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Some time ago we requested Clippy Pop out to help people ask a better question.

(time passed)

Someone else asked for a similar feature on mSE.

(more time passed)

This feature has been added to Stack Overflow.

enter image description here

I think that Server Fault could benefit from a feature like this.

For example, we have a Canonical Q&A for which pretty much every cron related question can be closed as a dupe of. Having this pop out and point people at this Q&A may help them get to an answer quicker.

Similarly we could use it for

I'm sure we could come up with lots more but should we ?

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    Bonus points if the implementation uses clippy.js
    – Mark Henderson Mod
    Commented Oct 22, 2014 at 20:30
  • 3
    @MarkHenderson Actually, since SE uses a Windows stack, double secret probation bonus points if they somehow involve the Clippy prankware in their implementation... perhaps by forcing it onto users' machines.
    – HopelessN00b
    Commented Oct 22, 2014 at 21:17

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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At the moment, installing these is a manual process involving a secret ritual conducted somewhere deep in the bowels of the Stack Exchange offices, involving unicorns and ... oh wait, I'm not supposed to tell you that part.

Anyway, yes, we can get these added. One merely needs to propose specific text to go into the popup and the tag to which it should be attached. SE won't approve generic messages. Instead they should give specific guidance for asking good questions related to that specific tag. The example shown above in the question is a good example.

The proposed text can contain links, e.g. to meta posts, if necessary.

Open a new meta question under the tag with the proposed text and the tag to which it should be applied. This will allow for community input to improve the text, if necessary, before we kick it upstairs.

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  • Would we be able to direct people asking questions about cron/crontab at our canonical Q&A for them - try and head them off at the pass so to speak ?
    – user9517
    Commented Oct 25, 2014 at 7:56
  • I don't see why not.
    – Michael Hampton Mod
    Commented Oct 26, 2014 at 15:55
  • Thank you for the effort you put into finding out what to do. Unfortunately my enthusiasm for SF has recently taken a significant dive. Dealing with the 'higher ups' and presenting people with something else they won't read is a fools errand. I don't think I will be progressing this myself.
    – user9517
    Commented Oct 30, 2014 at 7:09

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