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10
votes
1answer
159 views

Where can I ask a question about finding general software that meets certain requirements?

I have a list of requirements for a program, but don't know what program meets these criteria. That's about general-purpose software, i.e., not a programming IDE or statistical workbench, questions ...
14
votes
2answers
504 views

Why is my question off-topic on Stack Overflow, even though it's programming-related?

I asked a question on Stack Overflow, but it was put on hold as off-topic, even though it says in the help center that I can ask it there. Why? Return to FAQ index
15
votes
1answer
343 views

Why does the Community ♦ user approve and reject edits?

Why does the Community ♦ user sometimes approve or reject edits? How does a machine know if my edit is valid? What does it mean if my edit was rejected by Community ♦? See also: Who is the ...
32
votes
1answer
1k views

What is syntax highlighting and how does it work?

I noticed that sometimes my code gets highlighted in different colors when rendered. What is this? How does it work? What if my code isn't highlighted correctly? How do I report a bug or request a ...
52
votes
1answer
1k views

The Complete Rate-Limiting Guide

I noticed that I can only perform certain actions such as commenting a finite number of times in a given period of time. Obviously, rate limiting is in place to prevent accidental misuse or ...
31
votes
1answer
958 views

What are the review queues?

I see a "review" link on the top of the page, which takes me to a few "review queues". What is a "review queue"? What are the various queues for? What can I do in each queue? Return to FAQ index
56
votes
1answer
1k views

Why are the moderators being so strict with quality related flags recently?

I recently flagged a question as 'very low quality' just like I've flagged many questions in the past. However, my flag was found to be unhelpful this time. The same thing happened when I recently ...
107
votes
1answer
2k views

What are review tests (audits) and how do they work?

I recently received this rather amusing message while reviewing a user's first post: Congratulations! This was only a test, designed to make sure you were paying attention. This post has ...
165
votes
1answer
8k views

Stack Overflow question checklist

My earlier blog post on how to write a good question is pretty long, and I suspect that even when I refer people to it, often they don't bother reading it. So here's a short list of questions to check ...
54
votes
7answers
1k views

What are the guidelines for reviewing?

About reviewing The review queues contain posts that possibly need further action from the community, like improvement, closure or deletion. By presenting those posts for peer-review, the system aims ...
19
votes
1answer
1k views

What is considered a “real question”?

Note: This close reason is old and only applies to old questions that were closed prior to the closing overhaul. This has been replaced by the reasons "unclear what you're asking" for unclear ...
16
votes
1answer
687 views

How do I read the history of my reputation?

When I visit the reputation tab of my profile, I see a lot of stuff. I can make out some of it, but not all. What do all the event types mean? Why do some events show an odd reputation gain or not ...
8
votes
1answer
455 views

How can I log in to my Stack Exchange account if my current account provider is blocked?

I usually log in to a Stack Exchange site using Facebook as my OpenID provider. However, providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and Facebook are blocked. Is there any way for me to log in to my existing ...
44
votes
1answer
921 views

There's an election going on. What's happening and how does it work?

The community bulletin says that there is a moderator election occurring. How does the election work and how can I get involved? Return to FAQ index
22
votes
1answer
871 views

How can I get Stack Exchange to send me to a conference?

I read Supporting Community Conferences, which states, Depending on the circumstances and location, we can also sponsor community leaders to attend an event on behalf of their site. We will ...

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