earthquake! fairly small, but kinda scary...

M 2.9, pretty small indeed geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/maps/events/ev120109032115/…

@YannisRizos Earthquakes are never fun. Especially with all the big ones happening all over the place lately.

@AnnaLear I know, Greece is pretty seismically active, and today's was pretty close to the epicenter of the lethal 78 Thessaloniki earthquake. And although small in magnitude it was very shallow and it felt like it was a bigger one.

@AnnaLear Oops posted the wrong link, check here to get an idea of how often we get small / medium tremors.

I don't want to post a meta-question about my question being closed as too-localized. Are there any good FAQ questions about that ruling in general that I can review before complaining? ;)

the question was programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/129215

@AnthonyMastrean Well it wasn't too localized when it was about Canada, then you revised it to be only about Quebec... :P

@AnthonyMastrean Also, it's essentially a legal question (the second version), so it's off topic...

@AnthonyMastrean That's my justification for my close vote, feel free to ask a meta question - but please not one like this or that - I think your question has good chances of getting reopened.

@MarkTrapp The question is on Including custom log file output that would only be read by English speaking users (assume this is how our business works).. Custom log output that's somehow only read by English speaking users, in Quebec. Too localized. But I don't really want the question closed...

@MarkTrapp Also clearly off topic. None of us really has the expertise to say if the law is clear cut or not.

Thanks for the feedback, sorry I went afk for a bit.

is there a law site where this question would be valid?

It's about program requirements and output. I would ask SOX, HIPAA, and other such US law & programming questions here or on stackoverflow

@MarkTrapp Custom log output that's somehow only read by English speaking users, in Quebec => a small handful of people (the way I read it)

@AnthonyMastrean Could you revise the question to give us a better sense of how many people are affected?

Or not. It's borderline and well written, no worries, let's just keep it open.

hell, /any/ company doing business in QUebec :)

thanks for keeping it open, but the answers are very weak.

the effected # of people is my entire company!

and any other (as said above)

@AnthonyMastrean Yeap I can see your point, and Mark's. But if somehow your log output will only be read by English speaking people, what's the point?

That part of the question may be irrelevant and misleading.

I was surprised when this architect mentioned log files. let's forget their intended use. however, I thought it might affect the legal position of the company.

@MarkTrapp I'm working on a tech proposal for an app that must support all of our 23 official languages. I'm not debating why it's important, just that it's not very clear how many people will be affected by the decision. Log output is not something meant to reach normal users...

and I'm looking for legal reference about what text has to be in what language. in that case, I think that the log file use is important.

Cool, clarify the question a little bit, especially since you think the answers so far are weak - try to guide people to give you better answers...

oh man, this is hard!

software law is such a tough area. I probably wouldn't even want to hear from a lawyer.

the architect also said that some big companies (Philips) get special accommodations.

@MarkTrapp We're debating subjective terms. I'm guessing if most close votes where on the off topic side, the discussion would be a lot different - my close vote was for off topic, if I remember correctly. Check out the answers, too many guesses... And at least one that supports my view that logfiles are not intended for users, hence Quebec law is irrelevant (got my upvote). If there's a weird reason for this app's log files to be visible to normal users, that's too localized. But, meh!

Anyways I don't think it was closed as too localized because of Quebec, but because of the weirdness with the log files, which could be wrong but far from the common abuse of too localized.

if it's closed, does it still show up in Google searches?

because these answers aren't good. but, if you can at least get to the closed question, you might know that it's a bad question :)

it feels like the answers are guesses or opinions.

and not based on facts

my company might be producing software for the gov't. that's unaddressed.

@MarkTrapp Hmmm, let's just declare Quebec off topic and be done with it :P

haha that satisfies everyone!

I'm surprised it is open. It seems to languish on more than one reason to close. Localized, specifically asks about the interpretation of a law (and hence, legal advice), and only skirts on being specific to programming (doesn't this apply equally to say, internal labeling on a hardware device?).

Not that it isn't a great question, Anthony.

But I would act upon ANY of the answers until I had consulted a lawyer.

Or, alternatively, just don't sell to Quebec :)

hey, no problem. thanks for the feedback.

close it down!

@AnthonyMastrean I don't see how log files could be enforced as a translatable work. Surely there will be acronyms and phrases that don't make sense in English - they only make sense to someone with knowledge of the source code. Would you have to translate class names to French too?

@Steve, while I agree with you, it could be foolish to assume that something we find nonsensical wouldn't/couldn't be enforced without legal advice.

@AnthonyMastrean There are two new close votes on the question, and yet another answer that's concentrated on log files... It will probably be closed again, and I think you got your answer, we don't really know :)

I'm going back to StackOverflow where my questions don't get closed :D

Welcome back any time. Closing is just our way of telling someone we appreciate them ;)

someone was wrong? on the internet?!

From what I read on the internet, it is all the people not on it that are wrong :)