14
votes
Posting My Question followed immediately by My Answer -- normal & encouraged?
Yes, this is not only normal and encouraged, but there's a feature designed to support this use case:
http://blog.stackoverflow.com/wp-content/uploads/AnswerYourOwnQuestion.png
Now when you ask a ...
- 101
13
votes
Accepted
Would questions about paper-planes be on-topic?
I'd say yes. They are airplanes (well, gliders to be specific).
Besides, if you have questions about how the basic mechanics of flight work, a paper airplane is a good way to learn them. Not only ...
- 23.6k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it appropriate for an OP to substantially change a question?
That particular edit is not appropriate. It has been reverted.
Passive-aggressive language that does not significantly clarify the question being asked and serves only to "invalidate" an answer the ...
- 67.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Is asking about the number of female pilots on topic?
I think it very much depends on the specifics and context of the question. As with any topic, you'll get a better reception if you explain what problem you're trying to solve or the intended use of ...
- 12.5k
9
votes
Should moderators step in when there is a disagreement over leaving open / closing posts?
Yes, but not in the way you think.
The role of moderators is to enact the community's policies. If there's a close/reopen war about a particular question, it's a sign that the community has not yet ...
- 12.5k
8
votes
Is it appropriate for an OP to substantially change a question?
It's funny, questions like this remind that Stack Exchange is becoming more and more diverse as time goes by. I think that if this were Stack Overflow the answer would be "the OP can do whatever they ...
- 23.6k
8
votes
Election Time: Do new moderators change questions strictness like penalty time?
No, that's not something the moderators can change. The "low quality contribution ban", for lack of a better name, is set in the code of the website and cannot be accessed by users, only ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
7
votes
Is asking about the number of female pilots on topic?
I personally think it's on-topic. But it would be closed as a dupe to What is the trend of gender distribution among pilots?
- 27.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I search to see if the question I am about to ask has not yet been asked?
My greatest fear is to post a duplicate question here
First of all, I would like to dispel you fear.
Asking a duplicate is nothing to be ashamed of, nor something others will blame you for.
It can ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How should I handle questions I've asked that may be unanswerable
I would do nothing with your questions!
It's abundantly clear that you are a responsible citizen and that your motivations are good.
If you conclude that a question is unanswerable, then the correct ...
- 30.9k
6
votes
Is it appropriate for an OP to substantially change a question?
I think it's appropriate - "useful" would be a better word - for the OP to edit the question based on comments and votes, to make it clearer or on-topic. I don't think it's useful to completely change ...
- 70.4k
6
votes
How can I search to see if the question I am about to ask has not yet been asked?
In addition to what Federico mentioned, yes, you can use Google. In fact, at least from my experience, I'd say Google is generally better at searching SE than SE's search feature is. SE tends to rank ...
- 19k
6
votes
Should I update posts that have been "unduplicated"?
I think it's definitely good that you updated your questions to add more explanation about why they aren't dupes and therefore get them re-opened. That's exactly how the system is supposed to work!
...
- 70.4k
5
votes
Can we ask 'What something does' (through a picture, or perhaps through a video link)?
We get those kind of questions often. Just one example. They're usually well received as long as it's not something a simple Google search can answer.
- 27.8k
5
votes
Should I update posts that have been "unduplicated"?
Should I again edit, removing "no dup" justification text or just leave the posts as they are
You should definitely leave the posts as they are when reopened.
If you remove the explanation and the ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
5
votes
Question ban still in effect?
You have asked several times in the past already, and the answer does not change: you need to make the old questions liked by the community.
You managed to do this once:
The system says you should ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
4
votes
Appealling for question ban to be lifted
Question bans are automated and none of the mods are involved.
Please read this for more details and how to get out of the ban:
What can I do when getting "We are no longer accepting questions/...
FarhanMod
- 29.1k
4
votes
Should moderators step in when there is a disagreement over leaving open / closing posts?
In general I think the moderators should indeed be hands-off by default and we shouldn't rush to solve problems that don't exist. I'm not sure what qualifies as a "war" here anyway? Your first example ...
- 70.4k
4
votes
Are shopping-like questions allowed here?
I don't think we've discussed this much. What we have in the help center just says that "resource location" is off topic:
Resource location
Where to buy a specific part, "Which headset is the
...
- 70.4k
4
votes
Will enough time pass where I'll get a fresh start here on Aviation SE?
Here is said:
How long do I have to wait before I can post again? What can I do to release the ban? How can I reactivate my account?
Automatic bans never expire or "time out." This means that ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
3
votes
Is it appropriate for an OP to substantially change a question?
To me Kevin's answer is marginally correct, but I'm glad he got all this reputation at once, as I'm sure he deserved more on his other answers.
But let's be honest: If someone asks about how to ...
- 67.9k
3
votes
Why would people vote to close their own question?
I personally voted to close some of my questions on other sites of the network. In particular I closed one recently as duplicate. I saw no value in deleting it because it might help the next person ...
FedericoMod
- 31.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Should hypothetical situations be addressed?
There's nothing wrong with hypothetical questions as such, e.g. "Will my piston engine keep running if I have total electrical failure?" is a hypothetical question but it's clear and has a definite, ...
- 70.4k
3
votes
Is reasking questions allowed under any conditions?
If you edit the question it will go to the top of the main page because it sorts by activity by default. This should give it added attention. You're also welcome to swing by the chat room to discuss ...
foootMod
- 69.8k
2
votes
Are questions about guns attached to aircraft on topic?
I think whether or not these borderline questions are on topic has everything to do with the answers they get. The question is clearly related to aviation, so I see no reason to prematurely close it. ...
- 9,611
2
votes
Question pitting one aircraft against another?
As a concept these questions can be okay, but they have to kept as specific as possible. Saying (to steal your question from another comment) "how are 4th and 5th generation fighters different", is ...
- 23.6k
2
votes
How do i access draft questions?
If you use the app there is a specific button to access saved drafts on the left slide bar. I'm not sure if it syncs drafts with other devices though.
It may be that you've managed to accidentally ...
- 3,537
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible