too much intentional duplication in the Trilogy. (some is unavoidable of course)
    – Jeff Atwood
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:30
  • @Jeff: so if you don't like duplication, why don't allow some questions to appear on different website? I mean SAME question, with SAME answer, not a duplicate! I believe some questions clearly overlap among SF, SO and SU. And it should be a way to positively use such an overlap
    – Davide
    Oct 22, 2009 at 19:06
  • @Davide: You should reply under Jeff's answer so he gets notified of your comment.
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 19:46
1

some questions clearly belong to more than one site

That may be, but you should ONLY post a question where it BEST belongs. If the question applies equally to all three sites, then you must decide what kind of answers do you want:

  • Do you want someone to come up with a scripted/programmed solution? Go to SO.
  • Do you want someone to tell you how your problem may be solved through server configuration? Go to SF.
  • Do you want to know how it may be solved using off the shelf programs? Go to SU.

If you have NO idea in which field your problem may best be solved, then post it on SO, and let the programmers there vote it to the place where they believe it has the best chance of being solved.

If you want to explore all three options, REPHRASE THE QUESTION SIGNIFICANTLY so that it's CLEARLY different than the others and SPECIFICALLY calls for a programming, server configuration, or COTS solution.

If it's not blindingly clear to everyone that the question belongs on the site it's asked on, it will be migrated, and if you've asked the same thing on the other site one or both will be closed as duplicate.

Asking good questions is an art that requires effort BEFORE you hit the "Ask a Question" button.

Improve this answer
1
  • Fair enough, but still I often want answers from different communities, and right now the only way is duplicating questions (making it difficult for one community to see what the other community thinks - besides linking which is time consuming and "asks for close-because-is-duplicate"). And then there is the accounts nightmare... Thanks for your answer, but I still believe it's been a very poor choice.
    – Davide
    Nov 18, 2009 at 15:56
0

I don't think the user's reputation should be a factor in questions appearing on more than one site.

I do think though that the migration of questions from one site to another needs to be more seamless -- reputation should work as if the question had originated on target site, should be able to move back to another site without things breaking (though probably with increasing numbers of votes required), etc.

But I don't really see the need for it to reside on multiple sites at the same time. It might make sense to have the search functionality and the duplicate-question search pull from the full trilogy if it doesn't now.

Improve this answer
2
  • Currently, the search will not bring up content from the other sites.
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 17:45
  • @Troggy: Yeah, didn't think it did, but was too lazy to go check. :)
    – retracile
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:03
0

You should just flag it for moderator attention and we can move it for you. I've cancelled the bounty (refund) and moved it.

Improve this answer
4
  • Thanks, but that's just part of the story (anyway, I intended to move it to SF, not to SU). What's about questions that would be appropriate to appear in multiple site? Should we just replicate them like Troggy suggested below - I don't like this, but it that's your policy....
    – Davide
    Oct 22, 2009 at 17:45
  • 2
    no, we don't support this, and if done enough moderators will intervene to stop it.
    – Jeff Atwood
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:12
  • @Jeff: Correction made, my bad.
    – Troggy
    Oct 22, 2009 at 18:29
  • @Jeff: so if you don't like duplication, why don't allow some questions to appear on different website? I mean SAME question, with SAME answer, not a duplicate! I believe some questions clearly overlap among SF, SO and SU. And it should be a way to positively use such an overlap
    – Davide
    Oct 22, 2009 at 20:40
0

Well, ok this is what you think. So, I'll leave with it. But I think that's a bad decision for the account point of view too. For example, now I have to login three times, and there isn't a single place where I can check all my questions/answers/comments. Very bad

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .