
Stack Overflow Isn’t Very Welcoming. It’s Time for That to Change - n-izem
https://stackoverflow.blog/2018/04/26/stack-overflow-isnt-very-welcoming-its-time-for-that-to-change/?cb=1
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FuNe
That's weird. This was discussed here a few days ago
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16934942](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16934942)

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LandR
Previously discussed a few days ago
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16934942](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16934942)

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legostormtroopr
If StackOverflow isn't welcoming the owners should look squarely in the mirror
before blaming anyone else.

In 2017, Joel made very clear that the only views permissible on StackOverflow
were his - [https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/342440/time-to-
take...](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/342440/time-to-take-a-stand)

Regardless of where you lived, or what your political stance, if you didn't
support "open immigration" you were "morally repugnant and frankly stupid and
counterproductive". And then the moderators defended him, and kept his post
open.

Not only did they paint 50% of the US population as unwelcome on
StackOverflow, they basically forced the rest of the globe to accept his
politics or risk being removed from the platform. As surprising as this is to
people in the US, but the rest of the world has a wide variety of political
opinions that may not align with the now broadly exported Democrat/Republican
duopoly.

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js8
Why not introduce aging into the answers? I think SO has a bigger problem, how
to invalidate answers that are for obsolete versions of software? Maybe if the
answers would slowly age (say lose one point per month), then the old guard
wouldn't be so protective of them, and the problem would solve itself.

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Elect2
Seems the "?cb=1" in URL let this link be passed through HN duplicated link
checking.

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Antonella247
Hey everyone! Ive read a lot about users complaining about the cultural change
in Stack Overflow. Maybe you're even also annoyed by that change? Im trying to
find the causes for this change as part of my Master Thesis. Help me by
sharing your opinion on this matter. Lets work to together on this to keep the
unique community spirit of SO alive!:) I would appreciate your help!
[https://erasmusuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YvdQ...](https://erasmusuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YvdQcryXcdIXkN)

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bobinux
I think one of the reasons for the hostility is that people don't give a f#*@
to write proper questions, they don't even bother to RTFM. Grammar issues, no
error logs, no links or snippets of code... I think the over sensitivity trend
also adds up to this "problem".

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salvar
What is this 'over sensitivity trend'?

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bobinux
In another thread related to SO, many high ranked users said they feel
demotivated, when other high ranked users comment their answer saying they
shouldn't answer this question and so on. They never log in again or answer
questions in fear of facing same situation again. You answered someone, some
jerk didn't like it, so what? My comment got downvoted on HN, so what? Should
I be afraid of commenting again, feel oppressed? No, do what you do, correct
someone if you think they're making a mistake, be bold sometimes if needed.
Post a link to some self help blog or "how to make friends" next time when
some elitist or some hostile jerk dislikes your SO answers instead of feeling
bad about toxicity. I think Bill Burr stand ups have some good highlights
about the over sensitivity in society in general.

