Reading the questions currently on webapps, it seems like a lot of them would fit equally well on superuser. Are questions that focus on web apps being closed on superuser? Have they always? Even if you're drawing a distinction between local apps and web apps, don't these two appeal to exactly the same audience - advanced users?
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Understood, and accepting an answer. Perhaps my question should have been better phrased by focusing on the last part - is there really a difference (from the typical end-user's perspective) between a local app and web app, and will they think in terms of looking in different places for the answer? (But I see now that that is just asking to change the off-topic definition in superuser, so I guess I'm too late with the thought.)– Will MJul 13, 2010 at 17:39
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3 Answers
Are questions that focus on web apps being closed on superuser? Have they always?
Not always but the prohibition against web-related question on Super User came long before Web Apps was created. It was felt that "web applications" was simply to big a subject to mix in with general desktop-related questions.
So, Web Apps was created to fill a void/need not fulfilled by Super User.
Questions about web applications are specifically mentioned as being off topic in the Super User FAQ
and it is not about …
- videogames or consoles
- websites or web services like Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress
So I don't see how a question here can "fit equally well on superuser[sic]".
If it fits here then it's off-topic for Super User, if fits on Super User then it's off topic for here.
There is a clear and definite distinction between local apps and web apps. It hasn't always been the case, so if you haven't been on Super User for a while you wouldn't necessarily have spotted it.
Can you post links to some examples.
Hmm. I'm not sure how you could get that impression. Here's the top 10 questions on Super User right now:
- Simple email ticketing solution?
- Kubuntu Monitor Out of Range
- How can I make desktop.ini work on network locations?
- Go straight back to currently active tag in my web browser?
- How to customize Mac TextMate keyboard shortcuts with a “copy current line” command?
- strange behaviour - dhclient needs to be run twice in order to connect to wireless
- Good software for cleaning the computer?
- Why does IE8 corrupt some zip files I download?
- Thunderbird message panes
- All network devices freezing when Airport Extreme Base Station is connected. Any ideas?
Do any of those strike you as being about "web apps"?
Super User is about traditional computer software and hardware, not websites or web apps.
(It can be about web browsers, in the sense that the web browser is software, but the focus is on the browser and not the website loaded in the browser.)
