Are "please write code for me" questions on topic here?

Question

I've been floating around here for a while, but haven't been especially active. I tend to spend most of my time on Stackoverflow.

Over there questions like this would be closed within minutes of being posted since the OP hasn't made any attempt to try and solve the problem by himself.

It immediately gave me the impression that this user (registered for 3 months but first contribution to the site) is asking for the Magento development community to write his module/code for him without having tried to consider an approach to it, let alone actually trying to do it.

Are questions like this on topic on Magento StackExchange or should they be closed? If closed, which close option? I couldn't see a relevant close vote reason, other than "Too broad", so I've left it for now.

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Background: I've noticed many of these questions lately. It is a real hindrance to the healthy development and growth of a SE community when users of all experience levels have to wade through mountains of "please write code for me" questions, "how do I do X, Y or Z?" questions etc., and something needs to be done about it to help the growth of this site.

Answer 1

Take into consideration what you would want done if you were the one asking the question. This user has only asked one question in 3 months and no answers, so it's safe to say they aren't an expert. In said question, the user does not ask specifically for code to be written for them. As @fschmengler said, many times in Magento, an extension or other method can be used to solve a problem as opposed to writing code.

Thus, these types of questions should be left intact and the community should be willing to leave comments requesting implementation methods or offer answers using the methods they feel best solve the problem.

On the flip side, you must take into consideration a user 1 year from now who may have the same question. If a solution does not exist, then one should be recorded so Roomba does not strip away good information that may not be found elsewhere on the web.

Answer 2

This particular question already had my close vote as "too broad" and yes, I feel that there are lots of similar questions lately, I'm using the close result quite often.

But there is a twist: The difference between StackOverflow and this site is that here questions often can be solved without code or with very little programming effort if you know the basics and get some hints how to start, even those questions that might not seem like that at first glance.

That's why the "too broad" close reason should not be used hastily. Somebody who knows more than you might come up with a simple solution. And if not, the question falls into oblivion, unanswered and most likely with no upvotes, until Roomba takes care of them.

But if you are sure that there is no such simple solution, the question shows no effort and an answer would require a complete module to be written, don't hesitate to close as too broad, ideally with a short comment why.

Answer 3

@robbie-averill did you start on coding w/o any kind of "Can you help me please" or "Can you give me a hint or code snippet" question?

I don't know you nor haven't i take a look into some of your history posts. But i think you done so too. I couldn't (or wouldn't) believe if you would say that you've not done. So now you're on a more experienced level, know things better and you may now post a question this style.

On the other hand, questions may not always be that clear asked like it should be done. Take your example and watch the edits. He was trying, he even posted his own solution for helping others. Maybe the OP just asked the wrong way? He may already tried 1-3 days or just several hours, you won't know as i do not see any comments from you like 'What has been tried already?'. You've just commented his answer as a good solution, but provide it as a bad example for your 'please write code for me' topic.

And this question is an example like @fschmengler said that can be answered w/o any code of line, just a hint like 'Password field is xyz, it is md5:salt'.

Take my last post Create second cart controller for split test ... It's a similar question like the example. I've searched the web, tried to find answer here and so on. I've just asked, what would be the best approach to do so because after searching many hours i've just haven't found any good information on the net. Because of this, i asked the question the way i did. I haven't asked for 'please write code'. If someone can give me a hint, i'll may be fine and got my solution. If someone writes, that i would need my own extension, ok too. If someone would be so great and post a 2-liner, that would solve my question, i'll be happy.

It's not the question that is the problem, it's the missing commenting/answering or any other action, that is the problem. If you think, the question is 'too broad' or not worth answering it, you have the possibility to request the close or downvote it. At a glance with a comment why you've done this. No action but 'complaining' on meta is a kind of hilarious way to handle the problem.

Answer 4

I've also noticed a lot of this type of questions recently, but as @fschmengler said, some of those are valid questions that can be helped without writing code snippets. I've provided a few answers like these that have had positive response from the posters.

addtocart - How to... (Observer code snippet was not available at the time I posted my answer)

I provide them with a guideline on how to approach the problem, and they solve it by using that as a starting point to search existing material available because most of the common Magento 1 questions have already been addressed.