[wp-hackers] Wordpress StackExchange is ready.

[Michael E. Hancock]

From: "Jane Wells" <jane at automattic.com>
> I'm concerned that this will splinter the development community, with 
> official discussion happening via wordpress.org channels, and non-official 
> discussions on StackOverflow. People already complain about there being 
> information in too many places and it being hard to know which information 
> is official.

That 'fragmentation' concerned me but then I wondered, what can it hurt?

Many people have yelled for years that the wp-hackers list is too noisy. 
Others have complained they can't get their questions answered in the forums 
and/or they can't stand how the forum software functions.  Still others 
gripe they can't get the harder questions answered in #wordpress IRC.  And 
don't forget the ranting about Codex, where complaints range from the 
content, to the software that Codex uses.

So it would seem, people who are able, and willing, to answer those 
questions, desire a different or more attractive alternative.  If 
StackOverflow provides an experience that allows them to overcome the 
wordpress.org obstacles (real or perceived) and to contribute something 
useful, then that's "a win" for the community.

The focus of the StackOverflow proposal is limited.  It's not for end users. 
It won't replace the forums, it won't replace Codex, it won't replace trac, 
it won't replace the IRC channels, and it won't replace the wp-testers list. 
Based on the target audience, it would probably be the users of this list 
that would be most likely to gravitate to that solution.

If nothing else, it can be another outlet for those who feel 
disenfranchised, disgruntled, and neglected.

MichaelH