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Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

EDIT:

I have been member of this community for 9 years, and it's always the same story : People arguing heatedly about the meaning of the rules, each with his own interpretation, moderators coming up with explanations with don't always find consensus etc. etc. forever and forever in Meta in countless posts.

I have tried to suggest here one small improvement, very negatively received, so apparently there is no audience for it.

Question: Are site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything?

If the moderators ever feel motivated to improve the rules and make them more precise, I'll be happy to cooperate.

Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

EDIT:

I have been member of this community for 9 years, and it's always the same story : People arguing heatedly about the meaning of the rules, each with his own interpretation, moderators coming up with explanations with don't always find consensus etc. etc. forever and forever in Meta in countless posts.

I have tried to suggest here one small improvement, very negatively received, so apparently there is no audience for it.

Question: Are site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything?

If the moderators ever feel motivated to improve the rules and make them more precise, I'll be happy to take part.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

Note: Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators, so there is no point in downvoting. Criticism or suggestions would help. It's very difficult to phrase a rule that is both general and precise at the same time.

EDIT:

I can see that we are back to analyzing each (un)closed post and giving opinions on each and every case, whether closure was correct or not, just like it was done here in Meta in countless other posts, with everyone having his own interpretation of the rules, the best demonstration that we do need clarifications.

Conclusion: Site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything.

I have tried to suggest one improvement, but as it was received very negatively, I'm stopping here.

Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

EDIT:

I have been member of this community for 9 years, and it's always the same story : People arguing heatedly about the meaning of the rules, each with his own interpretation, moderators coming up with explanations with don't always find consensus etc. etc. forever and forever in Meta in countless posts.

I have tried to suggest here one small improvement, very negatively received, so apparently there is no audience for it.

Question: Are site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything?

If the moderators ever feel motivated to improve the rules and make them more precise, I'll be happy to cooperate.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

Note: Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators, so there is no point in downvoting. Criticism or suggestions would help. It's very difficult to phrase a rule that is both general and precise at the same time.

EDIT:

I can see that we are back to analyzing each (un)closed post and giving opinions on each and every case, whether closure was correct or not, just like it was done here in Meta in countless other posts, with everyone having his own interpretation of the rules.

Conclusion: Site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything.

I have tried to suggest one improvement, but as it was received very negatively, I'm stopping here.

Let me have a go at the current rules of:

In: computer hardware, computer software, or personal and home computer networking.

Out: electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones or game consoles, except insofar as they interface with your computer.

I would suggest something like:

In: Computer technology and computer hardware, software, networking and auxiliary devices, for the purpose of improving understanding, usage, or just making things work.

Out: Special-purpose electronic devices such as media players, phones and game consoles, except when networked to computers or running a general-purpose operating system (such as routers or Embedded Windows).

Note: Judging by the number of upvotes on the post, I'm not the only one that finds the rules somewhat confusing. This is just a first try that I'm putting up. I'm not asking here for a vote on including it in the help, as that's for the moderators, so there is no point in downvoting. Criticism or suggestions would help. It's very difficult to phrase a rule that is both general and precise at the same time.

EDIT:

I can see that we are back to analyzing each (un)closed post and giving opinions on each and every case, whether closure was correct or not, just like it was done here in Meta in countless other posts, with everyone having his own interpretation of the rules, the best demonstration that we do need clarifications.

Conclusion: Site rules are like the weather - everyone talks about it but nobody does anything.

I have tried to suggest one improvement, but as it was received very negatively, I'm stopping here.