When someone has a need, who gives a care if the responses are opinion when they provide the help that is needed? The question that prompts me to ask this question, "Fingers get cold when I type" has a response of glove liners that cyclists wear. This is not opinion, it is factual and the closing of the topic does a disservice to the person asking the question. Hypocrite! Don't create a site that claims to offer support but declines to offer that support if you don't package your need to fit into a predetermined mold. This topic, of course, will be closed for the same reason. That, if it even gets posted in the first place.
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1Just be aware that even on meta, questions can and do get closed as being primarily opinion based. It just happens less frequently.– EBGreenCommented Apr 11, 2018 at 15:14
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And one only has to read the closure flag to understand why "primarily opinion based" question are a poor fit for the websiote's format: Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise.– user772515Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 15:16
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For the record, my question is rhetorical because it is purely an opinionated question. Though, to be honest, I'm finding the responses to be mostly factual. So can an opinionated question lead to factual information? Yes, it can. Should such a question be closed for producing opinionated responses? That was rhetorical too.– rcirrus98Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 15:23
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If anything this might get closed as a duplicate, but there is no reason to expect a question to get closed on meta unless it is nothing more than ranting against the site. So long as you are actively seeking discussion rather than just telling us "how it should be" then there is no reason for it to get closed.– Mokubai ModCommented Apr 11, 2018 at 15:24
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@Tiago Caldeira, Actually, I kind of feel that this question belongs as a comment on the topic from superuser that prompted me to ask it. I just didn't have the reputation to post a comment. I think this is my last post about it because I'm sure I could easily keep on rambling and ranting. Thank you, everyone for you comments.– rcirrus98Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 15:30
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@rcirrus98 - if you are asking questions as comments expect those comments to be flagged and deleted. Comments are designed to be temporary, and their lifespan by design is extremely short.– RamhoundCommented Apr 11, 2018 at 20:14
2 Answers
The question that prompts me to ask this question,
"Fingers get cold when I type" has a response of glove liners that cyclists wear.
...
This is not opinion, it is factual
No it isn't factual. It is your opinion. If you could back up that opinion with authoritative references that would be something else entirely.
Why are opinion based topics rejected?
If you read the close reason it states:
"Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise."
The SE network has this close reason on every site. That is because we don't like opinion based answers because we prefer answers to be supported "facts, references, or specific expertise", usually in the form of reference links.
You should spend some time reading:
Note that the last link explicitly states:
Not all questions can or should be answered here. Save yourself some frustration and avoid trying to answer questions which...
...are unclear or lacking specific details that can uniquely identify the problem. ...**solicit opinions rather than facts**.
Note also "Fingers get cold when I type" may actually be a medical condition caused by circulation problems. That would be off topic on Super User.
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In my pursuit of a glove that I can wear 24/7 that won't interfere with normal activity, I found the FACTUAL existence of glove liners to be invaluable information despite the OPINION that they won't interfere with normal activity. It gave me another option to research after my Google search for support/protective/compression/therapy/etc. gloves left me uncertain that there was a product to fit my need. Until I read that post, I was standing at a road block in my search. Regardless of the rules that were not followed, I gained value that would have otherwise been withheld from me. Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 17:26
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@rcirrus98 So what? That doesn't make the question on topic.– DavidPostill ModCommented Apr 11, 2018 at 17:27
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2@rcirrus98 So, the fact you are after is that gloves exist? Of course they do. The opinion is that they are the solution to the problem.– user565955Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 20:17
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@rcirrus98 What do gloves have to do with anything that’s within scope here at Superuser? Your fingers being cold when you type has absolutely nothing to do with any topic that’s within scope here at Superuser. Just because you want an answer doesn’t mean your question is within scope. Only questions within scope will be answered. If you cannot accept that reality you will have to find somewhere else to ask your question.– RamhoundCommented Apr 12, 2018 at 2:13
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@SiXandSeven8ths - Thanks for repeating what I had just said. But, to correct you, it was glove "liners" I stated as new information to me. Commented Apr 13, 2018 at 2:51
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@Ramhound - I did my searches on Google. The search results included a thread on Superuser having the same topic - "gloves." Are you saying that because Superuser is out of scope on gloves I never should have clicked on the link provided in my search result? But then my fingers would still be cold. As it is, I'm typing this comment with glove liners on my hands and my hands are oh so toasty. Commented Apr 13, 2018 at 2:56
The community has already established that opinion-based questions don't fit here. Every answer could be right or wrong and, most important, those solutions would be based on the person's opinion rather than facts, references, or specific expertise.
Check this answer on Stack Overflow Meta. This topic has been discussed there multiple times too.