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Please send me an email and I will dig into the matter for you.
Thanks,
Sean Ewington
CodeProject
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This post is, partially, "inspired" by CHill's recent post here: "Up the number of reports to close a QA question?" ... but, I am starting a new thread because what I have to say is, I believe, on a different "level." I want to "frame" the issue of deleting QA posts by focusing on the broader context ... the thread as a whole including any comments, or posted solutions ... in which a given question appears.
This question exists in the context of the weird fact that deleted QA questions get stripped of their comments, and any posted solutions, yet continue to appear visible on the Forums: an absurdity resulting in wasted time for everyone: unless you consider reading "closed" notices fascinating  That structural flaw is something only CP staff can address. In this post I choose to ignore the related phenomenon of rapid down-voting of new questions by certain very "dominant" participants in the QA forums.
When a QA question is:
0. accompanied by some included code (not a "code-dump") that indicates the OP is struggling with writing code themselves.
|| 1. quite "fresh" in time
|| 2. by someone relatively new to CodeProject, or someone whose use of English indicates they have great difficulty writing it.
|| 3. has had meaningful questions posted as comments on the OP which ask for clarification, etc.
|| 4. has had solution(s) ... particularly those that include working code ... posted by other CP members with good track-records (note: I do not assume that rep-points, or MVP status, have any linear relation to "good track record" here, since I consider the entire CP rep-system ... except for articles ... "structurally distorted, and frequently abused").
Then, I believe that closing the question before it has had some minimum "life-span" is a dis-service to CodeProject.
If other CP members who are obviously making a contribution to QA by posting working code, and thoughtful comments, take their time to post on a thread: closing it not only discards that content, but it also creates a dis-incentive for the person who is truly trying to be helpful on QA.
For example, when a question like this one: [^] ... posted, apparently in the later night-time in the US ... is closed within hours of its being posted, it's possible the OP has not even had a chance, during their daylight hours, to review the question, and its comments, and any posted solutions. On this question I asked several questions in a comment, and would have, likely, posted code, if the OP had answered.
I took the trouble to post a working code solution for this question [^], which I experienced as quite a clear question in the sense the OP showed at least some code.
The dangers of ignoring context are expressed clearly to me in statements like this one by a frequent quick-question-closer:
"Worst case scenario, the user asks the question again and hopefully adds some detail." This completely ignores the fact that for many people, having a question removed may be experienced as a complete ... fill in the blank ... personal/intellectual rejection, breaking of face, insult, go-away-stay-away sign, etc. Note that those with their questions removed, to my knowledge, receive no notice of the question being closed, certainly no encouragement to post again.
I could go on further ... and farther ... but, if I haven't highlighted any issues that need to be addressed ... and which, if addressed, would result in a "better" CodeProject QA ... by this time, I'd say that what you have heard here is only burble.
« There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad. » Salvador Dali
modified 28-Oct-14 8:43am.
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Even your comments are valuable and have a lot of truth in it I think it is wrong to mention people by name. That too can be " experienced as a complete ... fill in the blank ... personal/intellectual rejection, breaking of face, insult, go-away-stay-away sign, etc"...
I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. (V)
תפסיק לספר לה' כמה הצרות שלך גדולות, תספר לצרות שלך כמה ה' גדול!
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I take your point, and I think it was, at the least, less than diplomatic ... at the worst, downright rude ... to mention the good names of certain persons without, at the same time, mentioning that they make great contributions here to QA and CodeProject, and are people I respect.
I have removed the names from the title of the post, and the post.
thanks, Bill
« There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad. » Salvador Dali
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(Please see my proposal two post above...)
I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. (V)
תפסיק לספר לה' כמה הצרות שלך גדולות, תספר לצרות שלך כמה ה' גדול!
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Agree with the points you raised. The point about time zones and not having had the chance to review their own question is a interesting and a good one.
Perhaps we need a semi-rejected status for unclear questions, giving people some time to re-phrase their question without actually closing it, if no response within, say 24 hours of "rejection" it gets properly removed.
Also point 3 - actual question emerging in comments discussion - could we add a mechanism to transfer into the main body?
Alberto Brandolini: The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.
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Keith Barrow wrote: Perhaps we need a semi-rejected status for unclear questions, giving people some time to re-phrase their question without actually closing it, if no response within, say 24 hours of "rejection" it gets properly removed.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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As someone who could sometimes be accused of having an itchy trigger-finger when it comes to poor-quality questions  , I've got some ideas on improving the situation:
Spam/abusive:
No change. The question should be deleted, along with any comments or answers.
Off-topic:
Close the question, but leave any existing comments and answers visible.
(If there are none, then remove the question.)
Repost:
The reporter should be required to provide a link to where the question was previously posted.
