26 votes

We should bring back the "question must show a minimal understanding" close reason

I'd like to see it make a come back, there are far too many people asking questions that are basically HALP ! I have no idea what I'm doing or where to start. Please guide me. The quality of questions ...
user9517's user avatar
  • 116k
18 votes
Accepted

Do we consider Bitnami to fall under the cPanel close reason?

Bitnami stacks are off-topic for a very similar reason to why WAMP/XAMPP/etc stacks are off-topic - they encourage non-standard deployment methodologies, and actively discourage users from actually ...
EEAA's user avatar
  • 110k
13 votes
Accepted

We should bring back the "question must show a minimal understanding" close reason

My suggestion to solve this issue would be to merge two of the existing close reasons (in order to free up space, but also because it makes sense to merge them) and to add a new one. The new close ...
Massimo's user avatar
  • 71.2k
10 votes

Change the duplicate excerpt

For the reader, it's extremely irrelevant which question has been asked first. While it might be more correct, the "problem" just doesn't matter enough to warrant any action. Honestly, this appears ...
Sven's user avatar
  • 99.5k
9 votes
Accepted

Why should questions about interactions between my server and bots off-topic?

We don't accept web panel question. This topic had been covered a lot in the past and wont change today. I think whether I have root access to my server or not is irrelevant. To answer you on ...
yagmoth555's user avatar
  • 17.1k
8 votes
Accepted

What's the best close reason for impossible troubleshooting questions?

Personally, I'd tend to favor leaving them open. We may not be able to offer better advice than general how-to-troubleshoot-crappy-code instructions in order to give it the permissions it requires, ...
HopelessN00b's user avatar
  • 53.9k
7 votes

Why should questions about interactions between my server and bots off-topic?

You appear to be operating under the misapprehension that questions are assessed in some isolated, sterile environment, free from any influence of the past communications of the asker. This is an ...
womble's user avatar
  • 97k
7 votes

What's the best close reason for impossible troubleshooting questions?

What HopelessN00b said. I've supported some truly horrible applications. Not horrible from the end-user standpoint--they did the task the end-user needed them to do, sometimes quite well--horrible ...
Katherine Villyard's user avatar
7 votes

We should bring back the "question must show a minimal understanding" close reason

So what are you trying to accomplish, exactly? I mean, here's your example: It got deleted in under two hours and never got an answer. Closing it would've accomplished nothing; all closing does is ...
Shog9's user avatar
  • 420
6 votes

We should bring back the "question must show a minimal understanding" close reason

I totally agree that there are a lot of questions where the minimal understanding close reason would apply and is better than any of the other canned reasons, but on the other hand, I don't think a ...
Ward - Trying Codidact's user avatar
6 votes

On-topic automation/management tools vs off-topic product recommendations - where the border lies?

The close reason chosen lays it out quite well: "Requests for product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic because they attract low quality, opinionated and spam answers,...
EEAA's user avatar
  • 110k
6 votes
Accepted

Why is my question about docker-compose off-topic?

Docker Desktop and the Linux subsystem for Windows are not production level tools. Instead, they are meant for dev and/or home use and are thus off-topic. Questions about these tools might be asked on ...
Sven's user avatar
  • 99.5k
5 votes

On-topic automation/management tools vs off-topic product recommendations - where the border lies?

Regarding your edit: However, questions "what of AAA, BBB, CCC that can do XXX?" is much more narrow and more clearly defined and thus the clear answer can be provided such as "None" or "Try DDD" ...
Sven's user avatar
  • 99.5k
5 votes
Accepted

Why doesn't ServerFault allow questions about unsupported hardware/software platforms?

As it happens, the Stack Enterprise solution you can buy for your company includes a "content health" close-queue specifically to capture this aging concept. But this is not Stack Enterprise,...
sysadmin1138's user avatar
  • 134k
4 votes

Where this is a web hosting control panel?

