If you build 'Your question is bad and you are bad for asking it' into your constitution instead of finding a more constructive solution for noise, bad things will happen.
The principle that closing questions avoids arguments is causing serious arguments. :) So - yes, something is broken.
SO needs to decide if it's:
1. A Wiki-like repository of canonical solutions to common coding problems.
2. A mentoring network for professionals.
3. A mentoring and training network for amateurs/students with wildly varying degrees of actual clue and potential clue.
4. A social network for people who like talking about code.
5. A way for coders to advertise their skills to employers.
6. An industry forum for debate about best practices.
At the moment different users are expecting different things from it - which is never going to work, because those goals are mutually exclusive.
SO might be saved if it splits into different sub-forms with explicit cultural differences and user backgrounds.
Also - code academy schools with principles like 'no feigned surprise' and 'don't be a dick' have a lead on this. It's possible SO would have worked better with those principles from the start.
The principle that closing questions avoids arguments is causing serious arguments. :) So - yes, something is broken.
SO needs to decide if it's:
1. A Wiki-like repository of canonical solutions to common coding problems.
2. A mentoring network for professionals.
3. A mentoring and training network for amateurs/students with wildly varying degrees of actual clue and potential clue.
4. A social network for people who like talking about code.
5. A way for coders to advertise their skills to employers.
6. An industry forum for debate about best practices.
At the moment different users are expecting different things from it - which is never going to work, because those goals are mutually exclusive.
SO might be saved if it splits into different sub-forms with explicit cultural differences and user backgrounds.
Also - code academy schools with principles like 'no feigned surprise' and 'don't be a dick' have a lead on this. It's possible SO would have worked better with those principles from the start.