The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

12:43 AM

1

Q: Do we really need the [characters] tag?

Do we really need the characters tag? Going through some of the questions, I can't seem to figure out what, if anything, this tag is adding that makes these questions distinct. It seems like a meta tag. Do we need this tag? If not, can we have Charizard use Fire Blast to burninate it?

Mithrandir

2:41 AM

@TheLethalCarrot People will always have different definitions of what's "obvious". In fact, I'd consider the case under consideration obvious (and cast a vote to reflect that). As far as I know, there is no policy against what is colloquially known as "the meta effect".

Alex

3:19 AM

Perhaps part of the issue is that users with enough reputation to vote would likely not have raised the issue on Meta, and would have just voted on the question itself. I brought it to Meta because I didn't have the option of voting to reopen.

Jalapeno Nachos

6:42 AM

@doppelgreener no worries, thanks :)

SQB

6:59 AM

> Stephen Fry: […] Harry saw his parents die, so why hasn't he been able to see the Thestrals before?

JK Rowling: [JKR answer]

Mithrandir

@SQB ...I of course haven't been just skipping over some words for the past four years, have I?

SQB

That's the accepted answer. Other answers state that the witness needs to understand what they're witnessing.

@Mithrandir no, I don't think you have.

So I'm curious what still needs to be answered.

For the record, I do agree that questions are dupliclosed too hastily sometimes, I'm just curious why you feel your question isn't answered by the answers to the original.

Mithrandir

I still don't like the WoG answer, as it doesn't explain how it hasn't sunk in. How has it not sunk in - he's been dealing with the Dursleys his whole life, and once he sees e.g. the Burrow, he knows what he's lost. Why, then, has it not "sunk in"?

SQB

7:14 AM

@Mithrandir then edit that in (or re-ask with that included). Informally, I'd say that he didn't actually knowingly witness his mother's death. The effects of his parents' deaths have sunk in, but that's different from actually witnessing someone die.

Mithrandir

At this point, I'd have to ask a new a question.

Which... I might do.

SQB

Probably. Although your question shouldn't have been deleted. It currently has 2 un-delete votes.

@Mithrandir If you do, reference the other question (not your old one, but its dupe-target) and address why it doesn't answer your question.

Mithrandir

Yeah, otherwise I'd end up with another question closed as a dupe of that one ;)

SQB

Exactly.

Mithrandir

flag-pls, del-pls | NaA / Borderline R/A/spam | Who was it in the black and white photo on The Doctor's desk?

SQB

7:19 AM

Flagged as spam.

Not sure if it really was spam, but with useless content like this, I like to err against it.

Even without a link, I assume they're either "selling" something, or trying to confuse spam filters.

They did go to the trouble of creating an account.

TheLethalCarrot

7:55 AM

@Mithrandir When the votes are clearly split 60/40 it is not obvious, when the meta posts firsts answers were defending the closure and later users defended wanting it opening it is not obvious. I get your point but this is obviously not one of those cases.

@Alex Not an issue here, it didn't go through the reopen queue until your meta

heather

8:44 AM

hmm, kinda disappointed in how few jules verne q/a there are on the site.

TheLethalCarrot

We'd love for you to ask some if you can!

Note most questions should be tagged with the work and not the author so that might be making the search a bit more awkward if you're just looking at the author's tag

heather

oh, i am just looking at the author tag...but i note, e.g., journey-center-earth has only 2 questions and around-the-world-in-80-days only 1.

TheLethalCarrot

I'm not familiar enough with the work but someone did note yesterday it only had a few questions

Though of course the only way to keep a tag going is new questions

I try myself to ask new GoT/ASOIAF Qs myself when I can to keep the tag alive and that's a large popular work

Mithrandir

@heather oh, that should be renamed

TheLethalCarrot

And yet it get's surprisingly few questions

heather

8:49 AM