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The tag is described as

Use this tag for questions seeking recommendations which have a graphical user interface.

Given the 9600 total questions on SR, only 134 are tagged with it. My personal feeling is that more than 70% of the questions asked here want to have a GUI. There's only 1 follower at the time of writing.

So, is really helpful? Should we use it more or should we use it less?

IMHO we could assume that a GUI is wanted as long as it is not tagged .

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    Good question. I just want to add that beside GUI and command line, many questions deal with libraries and web services (in the WSDL meaning).
    – Nicolas Raoul Mod
    Jun 28, 2016 at 9:53
  • See also: Dealing with obvious tags
    – unor
    Jun 28, 2016 at 14:03
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    It might also be worth considering to "update" its meaning. It could be useful if one looks for "a GUI to X", i.e. just a graphical frontend to something either running from the command line or e.g. as background service. If that's not what we want, I agree: either it's command-line tagged, or it wants a GUI (with a few obvious exceptions, eg. database/mail/web servers ;)
    – Izzy Mod
    Jun 28, 2016 at 16:33

1 Answer 1

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I've used this tag a few times and I find it personally useful. As you pointed out, there are quite a few questions that would probably be asking for a GUI. This isn't how I think the tag should be used, though. Personally, I feel the tag should be used on a question where a Command Line Interface (CLI) software could conceivably be answered. If the OP doesn't want a CLI, then the tag should be used.

For example, if I were to hypothetically ask the question:

Tool to easily list and edit cron jobs on Linux

Alright, not the best question, but I trying to make a point here. A CLI could be given as an answer but what if I'm looking for a GUI instead of a CLI? This is where I would use the tag, . Same with CLI, if I wanted a CLI and not a GUI, I would use the tag .

I don't think we should ever assume a specification for a question. I also think we should keep the tag and should be used in the case that without the tag on a question, the question could then be answered by CLI software answers.

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    That's a good idea and has also been mentioned by @Izzy in the comments. I suggest we update the tag wiki accordingly.
    – Thomas Weller
    Jun 29, 2016 at 6:13
  • @Thomas I agree, we should update the tag wiki.
    – Tom
    Jun 29, 2016 at 16:05
  • there should be an edit in the queue. I proposed "Use this tag for questions seeking recommendations which have a graphical user interface and where a command-line answer would be obvious but does not satisfy your needs."
    – Thomas Weller
    Jun 30, 2016 at 6:19
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    Such a question should be edited to put "GUI" in its title, I believe.
    – Nicolas Raoul Mod
    Jun 30, 2016 at 6:59

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