How should we steer lost users?

Question

Here is a thing I see fairly often here on Meta.SE:

The question isn't remotely on-topic and was rightly, and quickly, put on hold. Somebody left a comment (not shown) pointing out what Meta.SE is and steering the OP elsewhere. Sadly, users don't always sit on their questions in real time; sometimes they ask and then come back in a few hours.

If I were to cast that last delete vote, what the OP would see is "my question disappeared", with no further feedback unless the page is still open in a browser tab. The notification for the helpful comment gets removed with the post. I think only experienced SE users would find (a) the right profile tab and (b) the "show recent deleted posts" checkbox. and experienced SE users are not the ones I'm worried about.

How should we respond to these posts? Is there a reasonable amount of time to wait, and after that we should go ahead and delete it? If so, how long is reasonable? Should we just leave these and wait for the Roomba to get them? If so, then when should we be using delete votes on questions? Or should we not concern ourselves with the reactions of new, lost users and delete at will?

In the past I've gone ahead and cast those delete votes, but with the new "welcome wagon" initiative I'm not sure I should be.

Answer 1

We're doing the best with what we have. Quite frankly, there's no great way to deal with this. MSE's a bit of a tough site for folks unfamiliar with the way folks do things, but at the same time, this sort of meta-moderation helps keep the site clean.

I comment. I let folks know why. I rarely see the same faces posting an on-topic meta post. Once someone self-deleted and apologized, and I was surprised, and I hope the lad comes back with an on-topic question some day. At the end of the day, though, I'm not sure many of these users are actually aware that their posts are off-topic.

Admittedly, there's a semi-organized group of users helping with this on Tavern on the Meta, and we do try to get rid of these as soon as possible. Many of us comment (and occasionally cheer when a user realises the folly of their ways). The problem with waiting is... people forget, and dealing with stuff as they come in means they get handled at all.

I guess it's a matter of trying to balance between new user friendliness, what seems like obvious abuse (folks asking programming questions here to get around Stack Overflow bans), and keeping the place on-topic and useful.

Moderation here's a little spotty at times (sorry guys!) and the community's often stepped up to help deal with this. If we do flag, our CMs (busy as they are) or a dev who decides to help out, has to deal with it. It's significantly more efficient to just do it ourselves. If the folks who run/moderate the site have issues, it might be worth sounding out and letting folks know.

Personally, I'd like to see the new user template and see if it helps. To moderate after a user has already posted an off-topic question feels too late. I do believe that users can see their own, new-ish deleted question if they know where to look, but a new user might not. I'd have less sympathy for folks with SO accounts posting programming questions.

I'd also like some mechanism to let new folks know what this site is for - I proposed something like that for meta previously.

Answer 2

Hold is for 5 days and deletion only after 48 hours, with a long list of exceptions.

Some sites are helpful about suggesting an appropriate site or means to improve the question to make it on topic, some are great about migrating (along with the answers) misplaced questions, and some leave the question up for a while after the comments before applying the hold.

Other sites can find five people to VTC before the person can get back with their coffee.

There's not really an evenhandedness - 'take it to XYZ' is said on occasion.

I suggested a solution for new users answers, a "Help Button" above the "Post Your Answer" button, new users questions likely will be dealt with by the "new question template", once it rolls out.

Some people do complain that they feel set upon, but usually not here, instead on a blog they create. Sometimes there's a slough of comments awaiting the OP's return between the other users, debating the post; and calling them an OP (one even asked why they were referred to as that, what is it).

I think if the question makes sense in some context a polite comment asking for clarification is a kind means to deal with some posts, if it's clear that it's not clear a comment is nicer than closing.

Only new user abuse and SPAM should be dealt with uncerimoniously.

Some need a tour of the help pages, and some need to score a few hundred on the interpersonal skills SE site. I remember running a new user drive on a beta site. A dozen people showed up (Rep 1), their introduction to the site could have gone better; many of them are teachers and post doctoral (now a couple of months later they have fairly high reputations). I'm glad they stuck it out, we're lucky to have them.