Area 51 » Technology

definition commitment beta

Note that the scope and purpose of this proposal changed DRASTICALLY during the beta. Along with the name. You should still check it out, just be aware it's not as irreverent and inane as the definition here implies.

132
followers

Not Programming Related

Launched Q&A site for professional programmers who are interested in getting expert answers on conceptual questions about software development.

Announcements

6  
Bad name. I thought it's meta :p – KennyTM Jun 3 '10 at 23:05
5  
So, on this site, I can ask what to google for to find out what to google for? SWEET! – Tim Post Jun 4 '10 at 0:02
4  
Where can I vote for great off-topic site proposal? – extropy Jun 21 '10 at 13:43
show 17 more announcements

81 Example Questions (12 closed)

active oldest votes
up vote 27 down vote
My supervisor thinks that all `If` statements should include `else` statements. Do you agree?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 4 '10 at 3:39
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4  
...and all other "Help me settle this dispute" questions. – Robert Harvey Jun 4 '10 at 3:40
up vote 24 down vote
Tabs vs. Spaces: What is the one proper indentation character for everything, in every situation, ever?
added by Shog9♦ Jun 3 '10 at 23:06
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5  
... except for makefiles? – balpha♦ Jun 4 '10 at 9:42
Pair programming, of course: geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2010/06/… – AviD Jun 7 '10 at 23:50
3  
You should totally drop that and try jQuery. – Adam Davis Jun 8 '10 at 5:23
@balpha: Considering the answer is 'tab', its fine in makefiles too. – derobert Jun 17 '10 at 3:31
@AviD sounds like the standard coding conventions for PHP – Evan Plaice Jun 20 '10 at 7:34
up vote 23 down vote
What are common mistakes in Software Development?
added by sth Jun 4 '10 at 19:32
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1  
this is subjective but seems to be quite directly related to programming – UncleZeiv Jul 11 '10 at 17:19
up vote 20 down vote
What’s your favorite “programmer” cartoon?
added by raven Jun 3 '10 at 23:11
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10  
For God's sake, get it off SO. – raven Jun 3 '10 at 23:11
up vote 20 down vote
What is your favorite programming joke?
added by George Edison Jun 4 '10 at 5:21
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Good example, but pretty much a dupe of "What’s your favorite “programmer” cartoon?" – Brant Jun 18 '10 at 19:07
4  
What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together at the bottom of the ocean... A pretty good start. ;) – Evan Plaice Jun 23 '10 at 14:10
up vote 14 down vote
How can I avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
added by Tim Post Jun 3 '10 at 23:52
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up vote 14 down vote
Can you recommend some good programming blogs?
added by rlb.usa Jun 10 '10 at 16:36
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up vote 14 down vote
Is it “Hello World” or “Hello, World”?
added by Sam Saffron♦ Jun 24 '10 at 4:08
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2  
I love this example question so much! – Adam Davis Jun 24 '10 at 14:24
I think about it each time I learn something new! – Preets Jul 2 '10 at 22:04
1  
It's "Hello, world"! :-) – kiamlaluno Jul 8 '10 at 21:51
up vote 13 down vote
What programming language should I teach to my 4 year old son?
added by Binoj Antony Jun 16 '10 at 11:50
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Python is easy enough. – Binoj Antony Jun 17 '10 at 5:39
up vote 13 down vote
Should I work for a company that makes you wear a suit?
added by Sam Saffron♦ Jun 16 '10 at 22:15
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up vote 9 down vote
Should I keep Visual Basic on my resume?
added by Adam Davis Jun 3 '10 at 23:07
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If you want your future employer to see you as a dinosaur, I'd say yes ! – HoLyVieR Jul 5 '10 at 17:38
2  
If you don't, you could be "missing out" on VB conversion opportunities – Conrad Frix Jul 6 '10 at 21:18
up vote 9 down vote
What open source project should I join?
added by Tim Post Jun 3 '10 at 23:58
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7Basic! – George Edison Jun 4 '10 at 17:44
Drupal, and help to make version 7! – kiamlaluno Jul 4 '10 at 4:00
up vote 7 down vote
What is your favorite editor / IDE?
added by Tim Post Jun 3 '10 at 23:49
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up vote 6 down vote
How much to charge for an application that will take <N> months to develop?
added by ChrisF Jun 16 '10 at 18:04
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up vote 6 down vote
I want to start an open source project. Where's the best place to host it?
added by Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 2:01
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up vote 6 down vote
What was the turning point of your programming career?
added by Simon Brown Jun 20 '10 at 15:26
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up vote 6 down vote
What's good music for programmers to listen to?
added by CrazyJugglerDrummer Jun 24 '10 at 0:07
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up vote 5 down vote
Is COBOL [or xyz language] worth learning?
