[2026 update] Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at length posts 31–41
This is a continuation of a long topic, addressed by post number rather than by page. Start at post 1 · go to the accepted answer.
The Lounge is a real category rather than a dumping ground. The sourcing rule still applies there, which surprises people, but the register is looser and nobody minds a digression.
That holds under the stated conditions and I have stated them.
Seconded. It reads as careful rather than confident, which is the right register.
The Lounge is a real category rather than a dumping ground. The sourcing rule still applies there, which surprises people, but the register is looser and nobody minds a digression.
I would be interested in a counterexample if anyone has one.
Do not feel obliged to reply to every reply on your own topic. A single "that answered it" and a marked solution is the most useful thing you can do for the next person who searches.
Anyone who has looked at this more carefully, please correct the record.
Nothing here requires expertise. The experienced members here got that way by posting questions, not by knowing the answer before they showed up. If you know something useful, post it. If you do not, ask.
Introducing yourself is fine and requires no question. Post in this subcategory, describe the context that matters for why you are here, and lurk for a bit before posting technical questions. That order works well.
The moderation log is public. Every staff action is logged with the rule cited and the reasoning stated. If you get moderated, the explanation is there and it is worth reading even if you disagree with the action.
The mechanism is plausible, which is not the same as established.
The compound and evidence pages are updated regularly and they are worth reading when you are new. They answer the meta questions like "do we have data on this" and "what do the trials actually show" before you ask them.
The Lounge is a real category rather than a dumping ground. The sourcing rule still applies there, which surprises people, but the register is looser and nobody minds a digression.
The step people skip is the one I have spelled out.
This topic was referenced in
- Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at lengthStart Here › Welcome · 153 replies
- What "marked as solution" means and who gets to mark itStart Here › Welcome · 2 replies
- Follow-up: What this community means by "a source", in practical termsStart Here › Welcome · 20 replies
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