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I asked a questiona question looking for pointers to overview materials about VPNs, as opposed to product-specific documentation. It was very promptly closed as 'off-topic' on the grounds that "Questions seeking product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic", with a link to a post about shopping questions.

Now, it's clear that shopping questions are largely pointless – they're over-specific and they date quickly – but all of the rationale connected to this 'off-topic' reason is connected with the 'shopping' issue; I can't find any rationale at all about learning materials. I see that the relevant FAQ initially just mentioned shopping questions, so the 'learning materials' phrase was clearly added later. Similarly here.

The only relevant link I can find is here, which says "we consider education, something all sysadmins should be doing constantly, to be off-topic." That explanation might need ... a touch more rationale. I observe that no-one, in the last year, appears to have felt moved to supply the requested explanatory link.

So I'm still rather in the dark. What's so bad about learning?

I asked a question looking for pointers to overview materials about VPNs, as opposed to product-specific documentation. It was very promptly closed as 'off-topic' on the grounds that "Questions seeking product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic", with a link to a post about shopping questions.

Now, it's clear that shopping questions are largely pointless – they're over-specific and they date quickly – but all of the rationale connected to this 'off-topic' reason is connected with the 'shopping' issue; I can't find any rationale at all about learning materials. I see that the relevant FAQ initially just mentioned shopping questions, so the 'learning materials' phrase was clearly added later. Similarly here.

The only relevant link I can find is here, which says "we consider education, something all sysadmins should be doing constantly, to be off-topic." That explanation might need ... a touch more rationale. I observe that no-one, in the last year, appears to have felt moved to supply the requested explanatory link.

So I'm still rather in the dark. What's so bad about learning?

I asked a question looking for pointers to overview materials about VPNs, as opposed to product-specific documentation. It was very promptly closed as 'off-topic' on the grounds that "Questions seeking product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic", with a link to a post about shopping questions.

Now, it's clear that shopping questions are largely pointless – they're over-specific and they date quickly – but all of the rationale connected to this 'off-topic' reason is connected with the 'shopping' issue; I can't find any rationale at all about learning materials. I see that the relevant FAQ initially just mentioned shopping questions, so the 'learning materials' phrase was clearly added later. Similarly here.

The only relevant link I can find is here, which says "we consider education, something all sysadmins should be doing constantly, to be off-topic." That explanation might need ... a touch more rationale. I observe that no-one, in the last year, appears to have felt moved to supply the requested explanatory link.

So I'm still rather in the dark. What's so bad about learning?

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Norman Gray
Norman Gray
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Why are learning materials questions off-topic?

I asked a question looking for pointers to overview materials about VPNs, as opposed to product-specific documentation. It was very promptly closed as 'off-topic' on the grounds that "Questions seeking product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic", with a link to a post about shopping questions.

Now, it's clear that shopping questions are largely pointless – they're over-specific and they date quickly – but all of the rationale connected to this 'off-topic' reason is connected with the 'shopping' issue; I can't find any rationale at all about learning materials. I see that the relevant FAQ initially just mentioned shopping questions, so the 'learning materials' phrase was clearly added later. Similarly here.

The only relevant link I can find is here, which says "we consider education, something all sysadmins should be doing constantly, to be off-topic." That explanation might need ... a touch more rationale. I observe that no-one, in the last year, appears to have felt moved to supply the requested explanatory link.

So I'm still rather in the dark. What's so bad about learning?