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I want to ask a question about Facebook's JavaScript SDK so I used that tag but the site won't allow me to post my question because it says I must also have a tag that's not related to Facebook! This makes no sense to me! My question is about Facebook and the JavaScript SDK. Why would I include a tag that's about something else?

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What, exactly, does the message say? –  Michael Petrotta Jan 6 '12 at 4:04
facebook.stackoverflow.com/questions/8753085/… ... tagged facebook javascript –  waffles Jan 6 '12 at 4:06
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1 Answer

Because chances are, your question is probably about something else. In addition to Facebook. Something more specific to the subset of all possible Facebook programming questions. And a tag that describes that topic goes a long way toward helping folks find it, understand it, and - hopefully - answer it...

So you gotta ask yourself, "I know my question is about Facebook, but what else is it about?"

Perhaps you're using JavaScript. Or PHP.

Maybe you're manipulating a browser's DOM. Or generating HTML. Or authenticating with OAuth.

Those are all tags that could help to better classify your question. There are many others. Use them!

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I used the tag "facebook-javascript-sdk. Exactly what "non-facebook" tag should I add to "better classify" my question? Your comment may have made sense when there was only a "facebook" tag but now we have things like "facebook-javascript-sdk" which says it all. The site asking for an additional non-facebook tag to make it clearer is just plain confusing. –  Steve Adams Jan 6 '12 at 4:39
@Steve: actually, that tag describes one thing. It implies a couple of others (Facebook, JavaScript), but that doesn't mean you can't be explicit about them. And in fact, you should. And there's a pretty good chance that, whatever you're trying to do with the SDK, there's a tag for that too... Use it. –  Shog9 Jan 6 '12 at 4:48
I added the (redundant) "JavaScript" tag and that got my question posted and then I got a very good answer right away, so it all ended well for me. It does seem, though, that you guys are addressing the slowest 1% of people who come to these forums, which tends to confuse and insult the rest. I mean, really, you're assuming that even though I've tagged my question "Facebook-javascript-sdk" I probably won't be able to describe it well enough to be understood so I need to find more tags to help me. Already I feel insulted, before anyone has even seen what I write. Just some honest feedback. –  Steve Adams Jan 6 '12 at 5:49
@Steve: tagging serves a different purpose than simply describing the question as you stand looking at the page its on. I mean, it serves that purpose too... But that's not its primary role. And... It's not just the slow 1% that get it wrong. Most folks get it wrong. That's the problem with a folksonomy - the folks. If we can get one or two decent tags out of the author, editors can usually step in and add more as-needed - and just about anyone can edit. –  Shog9 Jan 6 '12 at 6:10
What would you say the "something else" is for this question: facebook.stackoverflow.com/questions/12900549/… ? –  Chris Westin Oct 15 '12 at 18:19
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