Inconsistent Mod response to migrating Excel questions between Stack OverFlow & Super User [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
When should questions be moved to AskDifferent/AskUbuntu/…?

When Excel questions at Super User are clearly vba or vbscript related I then will flag them as belonging to Stack Overflow given that:

1. vba & vbscriptare clearly programming questions
2. Stack Overflow has significantly greater traffic and greater expert participation than Super User in these tags

Likewise when a question at Stack Overflow is formula specific I (and many others) will flag it for closure on the basis that it should have been asked at Super User. Given the reputations for the Excel participants are much higher at Stack Overflow, then at least we can close questions that five of us consider to be invalid.

In recent times my last three flags of Stack Overflow questions being asked at SuperUser have been rejected. All but one of my initial six flags were approved.

For example:

• Change checkbox visibility not working
• Can OpenOffice avoid most Microsoft VBA virus?
• excel vba - multiline regex not working

Why the inconsistency?

As it stands I will stop flagging questions that I consider to have been posted to the wrong forum as it is unclear how the Mods will approach this.

CasperOne the comments in this SO thread that you posted to are very practical (pls ignore the specific discussion whether this question truly was VBA or not), and I think they should be followed.

This question is specifically about using Excel as an application, therefore it is off topic (it is on topic for superuser.com, however). If the question is about programming against Excel (using the automation API, VBA in Excel, etc.), then it is on topic. This is not the case here. If the solution does indeed require a VBA solution, then that would be pointed out in SuperUser, at which point the follow-up question can be asked here dealing specifically with a VBA-based solution

Some clarity please.

Answer 1

Excel is a tricky issue because it's on the border between "programming" and "computer applications," but in general it's best to cause the user (i.e. whoever's asking the question) the least hassle possible. If their question is on-topic for Super User and they asked it here, we shouldn't migrate it.

Keep in mind, nowhere does it say "questions on Super User must not have anything to do with writing code." Take a look at the FAQ:

Super User is for computer enthusiasts and power users. If you have a question about …

• computer hardware
• computer software
• personal and home computer networking

and it is not about …

• videogames or consoles -websites or web services like Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress -electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones, except insofar as they interface with your computer
• issues specific to corporate IT support and networks
• a shopping or buying recommendation

… then you’re in the right place to ask your question!

Excel is computer software, and writing VBA is part of using Excel.

Saying "myself and others have higher rep on SO and know something about excel, so at least we can migrate things on our own there" is a fallacy. First of all, five users deciding to migrate something does not inherently mean you're right. We get a lot of really crappy migrations from SO. Secondly, a high reputation on Stack Overflow doesn't imply a nuanced understanding of Super User.

Questions involving a bit of command line scripting, some VBA, a bash script, AutoHotKey and things like that are pefectly valid on Super User. There's a big difference between "how can I accomplish x using C++" and "I need to sort these rows in Excel, how can I do that with VBA?"

All that above is just in general. Now, to address your specific questions:

1. The first one was asked and answered half a year ago. Migrating it now is kind of pointless, and there's nothing about the question which makes it inherently off-topic for Super User.
2. The second one isn't even on-topic for Stack Overflow! It's asking about whether OpenOffice is susceptible to VBA viruses. This is far more about the application than the programming aspect, and would not be appropriate on SO.