Is there a concise but polite way to say that my question Y is immutable, to avoid it being addressed as if it were an unasked question X?
If possible, please assume I lead this question about it, with it.
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6I don't think that's what immutable means, but I think I get the gist... you're asking how to ask a question that won't get interpreted as an XY question?BoltClock– BoltClock Mod2021-04-28 11:51:14 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 11:51
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@BoltClock - yeah, I tried to think of a good scenario here where it'd be useful, but I suppose that exact thing is what I'm hoping to avoid in certain low-level coding questions.Anne Quinn– Anne Quinn2021-04-28 12:07:14 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 12:07
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11So, I would say if XY is what you're worried of, you can make your constraints clear in your question... 'I know Y would solve my issue, but because of Z, I can't use this'. Isn't that enough? :/. IMHO, it should bePatrice– Patrice2021-04-28 12:08:35 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 12:08
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@Patrice - It definitely is, though Z can sometimes be difficult to exhaust satisfactorily. For example, perhaps I'm violating the type system of C++ because it "feels comfy," but want to ask about an aliasing issue that might arise from it. My goal X is to make a program, so the question could be answered by "prefer something else" or taken to the extreme, "just use Rust" unless I provide a Z that precludes itAnne Quinn– Anne Quinn2021-04-28 12:21:53 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 12:21
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5Pay a freelancer to answer it.Martin James– Martin James2021-04-28 12:30:01 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 12:30
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@MartinJames - y'know, that's the fairest answer this question could've had, you are absolutely rightAnne Quinn– Anne Quinn2021-04-28 12:44:41 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 12:44
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Related on Meta.SE: Can we get people to directly ask about their problems instead of topics they think might be related?, Do I have to explain why I am asking a question on SO?. Suffice it to say, this is not a new issue.Heretic Monkey– Heretic Monkey2021-04-28 13:01:13 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 13:01
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1Also on MSE: WHY do people ask “why” questions with the “why” capitalized and excessively formatted?BoltClock– BoltClock Mod2021-04-28 15:00:44 +00:00Commented Apr 28, 2021 at 15:00
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1What is stopping you from clearly & politely saying what you mean in such a question?philipxy– philipxy2021-04-29 02:39:23 +00:00Commented Apr 29, 2021 at 2:39
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1 Answer
One way is to be extra descriptive in the question text, to explain what are the obvious solutions, and how your situation differs, making the obvious solutions untenable.
This should hopefully make the people answering to avoid repeating what you already know.
It can also backfire though. If the question becomes a "wall of text" some may skip reading it altogether.
