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I originally posted this question (only viewable by rep +10k) on Super User. It then got migrated here. This surprised me because I thought Web Applications was for people who are creating web apps, using their API and that sort of thing, whereas my question is in the realm of "Is there a web app I can use (as is) to do X?".

The question is: Is this difference between what I thought Web Applications was for and what it is for common amongst "outsiders"?

And as a side point, if it is, would you know?

Editorial notes:

  1. The OP question was returned to Super User but it was deleted there. It migthe be viewable by Super User users having rep +10k.
  2. The OP intended question was not answered by the only answer. As or April 2023, the question is still current.
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  • 2
    Each site has an FAQ that will explain its purpose/scope at the top of it.
    – Rebecca Chernoff
    Oct 17, 2010 at 19:49
  • 1
    @rchern: If a person gets as far as the FAQ they are outside the scope of this question. With a growing number of SE sites, you can't expect people to read every FAQ and in this case, failed to look far enough when my first glance seemed to indicate that it was for something that wasn't anywhere near what I was looking for. I'd guess I'm not the only one to make this error.
    – BCS
    Oct 17, 2010 at 20:06
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    When a user first visits the site or isn't logged in, they see 2 things: Welcome to Q&A for power users of web applications -- check out the FAQ and Web Apps is a collaboratively edited q&a site for expert and advanced users of web apps
    – Rebecca Chernoff
    Oct 17, 2010 at 20:15
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    @rchern Ok then, which is true: that this site is for power, expert and advanced users or that the original question belongs on web-apps? They can't both be true because, regarding that question, I'm uninterested in anything that requires anything resembling a power users, so either the headline description is overly narrow or the question needs to be migrated off web-apps as off-topic.
    – BCS
    Oct 17, 2010 at 20:59
  • 1
    I think each and every SE site says it is for power users. I agree it isn't necessarily the best description, but that's beyond me.
    – Rebecca Chernoff
    Oct 17, 2010 at 21:38
  • 1
    StackExchange websites are aimed at experts, and once we have them, the other users will just come
    – Casebash
    Oct 21, 2010 at 4:54
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    @Casebash: Is a beginner web-app question closer to a general app question (super user) or an expert we-app question (here)?
    – BCS
    Oct 21, 2010 at 5:02
  • 1
    It depends on the questioner
    – Casebash
    Oct 21, 2010 at 11:11
  • 1
    While it may be for experts, we do need more basic questions to get new users on here. Experts only have a limited amount of questions
    – Ivo Flipse
    Oct 22, 2010 at 20:53
  • 1
    Related: Add a few-word description to the masthead
    – Rubén Mod
    Apr 5 at 20:00

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Web apps is for consumers of web applications. That consumption might be directly via the application's own web site, or through an API.

For web development questions you want Stack Overflow

For web management questions you want Webmasters

For web server questions you want Server Fault

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  • While that answer the question that was in the title, it doesn't address the question that I was asking. (Edited title to correct issue.)
    – BCS
    Oct 17, 2010 at 20:09
  • @BCS What is the issue ? The main one ?
    – phwd
    Oct 17, 2010 at 20:27
  • @phwd, the issue I corrected was the tile not reflecting my question. The main point of this question (the issue I'm wondering about) is wondering if the intended audience for Web-Apps and who it appears to be for at first glance match.
    – BCS
    Oct 17, 2010 at 21:36
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AFAIK the only way to know what outsiders think is that and insider come and share the information that them collected

Few moments ago I have posted a question in Meta Stack Exchange hopping to get insight from the Meta SE regulars.

I think that it's clear that the site site name attract a lot of people looking to ask questions related to web applications that, as of April 2023, are off-topic like

  • recommendations
  • creating, managing webites, including
    • DNS, domains, hosting, etc.
  • developing web applications
  • managing cloud / web services

but also about cross-platform Intertet services (Gmail, Facebook, WhatsApp), like questions about apps for

  • Android
  • iOS
  • Windows
  • ...

And many of the questions that are on-topic, doesn't look to be for power users / expert and advanced users.

Side note, recently a term that more frequently is being using by major technolgy vendors is citizen developers that is like empowering power users to take their skills to a large scale. But they mithg require another site the same way that there is one for Software Engineers.

Related

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    I disagree with the OP that "power user" is synonymous with web developer. Clearly, WebApps SE is not for web developers. But I also disagree with this post that "power user" seems to be synonymous with "expert and advanced users". I prefer Wikipedia's definition: ...
    – Flimm
    Apr 14 at 12:08
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    Wikipedia's definition of a power user: ""A power user is a user of computers, software and other electronic devices, who uses advanced features of computer hardware, operating systems, programs, or websites which are not used by the average user. A power user might not have extensive technical knowledge of the systems they use but is rather characterized by competence or desire to make the most intensive use of computer programs or systems." A power user doesn't have to be an expert or advanced, they just need to be using a tool powerfully or more intensely than your typical user.
    – Flimm
    Apr 14 at 12:08

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