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I’ve become more aggressive lately in migration to Super User and want the community’s input as to whether this is welcome. Even before I became a mod I found it odd that we have a close reason that says, “This belongs on Super User …”. Well then, why not flag / migrate it to Super User?

Recent examples:

Does anyone take issue and want me to wait? Is there a reason why people vote to close as tech support rather than flag for migration? Does its inclusion in the wording of our close reason lead people to use that instead of flagging for migration?

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  • Opinion: I think you're right about these questions. Also, is it normal I only get the "meta" as option when I want to suggest a migration to another stack?
    – go-junta
    Nov 4, 2015 at 0:49
  • 2
    Yes that's normal @go-meek but you can always use Other and write in, "This belongs on SuperUser" or "This belongs on Workplace", "...Photo", "...UX", "...Freelance", etc.
    – Ryan
    Nov 4, 2015 at 1:06
  • Thanks, then that's what I'll do when it's appropriate!
    – go-junta
    Nov 4, 2015 at 1:10
  • I don’t quite understand the last sentence in your first paragraph. When people use Off-topic -> Other and write “This belongs on SuperUser”, they are asking for it to be migrated to SuperUser. Non-mods have no way of flagging to migrate a question anywhere but Meta; flagging/voting to close as off-topic is the workaround.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Nov 6, 2015 at 9:20

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I tihnk we should guard our content. It's posted on our GD.SE and I'd like to keep as much (on-topic) content here as possible, even if it's also a (even slightly better) fit on another Stack.

In your specific cases, I'd say the second and last are clear migrations to SuperUser. The first is a tougher one, I think it has its place here.

A good comparison would be to imagine the asker working in a large company with both a design and a software department. If there is a bigger chance they'd get the right answer at the design department, keep the question here. If they'd have a better chance of a good answer at the software dept, kick it to SuperUser.

The third question by the way, doesn't have a place anywhere. I'm sorry, I don't feel comfortable helping someone's pirated version of any software to work properly, anywhere on SE. I wouldn't be surprised if SE's Terms & conditions agree with me there.

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  • I have no problem with this. I'm more interested in hearing from community members as to how to make the decision since it seems almost nobody flags things for migration. Wait until its closed as off-topic and only then decide if it should be migrated?
    – Ryan
    Nov 5, 2015 at 20:37
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That's just how I sort tech support from the rest. I could be wrong, of course:

Tech support to me are questions like:

  • My Photoshop is slow to save when I have Firefox, Chrome, ITunes, Skype, Mail and Dreamweaver in the background. BTW I have 8 gb ram.

  • Where can I plug my headphones

  • How to set up my 2 displays

  • How to change keyboard language

We can answer these but that's starting to be basic operating system knowledge. So I guess it should go to SuperUser.

Related design questions:

  • Why do fonts conflict in Suitcase

  • How to add a custom menu to Illustrator

  • Why Photoshop takes 15 minutes saving my 10k layers in my .psd

  • Why I see little squares at the end of sentences in my PDF

That's all related to the software we use everyday, specifically part of a designer's workflow and good knowledge to all of us. That could stay here because that's part of our expertise. Some could be considered tech support but we know the answers and these issues might only happen to designers.

Now for stuff like counting how many layers in a .psd, I consider this to be at the same level as creating scripts. And since I rarely use scripts, I don't think they entirely belong to the GD:SE but I'm also admitting I'm biased thinking this, probably because I can't answer these questions. I'm hoping some genius somewhere will figure it out. My first reflex is of course to ask "why the hell do you have 10k layers" and suggest them to calm down with the layers, learn to organize their files and think before adding so many trash layers. Maybe that kind of question could simply get into the void of unanswered questions until someone can answer it.

All the other examples of the OP could really be migrated to SuperUser.

EDIT Nov. 11:

Maybe add to the list of the "We shouldn't have to manage this":

my-printer-doesn't-work questions

That's hardware questions, and almost customer support. At the limit I could understand questions about Xerox or large formats Epson but not home printers and their very specific (and really basic) settings. It seems like there's more and more of these questions. That belongs to the same category as "where do I plug my headphone". It's not hardcore Preps imposition, it's basic "how to use a printer" questions.

Examples:

Vertical Page Layout Print Booklet Prints Does Not Print Correctly

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/27381/book-printing-pages-not-arranged-correctly

Adobe InDesign 6 not printing booklets to edges of paper, InDesign 5.5 did

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  • Of course, all four (except possibly the first) of your tech question examples here would also be off-topic on SuperUser. ;-)
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Nov 6, 2015 at 9:22
  • @JanusBahsJacquet Yeah maybe these examples were way too hardcore and it's actually reassuring you tell me they would be off topic there too haha!
    – go-junta
    Nov 6, 2015 at 10:48

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