this post was submitted on 12 May 2024

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The fediverse won’t succeed at putting up a #Stackoverflow substitute and that’s a problem? (hachyderm.io)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The fediverse won’t succeed at putting up a #Stackoverflow substitute and that’s a problem?

Just an impression: All the pieces seem to be there. But what’s required is a team, with devs, PMs and coordinators, dedicated to making a particular place in the #fediverse .

That’s resources and decently sized financial and organisational demands, especially to get a critical mass of users.

Is the fediverse up to that challenge? If not, is it an issue worth addressing?

@fediverse

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The power of SO was never the software. It was the relentless effort the team put into community building and making sure site was valuable both as an interactive experience and as an archive.

You can’t code yourself out of that effort.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Yea. That's more or less what I had in mind. This isn't merely a matter of writing the software. Like I said, many of the pieces are basically here already. It's building the place/platform, which has to include a whole bunch of just "work" including the moderation that you mention.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Forget federated stackoverflow, give me federated Gardening.StackExchange!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Funny fact I just was thinking about asking if we could have good alternative for Stackoverflow that supports federation.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

IDK if we're really missing any software features, but I feel like it's a good opportunity for a Lemmy plugin

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago

Good lord please no.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Can you make your case why that would be a problem?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@admin

Some, maybe many, hope for the decentralised model of the fediverse to “take back the internet”. Each time a commercial platform “enshitifies“, there are then calls for the fediverse to replace it with a federated alternative, in part to take advantage of the moment of user agitation.

But, IMO, resources and financial support are a touchy topic in the fediverse. If such has lead to a mismatch between ambition and opportunity, and, capability, that may be worth addressing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I'd opt into targeted ads for a federated S-O service, personally. The site is a huge database and needs safe-keeping, and that's not free or even cheap. Tastefully placed ads that don't pop over or ruin the printed copy I'd totally go for.

[+] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah. All we have to do is start asking.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

I dont think thats accurate. The problem here is data quality. In SO you likely get few but good answers because the system is designed that way. Thats why its not done here a lot. I tried asking code and sysadmin stuff here. The amount of hate and bs answers you get is shocking. SO is also insanely moderated. Something that isnt really feasible for mainline lemmy.

I think a fork of lemmy would work though. With the karma requirement that SO has to post and the same requirements.

SO is a meritocracy. Its not a nice feeling to not be able to answer a question. But it works. because you have to ask questions first, then comment and then post answers (iirc). this would not work on lemmy. but a special fork together with an instance (or many) could work imo.

Disclaimer: I designed and wrote a couple of programs for a company I created and others. it worked well. Not saying I know everything. Just my ideas.

PS: I made a mastodon fork to recreate linkedin/xing feel free to leave a star)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Why fork though? You can still create an instance with strict rules and karma requirements (with help of new plugin system?).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Thats not a bad idea. I might look into this. The karma requirement would not be the only thing. Making it impossible to comment until you asked a question is going to be hard I guess, no?

If you‘re down for it, lets discuss this and make a design draft for a faithful copy of SO under lemmy. I am willing to work for it. Just cant do it alone.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I guess the new plugin system is capable for those features but unfortunately I have to reject. I already have some hobby projects in mind but I don’t even have time for them because of my job.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

👀

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

In SO you likely get few but good answers Are we talking about the same website? The absolute worse advixe I've even recieved for coding has come from Srack Overflow. Hell, I once needed help with Arduino code - the only user who bothered answering stated they didn't know how to do it in Arduino so he wrote the solution in Java. Then I tried it out they Java and their solution was completely wrong.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago

I suppose you dont have to look up code often, yes? Because SO is the goto for many devs and searching for answers to most general code questions lead there.

Obviously, the design leads to absurd situations sometimes since not everyone is allowed to post an opinion piece. You will likely rather get no answer than a wrong one. In that case you either have achieved a really niche problem or you should try asking another way or you might be looking at the problem the wrong way.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

😂 are you trying to goad the Fediverse into making an answer repository?

Surely a better approach would be you trying to build (and lead) a team rather than this weird immature approach? 🤷🏾‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

yea ... it's just a chat about the fediverse, come on. I, like many here AFAICT on the fediverse, are here out of interest in the ecosystem/idea, and so are happy to talk about it.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I fully support discussion and actually encourage it, but, and this is just personal preference, it must be done in an honest and open way.

For the record, a recent discussion about this can be found here https://lemmy.ml/post/15471632

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I’m aware of the previous post, I’d commented in the discussion already.

Otherwise, sorry to say, but I really am not sure what you’re talking about here. What sort of purpose could dishonesty here possibly serve other than plain trolling or drama milling (both of which seem unlikely on the face on my post)?

If you’re serious about “goading”, apart from planting ideas and expressing demand, I don’t think any other post like this could possibly influence devs into doing something serious like this.