Upcoming Changes To 'Ask Slashdot' 230
We're pleased to announce that changes are coming to the Ask Slashdot section. Ask Slashdot is a place to get your technical questions answered, show off your big brain by helping others, debate products and practices, and occasionally talk directly to companies about their offerings. Over the years, we've posted more than 7700 questions, on everything from workplace relations to home networking to evading censorship from unfriendly regimes. Starting tomorrow, you'll see that some Ask Slashdot questions have their own sponsors; the sponsors don't pick the questions, but experts from each sponsor will stick around for the discussion. Next up: we're making it easier for you to submit questions. Our goal is to make Ask Slashdot your "go-to" place for answers to your pressing nerd questions. So please post your questions, put on your answering hats, and come along for the ride.
I for one welcome this change with open hands (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:I for one welcome this change with open hands (Score:4, Interesting)
So this is slashdot bowing to its corporate overlords, then? How long have you been working to slip that one through, eh?
StackOverflow competior? (Score:5, Interesting)
What's the deal with the sponsors? Are you saying Oracle (for example) is going to have some expert answer common Java questions in a slashvertisement/tech support type thing?
Re:StackOverflow competior? (Score:5, Interesting)
Sorry to reply to myself, but I'm a big believer in not bitching about a problem without offering a solution.
Slashdot corporate overlords, if you're browsing these posts for reactions to the change, here's a suggestion: consider the metafilter business model.
Put a slashdot poll up and ask the users if they'd be willing to pay $5 per year to get rid of all the ads, and eliminate 90% of the trolls (most trolls aren't willing to pay to troll).
Make karma mean something - those with excellent or above karma get a discounted (or free) rate. Same way we can turn off Ads now.
I know that I, for one, would jump at the chance to help fund slashdot, and to help make it great again.
Bullshit. (Score:1, Interesting)
Another way of saying "we're going to have even more Slashvertisments in the future, straight from the companies who can't possibly do any wrong."
I can see the line-up already:
- Is Carrier IQ software capable of tracking my usage? Answer by the creator of Carrier IQ and an Apple representative
- what's the best database to use for a personal website? Answer by a MySQL rep from Oracle
- what are the benefits of a Slashdot subscription? Answer by some BoingBoing reject editor
Fuck you, Soulskill. Money grubbing twat.
DIGG exodus: Now in Slasdot Flavour (Score:4, Interesting)
What I worry about is how much manipulation these sponsors will demand.
About a year ago, Digg.com did the same and re worked the site.
The sponsors started to control content and people noticed.
Within 4 months, most users left for another site.
Now, Digg is a shadow of its former self and is spammed regularly.
Comments are few and hollow a-la "I agree" or "me too".
Content is still controlled to this day.
IOW: Digg is now a Web 2.0 billboard.
I don't want a repeat.
Uh-oh (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm Skeptical Of The Usefulness (Score:4, Interesting)
I've been reading slashdot for over a decade. I haven't once gotten a post published. I've posted good and relevant stories only to see them reject without an explanation ( hint to admins: this really pisses people off and makes it harder to get volunteers ).
I'm skeptical of how useful "ask slashdot" is for that reason. I never bothered to try it out. Why should I take the time to type out a worthy technical question if I don't even know if it will be published?
The interface takes some getting used to, but I have found the current best place for technical questions is stackoverlow.com.
It is like Usenet, but without the cranky people with no lives looking to slam people.
I've learned a lot there.
Re:I for one welcome this change with open hands (Score:5, Interesting)
The questions is if we'll see more experts or more sales staff.
Most experts in IT fields already know to hang around StackOverflow for helping others, and getting help as well. The sales staff have been poking at everything from Slashdot to Faceschmuck to Digg for years, never getting quite as well established. So, which group is on the lookout for new fora? Which company recently bought /. and what is their goal?
Not that I see this necessarily as a bad thing. For precedent, see the vendor forums on Geekhack.org. Very productive for both the consumer and the vendor, so long as it is properly labeled.
Re: Distinguishing difference here (Score:5, Interesting)
Okay, time to cash in some of my karma.
1. Who are you "PerlJedi (2406408) who works for Slashdot" and what is your expertise since you are a brand new hire?
2. I am noticing the quotes on "Expert". Either the people really will be experts, or else they'll be Astroturfing "Experts" in quotes. That is, unless your grammar just sux and you put gratuitous quotes which then accidentally totally flipped your meaning.
3. I bet no one cross-referenced which of these ... "Experts" are currently also Slashdot users - I bet new ones in that ominous 2400000 range. As users they get Mod points? Who will be watching what they do with those?
4. Companies don't care about "being made a fool of" with the top 25% if the Astroturfing raises sales with the newer 75% userbase. Sure, some companies will provide a legit expert, but we're watching like a hawk. Slashdot has seen our comments on editorial quality. We've made fools of you for years. Not like it really helped. (Probably some, far from enough.)
Bonus: Since y'all want to make changes, get a grip and allow editing of posts. Do like other forums do and tag it "this post was modified ...". Then we won't get 7 bad entries harping on spelling that totally derails the conversation. Put a time limit on it like 72 hours.
Re:I'm Skeptical Of The Usefulness (Score:4, Interesting)
BTW http://meta.superuser.com/ [superuser.com] has a similar interface to stackoverflow and is very helpful too.