Yes, not sure what I was thinking there. I've reopened it. Sorry for the mistake.
womble's user avatar
  • 97k
4 votes

Please reinstate "must know what you are talking about" close reason

5 custom close reasons is the max allowed. Although some of the current reasons overlap a bit, they all come up often enough that I wouldn't choose to get rid of them. I think the "Questions ...
Ward - Trying Codidact's user avatar
4 votes

We should bring back the "question must show a minimal understanding" close reason

Personally, I think that if the powers that be at StackExchange would ease up a little on allowable custom-close reasons, the problem would solve itself. In all seriousness, I'm voting to close your ...
HopelessN00b's user avatar
  • 53.9k
3 votes

I asked a question for my work. Is this not 'managing information technology systems in a business environment'?

I would extend the reason to "generally acceptable technologies and practices that are found in a typical business environment". Hardware, operating systems and applications that are end of ...
Greg Askew's user avatar
  • 36.6k
3 votes

Why doesn't ServerFault allow questions about unsupported hardware/software platforms?

Security. Orphaned products and platforms do not receive security updates, which results in vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed. Support. Although it should be obvious, few people like systems that ...
Greg Askew's user avatar
  • 36.6k
3 votes

I asked a question for my work. Is this not 'managing information technology systems in a business environment'?

I'am not a Linux expert nor I voted to close, but there is two issues I see with your question that could bring a close vote. To state it too, close are not permanent, if you correct the question it ...
yagmoth555's user avatar
  • 17.1k
3 votes

What's the best close reason for impossible troubleshooting questions?

For me it's too broad. As for me such question fall into the answer to use processmonitor if you can't contact the software vendor. Does we support application not supported by the vendor/coder, I ...
yagmoth555's user avatar
  • 17.1k
3 votes

Do we consider Bitnami to fall under the cPanel close reason?

Based on the current stats I don't think bitnami is much of a problem topic at the moment, so I would be in favour of treating each question on its own merits, rather than issuing a blanket ban. The ...
HBruijn's user avatar
  • 80.2k
3 votes

Please reinstate "must know what you are talking about" close reason

Sadly, I don't think this is going to fly as it will hurt people's feelings which goes against company policy. Your best bet it to roll your own by choosing Close -> A community-specific reason -&...
user9517's user avatar
  • 116k
2 votes

Why is my question about subdomain usage with content delivery networks off-topic?

Because it doesn't relate to your management of an IT system in a professional capacity. The question also qualifies for closure under the "opinion-based" (because Internet randos really can't ...
womble's user avatar
  • 97k
2 votes
Accepted

How to flag/close questions about old/irrelevant versions

No specific action is required. Old questions don't need closing simply because they are old and/or outdated. All posts are dated and people sufficiently literate to use a search engine to find an ...
HBruijn's user avatar
  • 80.2k
2 votes

How to flag/close questions about old/irrelevant versions

I don't believe that we must do anything about such a question if it is on topic for ServerFault. Someone could still answer this (even if it is unlikely) and someone found it worthwile enough to ...
Sven's user avatar
  • 99.5k
2 votes

Why doesn't ServerFault allow questions about unsupported hardware/software platforms?

What is the rationale for not allowing questions about unsupported platforms? It's been my experience that a big part of being an IT professional is dealing with old stuff. In general each question ...
HBruijn's user avatar
  • 80.2k
2 votes

If this question is off-topic, where is it on-topic?

It was closed as being a "shopping question": Requests for product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic because they attract low quality, opinionated and spam ...
Ward - Trying Codidact's user avatar
2 votes

I asked a question for my work. Is this not 'managing information technology systems in a business environment'?

Further to the other answer, when multiple close reasons are selected by close-voters, only one (whatever gets the most votes) is shown. There was a close-vote for the reason mentioned in the other ...
Ward - Trying Codidact's user avatar
1 vote

Why was my question closed as opinion-based?

I've fixed the close reason to better reflect the question's issues.
womble's user avatar
  • 97k

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible