16
votes
What is required for a "there is no such program" answer to be high quality?
To give such an answer, either you must be pretty profient in that area to be sure – or the question must be a "little stupid". In both cases, an answer should not be limited to "there is no such ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
13
votes
Shall this site support questions on youtube downloaders?
Whyever would we not accept questions about Youtube downloaders? The topic of this site is software recommendations, not software-that-doesn't-download-from-Youtube recommendations.
On the legality ...
12
votes
Accepted
Is it acceptable to add an answer to an old/solved question with a newer (hopefully better) solution?
Absolutely. If its a distinct, great answer post it anyway.
If its a new feature on an existing product in an answer consider commenting or editing it to update the answer.
Don't forget that ...
- 8,127
11
votes
Accepted
Is suggesting built-in software acceptable?
In the past, this was done. And I don't see anything wrong with that – after all it's software "available", and in cases like that the user could even skip the download+install part.
But in your ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
11
votes
Accepted
Is it allowed to request software that breaks a service's terms of service (TOS)?
We do not enforce agreements between third parties - and we shouldn't set that precedent.
You're free to downvote, comment, and refrain from answering, but it's unlikely that any moderation action ...
- 4,235
10
votes
Accepted
Are recommendations for programming tutorials/resources on topic?
No, they are not.
While such content is valuable, it needs its own set of criteria for distinguishing good questions and good answers. We focus on stuff that can be executed on computers, "software", ...
- 3,020
9
votes
Accepted
Random inappropriate necro-deletion of decent, helpful, upvoted answer
What you don't see is the six other poor quality and sometimes actually spammy answers there. Granted its a video conversion question, and they attract spammers. You're not one. Awesome.
We've ...
- 8,127
9
votes
Accepted
Acceptable to ask → build → self-answer a question for open source?
In the order given, I think that should be OK – and fully within the rules: At the time you asked there was no solution, nobody gave you one, so you worked it out for yourself and then answered your ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
9
votes
Are "this is a bad idea" answers permitted?
It depends on the context.
If you can authoritatively say that the problem statement is implicitly a "bad idea", than saying so might actually be a perfectly acceptable 'answer'. It's really just a ...
- 150
8
votes
Accepted
Are "this is a bad idea" answers permitted?
I've found time and again that a good recommendation question comprises two parts:
A purpose or user story, establishing the scenario.
Some firm requirements.
In the end, questions here are problem-...
8
votes
Is source code an acceptable answer?
We've had a somewhat similar question in the past: Are answers which provide a complete script acceptable?
As I write, the top two answers are:
[+5] I would say that we probably shouldn't be giving ...
8
votes
Accepted
Is asking for lists of software welcome?
Definitely not:
Questions provoking list-type answers are frowned upon at all SE sites
Our help center lists several list-type questions as explicitely off-topic – a.o. "there is no actual problem to ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Can/should we recommend software that might be illegal (at some places)?
It is irrelevant whether software is/can be illegal, because that is defined by local authorities. As a user, I can't determine where an asker lives and which laws he should follow.
Furthermore, any ...
- 1,606
7
votes
Do we consider "beta invites by email" valid answers?
Yes,
it is completely fine, so long as the other requirements for a quality answer are met.
However, just because it should be allowed, do not mean it is going to be a good answer. Answering with it ...
- 2,910
7
votes
Are "this is a bad idea" answers permitted?
Sometimes a bad idea is a bad idea. I don't think this is a good example of such a question (OP might have been able to do it as a comment), but in some cases something really is a bad idea.
For me ...
- 8,127
7
votes
Is it acceptable to add an answer to an old/solved question with a newer (hopefully better) solution?
To my mind there is no limit as to when a new and better answer may come out. Yes likely the new answer won't help the original poster but that question will be found on outside search engines by ...
- 7,017
7
votes
Accepted
Asking questions about potentially "bad" software?
helping someone with a task that could turn out to be, somewhat of a malicious task, is that something we should answer here in our community?
“That could turn out to be (…) malicious” is not a ...
7
votes
Accepted
Are questions regarding password cracking on-topic?
Yes, such questions are on-topic as long as they fulfill our usual requirements.
there are legitimate uses of password crackers, e.g. when you have forgotten your own password or when testing the ...
- 9,507
7
votes
"Have things changed?" questions
At least up to now, we deal with this the same way your second paragraph indicates (bounty even has a special entry for that, and usually draws more attention than a "plain question").
I'd say if the ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Shall I add question+answer pair for already found program? For my own program?
No problem go ahead if you want to
possibly conflicty: Are you only using SoftwareRecs to advertise? If yes that is questionable. Is it Open-Source? If yes that decreases questionability. If paid ...
- 7,017
5
votes
Providing answers to questions that will obviously be closed
Don't answer questions that you think should be closed and can't be salvaged.
Answering is wasting one's time.
For the license question, I guess that Izzy just felt generous and wanted to ...
- 18.8k
5
votes
What should we do with wrong answers?
IMHO we must divide such "wrong answers" in multiple categories, which might have to be dealt with differently:
a post that doesn't answer the question altogether: flag NAA, delete
a post only ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
5
votes
How should we handle obsolete questions?
Nothing
My initial knee-jerk was similar to what Jan Doggen wrote in their answer, because questions shouldn't really become obsolete – lots of old software is still being run.
After looking at your ...
- 633
5
votes
Are recommendations for programming tutorials/resources on topic?
Short answer
No.
TL;DR
As Gilles already pointed out in his comment: SR is about recommending software matching specific requirements – and not "general resources", tutorials, howtos, or websites. ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
5
votes
Is source code an acceptable answer?
In my answer, I referred to iText, which is a PDF library. See also Free or nearly free PDF library for Java
Due to the very specific requirements of the OP, I don't think that there's a solution that ...
- 282
5
votes
Random inappropriate necro-deletion of decent, helpful, upvoted answer
While I see your point of "no warning before" – I also see the point of the mod deleting the post. I'm not a mod; if I had "pushed that button" you'd have gotten a warning in advance (and a chance to ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
4
votes
Random inappropriate necro-deletion of decent, helpful, upvoted answer
This deletion was entirely appropriate. Before accusing others of being “rogue”, please take a minute to inform yourself about our site.
The fact that the answer had been around for a while changes ...
4
votes
Is it on topic to ask where to download specific drivers?
Summing up from the comments, to make clear this is "answered":
In a similar question (Is asking for the canonical location of source code on-topic?) we "ruled":
We aren't your search engine. ...
IzzyMod
- 18.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible