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Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them (because they would have encountered it in their experience), the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

We don't migrate a question about battery life to the Chemistry site because batteries are based on chemistry. Every physical component associated with a computer required expertise from other disciplines to originally design it. We would have no hardware questions if we migrated or closed everything based on what knowledge is required to design it. But users with the appropriate background can answer questions here about how or why things are designed in a certain way or work the way they do, and often, how hardware will behave in uncommon situations. The strength of the site comes from people with diverse backgrounds sharing knowledge.

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions. It isn't speculation if you know the answer, or opinion-based or off-topic if you don't.

Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them (because they would have encountered it in their experience), the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

We don't migrate a question about battery life to the Chemistry site because batteries are based on chemistry. Every physical component associated with a computer required expertise from other disciplines to originally design it. We would have no hardware questions if we migrated or closed everything based on what knowledge is required to design it. But users with the appropriate background can answer questions here about how or why things are designed in a certain way or work the way they do, and often, how hardware will behave in uncommon situations. The strength of the site comes from people with diverse backgrounds sharing knowledge.

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions. It isn't speculation if you know the answer, or opinion-based or off-topic if you don't.

Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them (because they would have encountered it in their experience), the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions.

Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them (because they would have encountered it in their experience), the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

We don't migrate a question about battery life to the Chemistry site because batteries are based on chemistry. Every physical component associated with a computer required expertise from other disciplines to originally design it. We would have no hardware questions if we migrated or closed everything based on what knowledge is required to design it. But users with the appropriate background can answer questions here about how or why things are designed in a certain way or work the way they do, and often, how hardware will behave in uncommon situations. The strength of the site comes from people with diverse backgrounds sharing knowledge.

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions. It isn't speculation if you know the answer, or opinion-based or off-topic if you don't.

Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them, the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions.

Computer expertise is inter-disciplinary. Many questions relating to computer hardware can be answered by users with a little hard science or engineering background. There is basic theory and design principles that are well known to people with formal education in the appropriate field.

Super User has many members with broad computer background but limited formal training in engineering or hard sciences. Without that training, it may not be obvious that some questions can be easily and factually answered. There has recently been a growing number of questions where people take the position that if the answer isn't obvious to them (because they would have encountered it in their experience), the question is opinion-based or off-topic.

Some of these questions might attract some BS answers. If they do, those answers can be downvoted or deleted. We should not censor legitimate content in advance based on speculation about answers that might be received. That's punishing the OP because some other users might act irresponsibly.

A couple of recent examples:

• Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

• Is there a best placement of hot hardware in a rack to maximize convection cooling for the whole rack?

Regarding the second, the site has tons of questions about heat dissipation. There are design principles based on physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of these questions, though, seem to get answers based on personal practice or what people have picked up watching YouTube videos. Why are questions that can be answered from actual knowledge considered opinion-based?

This is a little bit of a rant. My purpose in posting it is to raise awareness so people give a little more thought and restraint in closing some of these questions.