I'm not sure we should 'just say no' on this one. Crap questions are gonna be here. However, there is some really niche, hard to find software out there, that other sysadmins may have come across.

For example, I'll post part of a question I asked on Security.SE that could have been a software rec:

I don't need a list of software (I know shopping questions are off topic), but my google-fu is failing me at this. Basically looking for software that will scan a filesystem looking for files that may contain Protected Health Information. Target OS doesn't really matter right now, if someone has a search term I could use that would also help.

The questions got upvotes, and also some great answers. Yeah, it's essentially helping me with my googleFu, but at the same time, I was able to get some great software I needed to do my job in the process.

I think with a proper scope this could be beneficial to numerous sysadmins, who will just ask the question in chat anyway, then nobody gets magical internet points.

Welcoming this section for editing, some bullet points for getting this rolling would be

• Poor questions are always off topic (Hopeless' example)

• Requirements must be thoroughly outlined in the question, for example if someone is looking for a switch recommendation then what interface(s), speed, # of nodes, etc.

• Restraints must be clearly outlined in the question as well, taking the same switch example then budget constraints, physical dimension requirements, whatever other constraints can be placed on switches, etc.

Often times sysadmins find themselves in situations where they have to engineer solutions, it would offer the same benefit that we have w/ asking troubleshooting and/or other 'professional' questions that we currently ask on the site.

I'm not sure we should 'just say no' on this one. Crap questions are gonna be here. However, there is some really niche, hard to find software out there, that other sysadmins may have come across.

For example, I'll post part of a question I asked on Security.SE that could have been a software rec:

I don't need a list of software (I know shopping questions are off topic), but my google-fu is failing me at this. Basically looking for software that will scan a filesystem looking for files that may contain Protected Health Information. Target OS doesn't really matter right now, if someone has a search term I could use that would also help.

The questions got upvotes, and also some great answers. Yeah, it's essentially helping me with my googleFu, but at the same time, I was able to get some great software I needed to do my job in the process.

I think with a proper scope this could be beneficial to numerous sysadmins, who will just ask the question in chat anyway, then nobody gets magical internet points.

Welcoming this section for editing, some bullet points for getting this rolling would be

• Poor questions are always off topic (Hopeless' example)

• Requirements must be thoroughly outlined in the question, for example if someone is looking for a switch recommendation then what interface(s), speed, # of nodes, etc.

• Restraints must be clearly outlined in the question as well, taking the same switch example then budget constraints, physical dimension requirements, whatever other constraints can be placed on switches, etc.

Often times sysadmins find themselves in situations where they have to engineer solutions, it would offer the same benefit that we have w/ asking troubleshooting and/or other 'professional' questions that we currently ask on the site.