[wp-hackers] StackOverflow for WordPress

[Elizabeth Buckwalter]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 7:44 PM,
<wp-hackers-request at lists.automattic.com> wrote:

> Today's Topics:
>
>   3. Re: StackOverflow for WordPress (Mike Schinkel)
>   4. Re: StackOverflow for WordPress (Jane Wells)
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 19:59:18 -0400
> From: Mike Schinkel <mikeschinkel at newclarity.net>
> Subject: Re: [wp-hackers] StackOverflow for WordPress
> To: wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> Message-ID: <76C5031C-0CA5-4F25-99BC-919C56840D98 at newclarity.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=us-ascii
>
> On May 10, 2010, at 3:34 AM, Scot Hacker wrote:
>>> Turns out they require a significant number of people to sign on for supporting a proposed topic in order for them to be willing to launch a site([3]: Find the heading "The New Stack Exchange Site Creation Process.") I'm hoping others here agree that Stack Overflow has been useful and would like to see one for WordPress too.
>>
>> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/wordpress
>>
>> 1,853 questions. So maybe I'm not understanding your question correctly, but WP is already very well served on StackOverflow. What more do you want to see? Why would they approve a StackExchange site for WP when it's already well covered by SO? Isn't SE for NON-programming sites that aren't already covered on SO?
>>
<snip>

Wordpress isn't well covered by SO, and, as said a couple of times
here, it's hard to get to the meat of issues through the chaffe on the
forums.  This list, while great to read, is hard to search without
using Google.  My recent project required a lot of research, and it
would have saved me a lot of time if there was an SE Wordpress site.

>
> So here's what Robert Cartaino from StackExchange replied to me in email, copied with permission:
>
<snip>

Thanks for emailing SE.  Excellent response, and I can't wait to see
where this goes.

> On May 10, 2010, at 6:38 PM, Mark E wrote:
>> Hey guys, THIS list is for WP hackers - e.g. not for people who want to
>> further fragment...
>
> Yes, I agree fragmentation is a concern. I guess my bigger concern is that the current forums available, while fragmented, do a collectively poor job of surfacing answers to common questions without people having to constantly ask them again and finding the right people to answer them.  To me solving the latter would be worth more of the former.

Exactly, with the current system, you have to figure out on your own
who the names are.  So far, I've figured out Donncha, andrea_r,
scribu, Otto and a couple others I don't know off the top of my head.
With SO, if a person with 10,000+ rep answers your question, it would
behoove you to carefully read their answer.

<snip>

>
>> That said, WTH does StackExchchange have to do with hacking
>> WP ?????????????  Nothing.
>
> That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. My opinion is that the questions that get asked repeatedly on wp-hackers and on wordpress.org could be answered on a WordPress StackExchange and the good answers would bubble up to the top for easy google-picking so that people wouldn't have to bother people with repeated questions nor would they need to dig so hard for answers.  And the bonus is it could serve more than just hackers; it could help designers, hosters, and users too.

As well as the fact that many of the regulars on the list would be the
ones answering the questions.

> That said, if you can suggest of a more appropriate venue than this list to ask about interest in a WordPress StackExchange I'll gladly take the question elsewhere and apologize for listing it here.

I'm still new here and to Wordpress related development, but since I'm
not shy with my opinions, I think this is a very appropriate place.

<snip>
>
> -Mike
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 17:08:26 -0700
> From: Jane Wells <jane at automattic.com>

> <snip>
>>> further fragment and then reconsolidate the WP community to their own
>>> advantage. That said, WTH does StackExchchange have to do with hacking
>>> WP ?
> </snip>
>
> Is there a reason we'd put any official Q&A on some other service
> instead improving our own resources at WordPress.org? Why not put our
> energies into improving our own site and support services?
> Jane

Same reason why people who can develop blogging software use Wordpress
instead.  Why reinvent the wheel?

-- 
Thanks,
Elizabeth Buckwalter