Advantages of LinuxQuestions over StackOverflow
 

I signed up on this community way back in August 2005 and haven't been active for a long time. I had a few Linux problems then and have been using StackOverflow for solving all sorts of issues I've had.

I'm wondering what the advantage of a traditional forum like this is over stackoverflow?

Can't say for sure. I guess it doesn't matter if you get the right answer.

Posting this sort of question is bound to get some heated replies I'd think. You know we love LQ and would defend it.

I don't think this thread should be allowed to live.
Pointing fingers at some other forum/QA site (behind their back), on this forum, is
NOT a great attitude IMO.

Other people might like to read the first thread resultant in the similar threads tab
below.

Forum are as distros.
You choose what you prefer.
Not usefulness do comparisons

Moved: This thread is more suitable in LQ S&F and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Q/A sites such as StackOverflow or LinuxExchange and fora such as LQ serve a very different purpose IMHO. Q/A sites have a narrow focus centered on getting very specific questions in a specific niche answered in a non-conversational manner. While that can also happen at a fora, discussion and community are also a focus as the platform and requirements are much more open and not nearly as rigid. Here, conversation is encouraged. Long term, I think there is ample room for both (which is why we started LE in the first place).

--jeremy

Mostly, it's the lack of snarkiness that I find here which I prefer. Thanks, Jeremy for encouraging a positive atmosphere.

I'm okay with locking this thread, I'm only curious because I've used forums like this and other Q/A sites (like Quora, Yahoo Answers, etc.) and just wondering what distinguishes them. I haven't thought about the difference in a long time (I'm way more active on StackOverflow and reddit than on any other site though I'd like to be active here as well).

Thanks Jeremy for that response, really good answer. The snarkiness on StackOverflow is sometimes rewarded and it's annoying :/

What do you mean by "snarkiness" ?

What is stackoverflow?

Stack Overflow is a question and answer site for professional and enthusiast programmers. It's 100% free, no registration required.

I tend to agree with Anisha's overall point.

I suggest this analogy:

Picking a forum to frequent regularly is like picking a therapist (don't ask me how I know, but I know).

There are many wonderful therapists (and a few quacks) and many great forums (and a few duds). Each one has his, her, or its own personality and style.

You may find a perfectly competent therapist or forum, but discover that he, she, or it is just not right for you because there just isn't that "click." Her, his, or its personality may not be a fit for yours.

LQ's personality "clicked" with me; it may well not click with others.

And, as a therapist might say, that's okay.

Personally, i like the lax feel of forums. Things can go slightly off topic which can serve to supply additional helpful info that you may not have thought of. LQ specifically seems like a very fast website too. I run mobile broadband, and sometimes it plays up on me, and i usually navigate to LQ to test if it's working or has just slowed down.

I've seen worse here. One thread where quite a few people were participating in a conversation about not only a different forum, but a specific member of that forum.

I agree totally with this. Choose whatever suits the way you work. They both file a niche market.

I don't agree the thread should be not "allowed to live". That, to me, just gives an appearence of arrogance. A similar thread appeared on SO a fair while back and that was then discussed here. A slight problem occured when some LQ members went in to deliberately bolster answers (one also sugegsted they couldn't downvote something they didn't agree with) and started to get mouthy. It gave the appearance, to me, that LQ is a sacred cow that cannot be discussed and people are not allowed to think other sites are better. It reminded me of Ubuntu forums where for a time anyone who said anything against Ubuntu was howled down and treated like a lepper.

Waaaaaaaaaaay harder to find a good therapist with whom you click.

Definition of SNARKY from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snarky (Merriam-Webster)
1: crotchety, snappish
2: sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner <snarky lyrics>
— snark·i·ly adverb

Apparently "snarkiness" doesn't exist as word. I hadn't actually known that "snarky" was a real word so I looked up the etymology.

snarky (adj.) "irritable, short-tempered," 1906, from snark (v.) "to snort" (1866), from an imitative source akin to Low German snarken, North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka.
from http://www.etymonline.com/

I just find some of the comments on SO deliberately insolent.

I like that here on LQ there isn't really a division of those who ask and those who answer so there is no atmosphere of asking "professionals". I find this more a community of individuals with various levels of knowledge who help each other. I like that a "non-expert" like myself can learn from helping others.
I have found the odd answer to a problem on stack overflow and the like but the lack of interactivity means I've never thought of them as a community in the same was as fora like LQ.

I agree. Also, the quality of answers on stack overflow varies greatly, so it's not like they're actually professionals or any more professional than anywhere else.

That is true and I certainly never meant to imply that there are experts here and not there -- more that things seem more honest here and more collaborative.

Completely agreed. In fact sites with the stackoverflow format, seem like "tech support farms" in that a community or any kind of interaction beyond answering a question is being discouraged by the overall design of the site.

Whatever works for you basically. LQ as mentioned previously is more conversational, and to be honest more friendly. You ask a question without enough information or prior troubleshooting on SO you will be down voted and your question closed within a very short time frame. I have been a member a long time but have hardly posted questions because of how harsh the community seems towards questions it doesn't deem up to their standards. Here in LQ people tend to have a more gentle and understanding approach. If you haven't provided all the info, you probably won't have people jump on you but they'll nicely ask you to provide more info. This is obviously a better tactic when it comes to most people who need to learn how to help themselves and help others help them.

I'm at stackoverflow too. But i like the traditional forums like this more than stackoverflow

I am there, too. And I find differences. Some of them influence where I post and where I hang out. I think people should simply be open to trying all things and using what they like. Things that may be an advantage to one person may be a disadvantage to another.

One thing I like about StackExchange and related sites is that the user names are NOT unique. Many people DISlike that. SE has unique identities, too. But it doesn't force people to come up with strange nicknames just to become a known user. The world is too big for that level of uniqueness.

Now is that an advantage for YOU, or a disadvantage. You decide.