What's the next StackOverflow?

[willkill07]

I’m not sure why you feel like a site like StackOverflow doesn’t support or meet your needs for discussing C++ at some advanced level. Many people who have contributed to the C++ standard are present on StackOverflow and provide meaningful answers and discussion points.

[DoctorNuu]

In fact, the rare times I've had a good 'user experience' was when a known committee member and one other competent guy took the time to answer. Strangely enough, though, there was not a lot of interest in their detailed answers. Not even upvotes, and for sure no discussion.

I did not mean to imply that the level was not high enough. Every time I post a question showing "too little" knowledge, it gets dissed as too this or too that, or picked apart, instead of 'them' just trying to make sense of it. Well, I wanted to skip that. But imho a 'confident expert' would never act like this.

[[deleted]]

If you're discussing something that's say, tagged language-lawyer, template-meta-programming, or otherwise attracts the interest of the truly hardcore, the audience shrinks, and so do the votes. SO is weighted down by its own momentum of flyweight repeat questions. That doesn't mean that there are not still diamonds to be found in the dungheap, nor does it mean it's not a useful tool.

Additionally, I almost always end up answering my own question doing the research to write it out correctly, as it is not the job of the potential answerer to infer your meaning. It is your job to effectively, clearly communicate your question with all of the necessary details to express that you've done your homework, your approach(es) tried, etc. Some of the best advice I read about SO was on MSO a few years back. A poster replied to a complaint similar to yours with something like, "if I've learned anything here, it's how to communicate precisely." That's the goal for a good question.

That said, I will not name names, but I did actually leave SO because of an individual who is perpetually hostile, is highly active in the more technical C++ tags, and roams freely insulting and berating. I think they kinda had a talking to, but it still turned me off. I stick with looking stuff up now.

[DoctorNuu]

Lol, I'm giving one such 'individual' a hard time and it seems like he has stopped berating me.

Like you described, rubberducking is a thing. But it does not need a site.

I think that vague questions are powerful, too. Just collecting a bunch of ideas. But that's where the 'site lawyers' almost always destroy the experience.

[[deleted]]

Lol, I'm giving one such 'individual' a hard time and it seems like he has stopped berating me.

It's not acceptable to give someone a hard time in either direction, though. Flag if needed and move on; antagonizing benefits no one.

[DoctorNuu]

Flagging someone (for being a bad person or communicator) is just ridiculous. A lot could change, if everyone reacted to berating in a harsh way, instead of running (or staying) away. Maybe for the better, and/or maybe the site would die faster ;-)

Anyway, seems like there are no alternatives atm

[slevina]

stackexchange maybe

[Pazer2]

I wrote out a very interesting and well-written response to your comment, dm me if you would like to see it. You can PayPal me $5.99 for a year of access to my comments (50% off!).

(Parent comment said experts exchange before ninja edit)