-36

Regarding the following question: Do you have examples of vulnerable C# code for SAST tool evaluation?

My employer gave me a programming task that I needed help with from other programmers. SO seemed like a logical place to turn to. My question was closed because it was not quantitative. I then asked the moderator for instructions on how I can get help from SO for this question and other questions going forward but did not get a proper answer. Should SO policies change because not all programming needs have a single right answer?

16
  • 22
    They've never been inline with all needs a programmer may have, given it's never been a help desk or a forum, things many programmers feel they need.
    – Kevin B
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 16:48
  • 21
    You are using SO as if it is a personal help site rather than a question and answer site. If you use a tool in a way it is not intended to be used, then this will lead to frustration for you.
    – Hovercraft Full Of Eels
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 16:49
  • 4
    You state you asked the moderator, but there appears to be no moderators that have interacted with that post. Do you mean you raised a flag on the question using the "In need of moderator intervention" option, or are the comments with said moderator deleted now, so we (normal users) can't see them
    – Thom A
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 16:58
  • By moderator, I am referring to MakePeaceGreatAgain who I assume closed the question.
    – Sandy
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:01
  • 9
    @Sandy That user was actually not one of the three users who voted to close your question.
    – TylerH
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:03
  • 11
    And that user is also not a moderator, @Sandy . Moderators are clearly noted by a box with "Mod ?" next to their name.
    – Thom A
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:03
  • 7
    @Sandy see: Why shouldn't I assume I know who downvoted my post? (Same should stand for close voters)
    – Abdul Aziz Barkat
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:04
  • see also: Why do 'some examples' and 'list of things' questions get closed?
    – gnat
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:09
  • 8
    What should every programmer need be accommodated on Stack Overflow? Why can't we just be very good at a small but useful subset of programmer needs? Surely there are other websites available where you can ask the question you want.
    – President James K. Polk
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:48
  • 7
    You start with a false dichotomy about a question not being quantitative (not true), if your question does not have objective answers, then it is not allowed here, simple as that, not all "programmer needs" have to be satisfied by Stack Overflow. And that an employer gave you a task is irrelevant here too.
    – Dr. Snoopy
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:54
  • 23
    "My employer gave me a programming task that I needed help with from other programmers. SO seemed like a logical place to turn to." As a programmer myself, surely your coworkers would be the logical place to turn to? They're right there next to you, or at most, a Teams call away. Asking a question on Stack Overflow should be your last resort, not your first resort.
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 18:18
  • 2
    I disabled Teams. Too much noise. My team mates are mostly one cubicle over. If any need help, they just shout over the wall.
    – user4581301
    Commented Mar 2, 2024 at 0:52
  • 1
    Might make a decent redit topic, though. "Looking for your best horror story code to test a bunch of security analysis tools."
    – user4581301
    Commented Mar 2, 2024 at 0:57
  • 3
    That question seems like it'd be a decent Discussions topic.
    – Ryan M Mod
    Commented Mar 3, 2024 at 3:32
  • I don't think modern programmers really know what they need anymore, to be honest. I feel really sorry for people who start today and want to be a web developer, for example. I can remember a time where all you needed was a text editor and a browser. But for people who manage to stabilize and find themselves a decent tech job where they don't go nuts and actually manage to build up some knowledge and skill - Stack Overflow will be waiting.
    – Gimby
    Commented Mar 5, 2024 at 12:32

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
24

I will answer your question using the Socratic method:

Do you go to the grocery store and get upset that they don't sell cars there? Should the grocery store change its policies and start selling cars?

To be more direct, no, I don't think Stack Overflow should change its policies; users should instead learn what those policies are before using the site. Or at the very least, accept those policies once they learn about them. You have been a member on this site for over 12 years. You ought to know that resource recommendations are not allowed here by now.

There are plenty of other places on the internet that allow you to ask for resource recommendations, including another Stack Exchange network site, Software Recommendations. Stack Overflow shouldn't have to accept all types of questions, because that's not what makes Stack Overflow the high-quality, focused resource it was intended to be.

4
  • 6
    Arguably, the Discussions feature, currently in beta, accepts recommendations as well as long as they are written to be within the discussions guidelines
    – Kevin B
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 17:07
  • 1
    To use your analogy, sometimes customers adjust to grocery story policies and sometimes grocery store policies change to meet modern needs of their customers. When I joined SO 12 year ago, the grocery store down the street mostly sold food. Today, at the same store, I may not be able to buy a car, but I can buy a TV, soil for my garden, clothing, medicine - in addition to groceries. Hence my question – it is time to revisit SO policies to better meet the needs of programmers today?
    – Sandy
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 18:00
  • 7
    @Sandy You're splitting hairs. Grocery stores don't sell cars (I would argue they don't sell TVs either; what you call a grocery store is probably another store that also happens to sell groceries). Stack Overflow doesn't allow recommendation questions. If you want a grocery store to sell cars, its quality as a grocery store will diminish. If you want Stack Overflow to allow recommendation questions, its quality as a Q&A site for programmers will diminish.
    – TylerH
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 18:05
  • 12
    @Sandy And programmers needs haven't changed: they still need answers to practical, specific, objectively-answerable programming questions. "Find me code other people wrote" isn't really a programming question, at least not as far as Stack Overflow is concerned.
    – TylerH
    Commented Mar 1, 2024 at 18:05

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.