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So I've been trying to ask a question about cellphone towers. Below. This question currently has no home. It's not a programming question (Stack Overflow), it's not related to computing (Super User), and I can't find anywhere else that will take the question. It's been closed several times anyhow.

So I realize that there are currently sites on area 51 like Telecommunications where I could ask this question but why isn't there a general site for technology questions? It seems so obvious. Stack Overflow and Super User serve very broad interests but there seems to be a missing link.

Can geo-location data be exchanged (e.g. AGPS) without active cell service?

I do know that cellular companies are already required by law to provide E911 as a service regardless of whether the cellphone in use has an active subscription. E911 is a location based service so it doesn't seem like a stretch that GPS coordinates would be accessible.

In my specific situation I have a cellphone with Wi-Fi but no GPS "card". I would like to use the phones Wi-Fi to make voice calls so that I don't need to pay for cellphone service but I'm afraid of losing the location-based services (or at least the accuracy of them).

In addition to location is there any other information that is provided by cell towers to non-subscribers?

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Our goal is not to create "general sites" for technology or anything else. Instead we create very specific sites for each community's area of expertise.

See About Stack Exchange.

That's why instead of allowing questions on any topic, we bring together individual communities of experts on very specific topics. We cannot guarantee every question will have a home. Most questions wont (at least until the network grows very large). So if you have a field of questions just itching to be asked, the best thing you can do is propose a site on the subject, and rally the experts you need to get those questions answered expertly. A "general technology" site cannot do that.

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    Actually, Stack Overflow is a general site for programming. Depends on how you define general really. I'm sorry but maybe I mislead you by using the word general. I'm looking for something that has the breadth of Stack Overflow and Super User but for the type of question that is not a programming or computer enthusiast question.
    – Usagi
    May 14, 2012 at 21:03
  • So I guess my question for you is, how do you define general and how do you define "specific topic". I only ask this because Stack Overflow obviously more general/focused/restricted than say Programmers.
    – Usagi
    May 14, 2012 at 21:05
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    Stack Overflow is a large topic but it is also very specifically scope around coding issues. It is a well-focused site. Programmers SE expands on the concerns of developers by delving into more "whiteboard" issues such as programming methodologies and such. "Technology questions" would be entirely too broad, covering everything from vacuum cleaners to rocket science. Scoping a site is tough, but hopefully this blog post will help you understand what we consider a right-sized site -- blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/09/merging-season May 14, 2012 at 21:16
  • Yes, this link does actually help a lot.
    – Usagi
    May 14, 2012 at 21:22

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