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The Lounge is for non-programmng questions and the forums/questions & answers are for programming questions, but there is a gray area. This is what people usually post in the Lounge and say "not a programming question" but people are divided as to whether or not it actually is a programming question. Usually, they are asking an opinion (e.g., how do you usually comment your functions) to explore a subject in depth rather than get a single straightforward answer.
For this type of message, I recommend a new forum, "Shop Talk". Then again, this may just be opening a new can of worms. 
Somebody in an online forum wrote: INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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Nah - I can't see it working. I hate shopping.
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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I think we already have some shop talk[^] forums...
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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I wouldn't call those shop talk forums. Those are places for people to get answers. Not places for people to seek truth.
*meditates*
Somebody in an online forum wrote: INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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My two bits: it wouldn't hurt if folks lightened up a bit about what goes where. It's a coding community. People want to talk about code. Go figure.
A good tactic IMHO is to gently educate/remind the poster -- "Questions about X really ought to go over here..." -- and move the conversation forward -- "...but a good solution is Y."
There is I think a problem where *questions* can be asked in the QA areas, but *discussion* doesn't have an obvious home. Non-questions get nuked in a hurry in the Q&A areas. The Lounge ought to be a good place for general code discussion, but you run the risk of being flayed alive depending on how you word your discussion-starter and the mood of the Lounge denizens.
Again, my Rx is to chill and converse.
Director of Content Development, The Code Project
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PS: Interesting programming-related discussions in the Lounge often get picked up for the Daily Insider. There aren't that many to choose from most days. That means more people directed to your thread, which means more people voting up your posts, which means Almighty Reputation.
See how that works?
Now go post something interesting in the Lounge.
Director of Content Development, The Code Project
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I do see how that works. I've posted stuff that has been in the email a few times (ps: are you the guy that picks them?). I've also noticed the emails don't always feature Lounge topics. Sometimes even articles (e.g., the recent biography-style articles) appear at the bottom of those emails. There is no reason a post in Shop Talk couldn't also be shown in the emails.
I also get the reason for featuring posts... it is a reward to encourage good posts and to attract others to the community (and perhaps also to act as an unofficial moderator by implying that certain controversial content, such as programming discussions, is desirable). There's not many reasons the The Lounge and Shop Talk couldn't both be featured. One such reason to consider, however, is that fragmenting the community across multiple forums may weaken it rather than strengthen it, by the mere fact that content previously in one forum is now in two and it may be perceived as more work to visit both forums. It also weakens the identity of the single forum.
On the other hand, with such a large community, it seems possible that we may be ready to expand a bit, as was done with the "The Insider" forum (which I noticed you have been leading). Basically, I don't need a new forum. I know how to handle myself in the Lounge and phrase things in a way that reduces the amount of people who attack posts as programming questions. However, I know that most people don't interract with The Lounge quite as much as I do. If we had a forum where less experienced users felt comfortable posting interesting discussion topics, I have a theory that the community would become more dynamic and enriched as a result. As I have said, there are many factors to consider, but with something so organic, I don't think the outcome can be guessed. It does seem worth a try though.
Somebody in an online forum wrote: INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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I've also noticed the emails don't always feature Lounge topics. Sometimes even articles (e.g., the recent biography-style articles) appear at the bottom of those emails. There is no reason a post in Shop Talk couldn't also be shown in the emails.
The mandate is to feature Lounge posts on development-related topics. When there isn't anything worth featuring in the Lounge I have to look farther afield for posts to feature.
Director of Content Development, The Code Project
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Terrence Dorsey wrote: A good tactic IMHO is to gently educate/remind the poster -- "Questions about X really ought to go over here..." -- and move the conversation forward -- "...but a good solution is Y."
I disagree. We shouldn't be providing positive affirmation for undesirable behavior or people will likely come back asking more questions. We don't want simple technical questions in the Lounge. While your suggestion of gently informing the poster of the correct forum is a good one, I really wouldn't recommend then supplying the answer.
Terrence Dorsey wrote: Again, my Rx is to chill and converse
So, should I tell the Lounge denizens or are you going to speak to them about chilling out? It's been done before, and there is still some hesitance when posting what might be perceived to be a programming question.
Terrence Dorsey wrote: There is I think a problem where *questions* can be asked in the QA areas, but *discussion* doesn't have an obvious home
I would love to see more technically inclined discussion topics (note: not programming questions with simple and singular answers), and I hate to think that we aren't seeing more of them because there is no place such discussion is welcome. My point is that a new forum would make a more inviting venue to discuss more technical topics.
One other possibility would be to clarify the Lounge rules to make it clear what is and what is not a "programming question" (e.g., "just pondering a technical conundrum?... that's a discussion point. Need an answer to your question for an assignment at school or work?... that's a programming question").
Then again, like Chris tends to say, the rules work 99% of the time, and the other 1% may not be worth worrying about. On the other hand, what if we don't even know about a potential 30% we are missing out on because the Lounge isn't inviting enough for people to contribute their extra 30%?
Somebody in an online forum wrote: INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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All fair points. I was just stating my opinion on the matter. Chris is ultimate arbiter on these matters and I trust his judgement and feeling for what's right for CP.
Director of Content Development, The Code Project
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Terrence Dorsey wrote: Chris is ultimate arbiter on these matters and I trust his judgement and feeling
I wouldn't. He's a maniacal despot.
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That's Mr Despot, to you.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Yessir. Now if only there was a tugging forelock smiley.
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Something bad happened
We're not sure what, but we have a few guesses.
Problem: Access to the path 'Root\appsettings.config' is denied.
Ticket: 5073096
Server: Web04
Something bad happened - I think Web04 is giving me more trouble than the other servers ...
Espen Harlinn
Senior Architect, Software - Goodtech Projects & Services
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We see that when a server restarts. We've put locks around files, trapped the errors, tried 6 different ways of loading the file, burned sage, sacrificed vast, vast quantities of beer and yet that strange little bug keeps coming back. It goes away within a couple of requests.
We'll keep hunting (and sacrificing) though.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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For the last two days, my first visit to the site has required me to log in.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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Are 'they' trying to tell you something.....
John who?
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Are you using any ad blocking or spam cleaning add-ins? They can get a little out of control.
Which browser? If it's FireFox, I've seen this before and clearing cookies has always fixed this for me.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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When I moved to our new house, I had to change ISPs from AT&T to Time-f*ckin-Warner, which of course required a change of email address. When I finally got online at the new house, I changed the email address associated with my account here. I'll try clearing cookies and see if that does it.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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That looks like it may have worked. Thanks.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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There may be a bug, though. I'll check the change-email-then-use-different-PC scenario add it to the TODO.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Nope - clearing the cookies for CP fixed it. (I/m using FF, btw).
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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A got a reply to an answer in Q&A which was:
I figured it out!! I wrote i<10 and instead of 128-->512 and now I can also calculate numbers with 10 digits!:-)
Only the HTML in the email swallowed the chunk in the middle:
I figured it out!! I wrote i512 and now I can also calculate numbers with 10 digits!:-)
It's not a major problem, but if you get time and are in the area of the code, it would be nice to encode HMTL tags in message content before they are sent as emails 
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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If we encode HTML tags then when I want to be loud you'll just get <b>confused.</b>
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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I know what you mean, but since replies/comments to Q&A questions and answers don't support HTML tags anyway (they display as <tag> already) could these not be a special case?
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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