up vote 3 down vote favorite

We got a little discussion at this post: Amplifier Vpp calculation. The Photon says yes/no questions aren't good for SE and I agree. They aren't right? (1st question)

If you agree, where is it in the FAQ? I can't find it. (2nd question)

If it isn't there, should it be added? (3rd question)

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Maybe I should have said "yes/no answers are not a good fit for StackExchange" ... but problem was that OP was asking for a yes/no answer, not that answerers were giving yes/no hit-and-run answers. – The Photon Feb 5 at 18:37

3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I think the real issue with that question is that it is too localized. Yes, it just happens to also be a yes or no question, but that itself shouldn't dictate whether a question gets closed.

You are correct that the policy on the Yes/No questions is not in the FAQ. However, there has been some discussion about Yes/No questions on Stack Overflow Meta (which, as few people seem to remember, serves as the unofficial FAQ for the entire Stack Exchange network - but that's a rant for another day). For example:

The general consensus is that Yes/No questions are ok as long as an answer can be provided that is more than simply Yes or No.

Added

If someone can take a Yes/No question and turn it into something constructive and useful for future visitors, then I say go for it. After all, some people here have a habit of answering a question that is different from what was asked anyway.

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up vote 3 down vote

Yes.

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up vote 2 down vote
  1. Correct.
  2. It isn't.
  3. Nope.
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4th question: why not? ;-) – Camil Staps Feb 5 at 18:27
@CamilStaps Because. – W5VO♦ Feb 5 at 18:32
May I summarize? 1. Yes 2. No 3. No. – The Photon Feb 5 at 18:32
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I disagree with the blanket statement that Yes/No questions are not appropriate for the site. As with everything, I say it depends. If a Yes/No question can be answered with the addition of why, then it's a valuable addition to the site. – SimpleCoder Feb 5 at 18:47
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For those that might not realize, when W5VO is responding to @CamilStaps he is being tongue in cheek(sarcastic) and using very short answers with no explanation to show that they are not helpful. – Kortuk♦ Feb 5 at 19:23
@Kortuk: I think we can all appreciate the humor, but some users might actually believe these answers since they are coming from a diamond mod. – SimpleCoder Feb 5 at 19:38
@SimpleCoder That is why I added a disclaimer. :) – Kortuk♦ Feb 5 at 19:54
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@Kortuk: Hmm, I guess I did just restate what you said - never mind :) – SimpleCoder Feb 5 at 19:55

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