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I keep seeing decent questions closed as "too localized". I don't know what "too localized" means and frankly do not care, I just want SO to stay a nice and helpful place.
Let's be nice to new users and each other and end the closing madness.

UPDATE: To elaborate -- I think people are getting confused between StackOverflow/SE and Wikipedia, and think that "too localized" == "lack of notoriety". Which is not true and is a distraction. Hence suggesting to get rid/reword "too localized".

Honestly, I would just replace the whole closing concept with just deleting a question after 5 downvotes. And would required a comment for downvoting while at it.

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Up-voted, because I personally think the down-votes aren't warranted. Especially now that you've expanded your question and provided justification. –  cbroughton Nov 13 '11 at 2:22
Can you provide examples of questions closed as too localized, with your reasoning for why they shouldn't have been? –  Michael Petrotta Nov 13 '11 at 2:25
I can provide one of my own questions that WAS too localized on SO; I had asked a question about how CakePHP treated logging, but I was using a very old version of CakePHP therefor it was quite unlikely others would be having the same problem with the same exact version of the framework I was working on. –  Ben Brocka Nov 13 '11 at 2:33
If you doesn't know or care what a feature is, how can you reasonably decide that it's worth removing? Maybe you would be even more unhappy if "too localized" were removed. –  Pops Nov 13 '11 at 2:35
In any case, the value of "too localized" has been debated in the past, with a notable recent post from Joel here. One of the recent podcasts went over it, too. The problem seems to be that people are using it incorrectly, not that it's inherently flawed as a close reason. –  Pops Nov 13 '11 at 2:41
@PopularDemand exactly. How can you judge that something is too localized? If it seems too localized to you, maybe it's awesomely local to somebody? –  MK01 Nov 13 '11 at 2:44
If people are using it incorrectly it is inherently flawed. But I'm not going to argue with Joel, who am i. –  MK01 Nov 13 '11 at 2:53
That's a very strange argument, MK01. People use headphones incorrectly, to pick a weird example (play music on them too loud). –  Michael Petrotta Nov 13 '11 at 3:02
@MK01 - I think you mean "notability", not "notoriety". And this isn't Wikipedia. Please provide examples, as has been requested, or this question has very little value. (Rewording the "too localized" close explanation, however, could well be valuable.) –  Neil Fein Nov 13 '11 at 3:44
@NeilFein Well, that's my point -- that it is not Wikipedia. I don't have a good example right now (and -10 kind of makes me not want to participate in this discussion). –  MK01 Nov 13 '11 at 18:23
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2 Answers

Too Localized is a valid close request if the question is asking something (just as an example) that would only really affect their own community / township / neighbourhood / street. Therefore it is unlikely to get proper exposure or answers because of the knowledge on the subject being far too infrequent.

The description of the close suggestion itself is visible here:


As per if too many questions are being closed hastily with this as their reason, I do not know.

My two cents:

Frankly, I think the description of this tag would apply to any question regarding the BrainFuck language, as well as the HelloWorld programming language, and a lot of other topics that could technically be discussed without being closed. Since these questions would never help the "worldwide audience of the internet". I personally think the description on this closure reason needs a re-work.

Note: That's actually the name of the programming language, so please don't just down-vote this answer thinking I've used an expletive out of context.

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Much has been written about that particular language on MSO already. –  Pops Nov 13 '11 at 2:37
Hmm, why was that question closed? It was a valid question that addresses a valid issue, and received valid comments / answers. votes to re-open, realizes he can't actually vote to re-open the question for some reason. –  cbroughton Nov 13 '11 at 2:40
But I'm trying to create enterprise-level software in brainfuck and I need help Q.Q –  Ben Brocka Nov 13 '11 at 2:42
Well, unfortunately sir, according to the link @PopularDemand has cited, you'll get no help from StackOverflow.SE or any related site. –  cbroughton Nov 13 '11 at 2:44
@cbroughton according to the selected answer though...Jeff himself implied that the name of a language cannot be offensive or thus defacto banned though. Beyond the scope of this question but for instance I defend to death the right of SO users to mention the WTFPL. –  Ben Brocka Nov 13 '11 at 2:50
Yeah, I frankly think that if you get down-votes / hate for saying BrainFuck, then people are being over-sensitive. Since expletives by definition are only rude or distasteful if used out of context. Quoting the name of something is not a distasteful use of expletives, and never should be considered one. –  cbroughton Nov 13 '11 at 2:52
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I've encountered several questions on StackOverflow that would have been helpful to engage in a conversation... only to find them "closed as too localized"... I just don't see the point in closing a question due to this very subjective and relative "opinion".

What's the driving force behind this madness? Just let the question be for "x" amount of time and close it due to inactivity.

Too many times, I've been looking for help on a particular issue... I'll "Google it up"... find a "hit" on StackOverflow... only to find that... Yes... somebody else out there is having the same issue... but the StackOverflow "gods" have deemed that nobody can converse on said issue because... well... WE think it's just too darn specific.

If you guys are going to do something like this... just delete the damn question... don't leave it online and give answer-seekers false hope.

I just don't get it... my two cents. Done.

I'm off to www.experts-exchange.com where their approach is less pragmatic.

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