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Proposal: Hardware Recommendations

The proposal should clarify that it's about computing hardware, not home improvement.

Anyway, since computing hardware goes obsolete on a regular basis, I don't see how the proposal could work. Software recommendations last longer because software titles remain essentially the same product from year to year. Hardware often needs to be completely reevaluated with each iteration.

The topic is covered by many forums. Maybe something like a StackExchange could provide timely, but dated advice. But SE answers are designed not to expire, and such a site would seem doomed to congestion with stale answers, perhaps not until well into the beta.

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  • You're right, the site should have a name that can directly associate the fact that this site is for computer hardware only. I know that there is the concern that hardware get obsolete very fast, but I insist that this can be resolved by having moderators editing / closing obsolete information. Right now, there is no a forum on SE where people could ask questions about computer hardware, and this proposal could be the answer of that.
    – scubaFun
    Feb 28, 2014 at 15:27
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    @emendezrivas That's not a moderator's responsibility. It's the community's responsibility to prevent questions from being asked that would invite answers that would only last for a fairly short amount of time. Your suggestion of moderators cleaning it up would basically mean that once an answer reaches a certain age it should be deleted. A site for answers that will only be relevant for a year or two is entirely useless by definition.
    – animuson StaffMod
    Mar 19, 2014 at 0:48
  • @animuson Sorry, I misused the word "moderator". What I meant was what you mentioned: people from the community looking for the answers to see if they are still valid. I did not meant that once a answer reaches a certain age it should be deleted right off the bat; what I wanted to say is that answers should be edited to update obsolete information, and in the worst-case scenario when the answer cannot be updated, either leave the question open if it still makes a good contribution, or close it.
    – scubaFun
    Mar 19, 2014 at 13:38
  • @Potatoswatter : Most forum can help for some skilled questions. Just look at the questions I wrote.
    – user2284570
    Jun 13, 2014 at 21:14
  • Exactly, the name should specify what kind of hardware. For example, I am looking for a StackExchange for Robot sensor recommendations, but such questions are rejected even in Robotics SE! Here it seems that many are asking about Desktop PC or server hardware. Just needs to be narrowed down to something. Any way, I don't see how HW questions would be obsolete any faster than SW.
    – lahjaton_j
    Aug 19, 2014 at 11:12
  • @lahjaton_j As commented on your Robotics question, StackExchange does not intend to help shoppers.
    – Potatoswatter
    Aug 20, 2014 at 0:17
  • @Potatoswatter Does it mean even Area 51 is shopping recommendation free zone, and that SE wants to keep it that way? Can you clarify the claim "hardware goes obsolete faster than software"? In my point of view, software (programming languages, libraries, operating systems) may also be obsolete in terms of years. New trends come and go, and some technologies and methodologies are almost completely buried. With hardware, say robotic perception, there are also some technologies that get obsolete in terms of years, but some remain for decades (e.g. stereo camera).
    – lahjaton_j
    Aug 21, 2014 at 6:02
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    @lahjaton_j I was referring to products, not technologies. Hardware products are replaced with each generation, but software is merely upgraded so particular claims about feature sets tend to remain valid. Not 100%, but at least there's gradual degradation. As for the scope of area 51, try asking a new question on this discussion site.
    – Potatoswatter
    Aug 21, 2014 at 7:03
  • Remember that even on SO, probably the most used SE site, questions go out of date all the time, as tags get removed or changed.
    – Sam Denton
    Aug 26, 2014 at 11:54
  • @SamDenton That's only a result of poor moderation. Software platforms never die, even when they're superseded someone might still need to program, or at least understand, a legacy platform. The SO moderators have convinced themselves that they understand all tags better than the users, and that collateral damage to old questions is acceptable to their obsessive-compulsive urges.
    – Potatoswatter
    Aug 30, 2014 at 7:46

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