added by Tim Post Jun 3 '10 at 23:56
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up vote 5 down vote
What is your company’s stance on Developers using Laptops?
added by ChrisF Jun 10 '10 at 17:12
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up vote 5 down vote
I program from home. What can I do to be more productive?
added by DonnyD Jul 5 '10 at 20:39
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up vote 4 down vote
I want to put some code on my [wedding cake]. Any suggestions?
added by rlb.usa Jun 10 '10 at 16:35
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How romantic! Love it! – Preets Jul 2 '10 at 22:09
up vote 4 down vote
Why do Ruby developers seem to fall in love with the language?
added by David Basarab Jun 18 '10 at 17:16
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+1. I answered this question, and then it was deleted from StackOverflow :-( – Pavel Shved Jul 6 '10 at 10:24
up vote 4 down vote
Should we teach programming instead of advanced math in school?
added by CrazyJugglerDrummer Jul 4 '10 at 0:36
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up vote 4 down vote
What tv-series has the most correct take on computers and hacking?
added by Patrik Björklund Jul 10 '10 at 18:22
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great on-topic question. can't wait to see the answers to it on the actual site – Dave Jul 11 '10 at 8:53
up vote 3 down vote
What are the most important feaures to add to .NET version 27?
added by bmargulies Jun 4 '10 at 20:36
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spell-check (4 char) – HoLyVieR Jul 5 '10 at 18:17
up vote 3 down vote
How do I cope with a manager who's always interfering in what I do, but doesn't really understand it?
added by ChrisF Jun 17 '10 at 15:01
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up vote 3 down vote
What the difference between a MIT license and a GPL license. Aren't they both just open source?
added by Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 2:03
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up vote 3 down vote
What are some strategies to mitigate scope creep?
added by Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 2:04
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This seems with SO's scope, even though it is subjective. – Eric Wilson Jun 28 '10 at 16:01
up vote 3 down vote
Will Java still be relevant in 5 years?
added by CrazyJugglerDrummer, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 11 '10 at 19:28
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2  
On-topic - and the answer is, of course, no. – George Edison Jun 24 '10 at 0:11
@George Edison: The answer is of course, no doubt about it! – OscarRyz Jul 8 '10 at 21:37
up vote 3 down vote
How to make a career move from being a programmer to being a Business Analyst?
added by Shailesh Tainwala Jun 25 '10 at 6:41
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Was gonna add the exact same question! Do let me know if you find an ans! – Preets Jul 2 '10 at 20:39
up vote 3 down vote
How did you get started in programming?
added by rlb.usa Jun 30 '10 at 17:31
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up vote 3 down vote
What's your favorite monitor configuration for developing?
added by Conrad Frix Jul 6 '10 at 21:23
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up vote 3 down vote
When someone asks you what you do, what do you say? E.g. Programmer, Developer, or Code Monkey?
added by Conrad Frix, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 12 '10 at 7:10
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up vote 2 down vote
I just got my degree. How do I get experience so I can get a job?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 4 '10 at 3:35
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2  
...And other career-related questions. – Robert Harvey Jun 4 '10 at 3:35
The existing career site seems on point. – bmargulies Jun 4 '10 at 20:35
@bmargulies, are you referring to careers.stackoverflow.com, or something else? – Lord Torgamus Jun 9 '10 at 21:24
I think he refers to careeroverflow.com – Eric Wilson Jun 28 '10 at 16:02
up vote 2 down vote
Does playing {game (e.g. Table Tennis, Chess)} increase concentration, in effect help us code better?
added by Binoj Antony Jun 17 '10 at 5:40
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2  
Not if you play it all day. – Robert Harvey Jun 22 '10 at 22:24
up vote 2 down vote
What can I do when senior management/sales keep changing the requirements for the project I'm working on?
added by ChrisF Jun 17 '10 at 15:02
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up vote 2 down vote
What are some good [job related equipment] for programmers?
added by CrazyJugglerDrummer Jun 24 '10 at 0:05
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up vote 2 down vote
What's your favorite syntax highlighting style?
added by Ullallulloo Jun 26 '10 at 3:25
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up vote 2 down vote
I'm a Windows developer who would like to get in to the Mac OS X software development industry. What's a great way to get started?
added by Warren Pena Jul 1 '10 at 16:51
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up vote 2 down vote
Is Ruby on Rails a cult?
added by Warren Pena Jul 2 '10 at 5:41
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