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

3 members found this post helpful.

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.