Question Do we really need the Ask section anymore?

[The Catboy]

So upon seeing this Ask, I started to wonder, "Do we really need the Ask section anymore?" It was a cool idea back when it was first added, but now it's hardly ever used and most of the answers are found in the forums or on the wiki. I understand that it was made for quick questions and quick answers, but it seems no one is really into that idea anymore. It hasn't cut down on quick question threads being made. And it's not like it's a section that's hard to find, it's the fourth section in the main tabs, so people just aren't using it.
This lack of interest/use just makes me wonder if it's really severed it's purpose and if it's worth keeping?

 

[Sketchy1]

I guess people could make EoF posts about how useful the Ask section is

that works too XD
but even the EoF is used more then the ask one, and its just about as random as it gets

 

[FAST6191]

I suppose it would then speak to what we value. Less attack surface being a big one for me, and the way I approach most web development these days.

Ask sections can work, spiceworks, expert sexchange, quora, and stack exchange all demonstrating this handily. Web community design is perhaps not as great a feat of mind control as game design but it ain't far off. Equally it can shift burdens around depending upon how you want to approach your site -- for a creative work generating piece of software it sounds like a fine plan, for an actively and extensively moderated forum that cares more about discussions, often quite broad and far ranging and conducted over longer periods, than some kind of customer satisfaction/customer service means forums can still function. Or if you prefer you can install a copy of phpbb and use it to blog if you wanted, from a functional perspective though there would seem to be better choices.
For here though it feels somewhat in line with having a guest book, though guest books are almost exclusively spam where an ask section could have something useful in it.

If someone wandered in and enquired about the lack of an ask section I would wonder what sites they have been on before and where their perspective on such matters came into play. More cynically "you should allow users to customise their own pages and profiles, we totally have that on myspace".

 

[The Catboy]

tbh we also don't need the Nintendo network section on the 3ds forum. most of the posts there more or less belong in the cfw forum, because its usually just a bug thread saying "how to connect with luma"

That's more the fault of noobs, but the section is still used for setting up games.
The ask section was added on October 30, 2010, we are coming up on 7 years since it's been added. Since then there have been maybe over 1000 questions asked, that's not a lot for 7 years.

 

[FAST6191]

To be fair a large gap was in the middle of that after the hacks and everything got pruned back to the bare essentials. Prior to that it was used a fair bit, even though it did not show up in the view new posts shortcut.

On forum sections then they do get revised at times, maybe the network stuff could stand to be merged but at one point it was fairly important (little to many remember but the DS was not compatible with all routers/access points which led to endless fun there which occasionally risked swamping more general hardware discussions). That said a potentially redundant or unused forum section, possibly also one without any historical significance (it is probably worth keeping the DS flash cart forums for the purposes of searching sort of thing), does not detract from security (it is a simple forum section, no plugins or special code really necessary compared to ask which is another load of functionality that needs to be considered), aesthetics too much (we have long since left being able to comfortably view all sections on a normal screen), navigation so much (ask is not so bad but some websites I deal with would love another few characters/few less characters in their main navigation) or risk splitting focus. Of if you prefer keep all the cruft on your PC that you like and that only you and the NSA/FEMA/NWO/[delete as appropriate] have read in the last 10 years, and the you part of that may also be up for debate, but for websites I like we get to consider such things.

 

[The Catboy]

To be fair a large gap was in the middle of that after the hacks and everything got pruned back to the bare essentials. Prior to that it was used a fair bit, even though it did not show up in the view new posts shortcut.

Actually going back and looking through the posts before the hack, it was really only used through out 2010. After 2010, it seems the community really stopped showing interest. When it was readded in 2015, no one cared.
2010 was a year when Ask sections were super popular, but it was a trend that died as quickly as it started.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

If i start using it, will you be proud of me?

I thought it was asking general questions, like help with homework. I thought it was cool. Asking someone here who is qualified to help like a teacher? COOL BEANS. I remember when i had to call a help hotline for help with homework, i have a magnet stuck on my fridge. But a place to ask for homework help? OKAY THAT IS IMPRESSIVE. A game forum offers help with anything not game related. I think it made a impression on me.

 

[WeedZ]

Why can't the sub forums have a help section?

Example:
-3ds
--help
--tutorials
--home brew
Etc.

Seems cleaner and more efficient to me.