I recently saw this question about adding another bullet point to the "don't ask" list, and was thinking that perhaps instead of maintaining a huge "don't-ask" list, it would be better to clarify the site's scope itself in the very first line of the FAQ to specify that questions need to be about the actual workplace itself, and should not just be seeking an answer from a workplace-oriented community.
Most Q&A sites, forums, or message boards that I know of are not ruled by a specific topic, but are instead used to get answers from a specific targeted community. I think many new users won't grasp on their own how SE is different, so we need to step up and make sure we clarify this for them.
For example, just going through the list of recently closed questions I see
- How to deal with an ex-boss asking you to do free work
- What can I do to improve my career in X
- How to find a remote position
- How to leverage X to find a job
- Hiring availability at end-of-year
- How to change from job X to job Y
Some of this is specifically in the growing list of "don't ask" bullet points, but I think we can do better than giving our users a big wall of text to read.
Instead, how about we clarify our scope (and possibly tag line) so it is very clear that this site is about a specific topic, and not actually about getting answers from a targeted community like most other sites that resemble Q&A?
For example, what about updating the top section labelled "What kind of questions can I ask here?" from this:
What kind of questions can I ask here?
The Workplace - Stack Exchange is for members of the workforce navigating the professional setting.
To something like this:
What kind of questions can I ask here?
The Workplace - Stack Exchange is a place to get professional or experienced answers about the Workplace.
Please note that all questions should be about the workplace itself, and should not be non-workplace questions that are only seeking advice from another member of the workforce.
The first version says this is a site for a specific type of community, which implies that this is no different than any other forum or message board out there. The 2nd specifies this site is for a specific topic, and that unrelated questions only out to get answers from another member of the workforce are not allowed.
Would it be possible to make a change like this to the FAQ? (exact wording can be up to you guys)