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Where can I find interesting programming discussions?

The FAQ of course says StackOverflow is not a place to ask open-ended, chatty questions. However, I do want to ask that kind of question such an educated community. Is there a good place on the Stack Exchange for that type of thing?

(I specifically want to ask if it will eventually make sense to combine servers and databases to service extremely Javascript-oriented Web 2.0 websites.

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The office water cooler? A local user community meeting? Via Twitter, Google Plus, or Facebook, assuming you have a community to ask it in. –  tvanfosson Oct 13 '11 at 19:14
It could be appropriate for chat though –  Flexo Oct 13 '11 at 19:51
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marked as duplicate by Shog9 Oct 13 '11 at 19:56


2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Every Stack Exchange site has that section in its FAQ; those types of questions aren't wanted on the network in general, not just on Stack Overflow. I think you're looking for a site like Reddit, but I don't claim to be an expert on the sorts of posts they like there

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That's too bad, because I don't see other websites whose communities are as knowledgeable as stackexchange's. I hope they add a section for that kind of discussion. –  Joe Oct 13 '11 at 19:50
@Joe - I think a good number of the experts are here precisely because there are no chatty, open-ended discussiony questions –  JNK Oct 13 '11 at 20:06
@JNK It's amazing how many people have concluded it's a coincidence –  Michael Mrozek Oct 13 '11 at 20:09
@JNK: There is a difference between "no chatty, open-ended discussiony questions" on the Q&A part of the site, and "don't actually talk to people on the Internet about programming if it's not a question with a definite answer." It's a matter of segregating functionality. Questions should go on the Q&A part, but that doesn't mean discussion should be actively discouraged. That's what a community is for, after all, and if you don't want to be involved in non-question topics, you are free to avoid that part (just as I freely avoid chat, due to the inability to discuss things). –  Nicol Bolas Oct 13 '11 at 21:32
@NicolBolas In my experience the really high level folks don't want to chat with every new programmer, but if they can help in a quick and efficient way they are happy to. –  JNK Oct 13 '11 at 22:54
@JNK: So just ask your question and Get Off My Lawn, is that it? No mentorship, no learning via discussion. The future of intercoursing with the "really high level folks" is hoping to learn something by asking simple, specific questions that have direct, obvious answers. I'm not saying we shouldn't have that. But for it to be the only real means of interaction? It creates a spartan atmosphere where nobody is really a person and SO is just a magical eight-ball for programming questions: shake it and you get your answer. If you want to do more than solve a specific problem, go elsewhere. –  Nicol Bolas Oct 13 '11 at 23:24
@NicolBolas - If you expect Jon Skeet and the other upper-tier folks here to mentor the thousands of people who come through you are deluding yourself. Discoursing with the high level folks has a place, but SO isn't it. –  JNK Oct 13 '11 at 23:55
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Hit the chat link at the top of the page.

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Which room would be most appropriate? Tavern on the Meta? –  Chris Frederick Oct 14 '11 at 1:38
Well Programmers Chat would be best for the topic, but based on getting more people involved I'd do it on SO Chat. –  Lance Roberts Oct 14 '11 at 1:46
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