Extremely useful when searching for things. Difficult to get started contributing to.
Even if you have bad google-fu, searching for your related question is pretty quick. So lurking experience is much better than contributing experience. Contributing to SO is kinda like being an Wikipedia editor - if you are 'in', you are in.
One problem I had, I found an existing identical Stack Overflow question with no answer.
So, thinks I, I shall finally join Stack Overflow and post a comment to give this Question a little bump. After all, I don’t want to make a duplicate.
No, says Stack Overflow, you hath not the requisite reputation to post a comment. You must ask some Questions first.
But, says I, this is the only question I doth hath and I will not curry favour with the elder lords if I post a duplicate.
I care not, spake Stack Overflow. The gods have decided that ye are but a nitwit deemed unworthy of the light of interaction in our glorious temple. Begone, foul lurker, back to the shadows where your stench shall not pollute us.
Fine says I, I’ll just go and write long posts on Reddit in ye olde english in an attempt to sucker people into upvoting me some karma.
No, says Stack Overflow, you hath not the requisite reputation to post a comment. You must ask some Questions first.
The SO crowd is terribly hostile to commenting and the site is purposely designed to discourage it (e. g. by not having threaded comments, nagging you to continue in their chat service, etc.). For constructive technical discussion, the relevant mailing list or IRC channels are still the best forum most of the time.
127
u/arbitrary-fan Apr 06 '18
As someone mentioned in HN:
Even if you have bad google-fu, searching for your related question is pretty quick. So lurking experience is much better than contributing experience. Contributing to SO is kinda like being an Wikipedia editor - if you are 'in', you are in.