This must be a link to another QA question or a forum post on CodeProject.
The source item must have been posted earlier than the question being reported.
Links to the non-programming forums should be excluded, as the OP was probably told to repost in QA.
Unclear or incomplete:
Change the wording from "Closed" to "On hold" or something similar.
Prompt the OP to update the question with the missing details.
Leave all existing comments and answers visible, and allow new comments and solutions to be posted.
Users who have already posted a solution, can vote to re-open.
Anyone posting a new solution registers as a vote to re-open.
Any edit to the question re-opens it.
Not a question:
Not sure about this one. To my mind, this is usually the no effort, "send me teh codez ITZ URGENT" type questions, or the "here's a code-dump without any question" questions. Perhaps these should be treated in the same way as the off-topic questions - close them, but leave existing comments and answers visible.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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I like your ideas, Richard. In the past I've proposed (on this forum) that certain-minimum-rep-level CP members (based on 'Authority rank ?) have the "right" to put a "hold" on a question so it can't be deleted for some period of time.
cheers, Bill
« I am putting myself to the fullest possible use which is all, I think, that any conscious entity can ever hope to do » HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) in "2001, A Space Odyssey"
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BillWoodruff wrote: the weird fact that deleted QA questions get stripped of their comments, and any posted solutions, yet continue to appear visible on the Forums:
The thinking here is to
1. Make it clear that that poor questions can actually be closed
2. Provide an opportunity for a civic minded person to reopen (and edit) a question to give it purpose.
BillWoodruff wrote: f other CP members who are obviously making a contribution to QA by posting working code, and thoughtful comments, take their time to post on a thread: closing it not only discards that content, but it also creates a dis-incentive for the person who is truly trying to be helpful on QA.
I completely agree, and would prefer a question not be answered if it's clear that there's been little or not effort in posing the question. I know that sounds harsh, and I certainly don't want to get to the level of elitism and agro over at SO, but there should certainly be a minimum level of clarity and effort required from those posting questions.
I dislike encouraging poor behaviour. On both sides of the fence.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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I just finished editing an article named "Start unit test code coverage by Jacoco" (or something like that if I do not remember correctly), but when I tried to submit it, I get an error on the web page, and I then lost the article.
I have tried to save the "Draft" all the time, now I do not even see the draft. I am not sure if you can help me to recover the draft.
Any help is appreciated, so I do not need to re-do the typing.
Thanks,
Song
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I'm so sorry, I can't seem to find any draft either
Thanks,
Sean Ewington
CodeProject
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It is OK. But if you do find anything, please let me know. I remember that Chris helped to solve some similar problems a couple of years ago. Thanks anyway, Song
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Please give me some time. I'll dig deeper.
Thanks,
Sean Ewington
CodeProject
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We have dug, but could not find.  Quick series of questions for you, if you please:
- Did you press Submit at all?
- Was your process to edit and keep editing the auto-saved drafts?
- Was it an article that was previously pending?
Thanks,
Sean Ewington
CodeProject
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1. Yes, I did submit (with editing not to make public checked). But after clicking the submit button I then see an error page (the page shows a picture some bugs and some broken wires). I then clicked the back button on the web browser (I do not remember what the back button gave me, but it was something that was meaningless), when I refresh the page, I no longer see anything related to the article that I am working on.
2. I used the codeproject's submit wizard to edit the article. It tells me that the draft will be auto-saved. It does save automatic draft based on my previous experience, but not this time.
3. I do not remember if I have previously pending articles.
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I know we get some absolute rubbish in there, but several seem to get closed down for no real good reason ... e.g. Path trough command?[^]
I worked out what he meant, clearly SA did too... although I never did get to see what he posted. Only 2 people quoted as deeming it unsuitable ... up to 5 maybe??
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CHill60 wrote: clearly SA did too
So why did he vote to have it closed?
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Richard MacCutchan wrote: So why did he vote to have it closed?
It appears to me that some QA devotees believe that not to answer a QA question is a mortal sin.
« There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad. » Salvador Dali
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AFAIK the number of reports must be 5,
the list of reporters is another thing, if the reports get counted in different cathegories only the one with the biggest number of "votes" gets listed. I think the weight of the reporters (based on rep) has to do something as well, but not sure about it.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Nelek wrote: AFAIK the number of reports must be 5,
It's 3, unless that changed and I didn't notice.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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CHill60 wrote: I worked out what he meant,
That's impressive, given how little information the question contains. 
Perhaps you could use the "Improve Question" link to fill in the missing details? (I assume that will re-open the question.)
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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It was the "old days" comment that gave me the clue  Not sure I should be advertising that I realised he meant VB6 
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That's odd - in a VB.NET project, the Command method[^] should still be available as a global method.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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