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With the changes made to the policies recently, and the amount of hits Super User is taking at the moment, I would like to suggest that the current FAQ is updated as follows:

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

  • computer hardware
  • computer software

… and it is not about

  • videogames or consoles
  • websites or web services like facebook, twitter and wordpress
  • cellphones or mobile devices excluding iPhones
  • electronic devices or media players

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

I don't believe it should be a big list but these are the common one's that seems to cause tension during the closing of questions. It's useful to just direct people to the FAQ rather then having to type a comment every time.

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  • 1
    SU is under attack?
    – random
    Commented Jan 15, 2010 at 12:14
  • 1
    When is it not? Drive by shootings, fly by night questions. I can safely say SU will never have a 100% answer accept rate.
    – Diago
    Commented Jan 15, 2010 at 13:10
  • It's time to clean this mess up, I know just what this town, umm website needs.
    – Sam152
    Commented Jan 15, 2010 at 13:12
  • Should the FAQ of SU point to some of the meta discussions that became tagged FAQ?
    – Troggy
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:15
  • @Troggy The FAQ should remain simple. The average user doesn't even have to know about a discussion/faq question on meta, for simple rules. Giving link later for more precision seems a good thing still. But on the first sight, I don't think there should be link to something more complicated, just simple rules.
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:20
  • 1
    @Gnoupi: I think it is simply a miracle in the first place if someone even clicks on the FAQ and even looks at it.
    – Troggy
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:25
  • @Troggy: true, but that's something they are "supposed to" have done before posting a question, as opposed to checking FAQ questions on meta. Referring to the FAQ should refer indeed to simple rules.
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:55
  • @Gnoupi - All the FAQ's already link to Meta's FAQ tags - Right at the bottom. There is no need for more, however the level of SU users require the front FAQ to be updated a bit more clearly, due to issues when closing questions, which is why I tried to keep it simple.
    – Diago
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 10:02
  • 1
    @Diago - Wow, I link to this so often, and I never noticed this link at the bottom. Besides, I notice that the FAQ has been updated with a larger range for smartphones than the one proposed, nice.
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 10:50
  • About websites in this FAQ update, see my "question" on this other topic: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/15161/…
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 11:47

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I think you're absolutely right Diago! This way there doesn't have to be a discussion about why Facebook questions are closed.

Plus it might help offering suggestions to alternative Stackexchange sites for these topics if they do exist.

Just on a side-note: is a smartphone a mobile device? As in iPhones?

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  • Depends on what you're doing with that smartphone doesn't it?
    – random
    Commented Jan 15, 2010 at 12:34
  • 1
    True, trouble connecting your smartphone to your computer is kinda grey area...
    – Ivo Flipse
    Commented Jan 15, 2010 at 12:41
  • meta.stackexchange.com/questions/16087/…
    – Troggy
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:09
  • 3
    "cellphones or mobile devices excluding iPhones" should really be "excluding smartphones", I guess, because then for example, why iPhone questions would be ok when Android-based would not? It's just a matter of coherence. Or simply no exceptions for iPhones, only computer questions.
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 8:11
  • Actually, the updated FAQ is more general, about smartphones, I notice. Good, so.
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 17, 2010 at 10:50
  • 2
    Actually I would like Android questions more than iPhone ones :P
    – Ivo Flipse
    Commented Jan 18, 2010 at 6:57
2

Great idea Diago! I can link to the FAQ more often instead of meta discussions. I don't think it will calm people down any when their questions get closed, but at least it will be officially stated in the FAQ from now on. Thanks to Jeff for updating this.

Oh, and congrats to Ivo on joining the SU mod team!

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  • 1
    Congrats to you too, Troggy, obviously :P
    – Gnoupi
    Commented Jan 19, 2010 at 20:21

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