1

This question is being created at Rapitor's behest to take the discussion taking place in the comments of What does RNG mean? elsewhere.

5
  • 2
    Basically to summarize what went down (as I see it): The question originally was something along the lines of "what does RNG mean" which can easily be found by a simple google search. You edited the question (after many complaints and downvotes) to add this information, but there was still something you are looking for in the answer. Correct? unfortunately many of our questions (and I'm even sure a handful of mine) can be answered with a simple google search. Why yours was singled out this heavily I am not certain.
    – Rapitor
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:18
  • 4
    I suspect that this question was downvoted that heavily because of how OP's responses in the comments and edits were perceived.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:25
  • 2
    (1) I don't think the explanation that RNG stands for "random number generator" fully explains its meaning, as it seems most definitions start and stop at. (2) I edited the question to add evidence of research. (3) There is still something I am looking for in an answer.
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:25
  • 1
    If there is something you are still looking for in an answer, the close reason indicates that people reading your question don't know what it is. You should make it explicit in your question what it is that you want to know.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:26
  • It's also possible the question was downvoted because this question, along with a number of questions by OP, seem to be designed to farm for reputation.
    – Waterseas
    Apr 2, 2015 at 18:43

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
7

The thing about your question is that there isn't a question there anymore. It was originally downvoted, but left open, due to the question being trivially easy to answer. That's to be expected for simple questions. Once you attempted to provide some research to counteract the downvotes, you answered your own question.

A Google search (which seems to automatically search for "random number generator" as well) of the term.

There you go. You know what it is. Your research has led you to the answer. What point is there to asking about it on Arqade now? That's why it's closed as Unclear. It's the equivalent of, "Uh. You know what it means. Why are you asking?"

Doing some simple research before asking this would have obviated the need for this question, and the meta questions that have spawned from it. The original question could have been kept, but shouldn't be expected to get a good reception. Your question after the fact isn't a question anymore.

16
  • Yes, there is a question. (2) I did not answer my own question; I did not post an answer to my own question. (3) Merriam-Webster says "rng" means "range", but I think we can agree that that is not appropriate here. So, why should I assume that Google's automatic inclusion is appropriate? (4) The point of asking about it on Arqade is so that Arqade may answer it for all. gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/212289/… (5) That is not the same thing as unclear. (6) Yes, research that could have been done on Arqade, (cont'd)
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:30
  • 3
    but wouldn't having the question/answer here on arqade benefit everyone? It does increase our traffic (which is a good thing). Just because the answer is already relatively easily obtained doesn't mean it doesn't belong on Arqade. Seeing as our goal (as I see it) is to be the go-to source for all gaming questions... "obvious" questions should be just as allowed as other questions (just be careful of dupes)
    – Rapitor
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:31
  • with such a question if it had existed before, definitively, and not in a question that incidentally explains its meaning.
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:33
  • 1
    @NiteCyper 1) If there is a question, what is it? Nobody knows what it is besides yourself. 2) How did you NOT answer it? Your attempt at research says you have an understanding of what it means. You need to clarify exactly what it is you're looking for. 3) Is a decent point, but is obviated by the research you did. One source gives what you think is a wrong definition, but the rest of your research points overwhelmingly to the solution. 4) Asking a question on Arqade solely so that it exists here...will meet a very chilly reception. It speaks to ulterior motivation.
    – Frank
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:34
  • 5) It most certainly is. We don't know what you're asking. 6) We don't require research, but don't expect a good response if you don't. That's exactly how this is playing out.
    – Frank
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:35
  • @Rapitor That's...a bit of a wonky area. There's something to be said for driving traffic here, but there's also something to be said about trying to keep the experts; the two have to be in balance, so while there's an argument to be made for driving traffic, if that's the sole reason for asking a question, it's not going to be very well received; letting people ask questions organically results in much better content, overall. Good faith and all that.
    – Frank
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:37
  • 1
    @Rapitor Obvious questions are allowed. The question was downvoted, not closed, for being obvious. It was only closed when the question was edited to the point where it is unclear what OP still wants out of an answer, hence the close reason.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:38
  • @murgatroid99 I think the issue then is why are obvious ones being downvoted so hard.
    – Rapitor
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:39
  • 2
    @Rapitor That's easy; the community wants interesting questions. Easily googled terms, aren't.
    – Frank
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:40
  • 2
    If a question can be answered by Google Searching the title verbatim, it's clear that there was no research effort. That's the canonical downvote reason, so downvotes on such questions should be expected.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:42
  • (1) What does RNG mean (in the context of video-games)? (2) How I did not answer it is by not posting an answer to my own question. Neither did I claim that my finds were the answer, but merely the evidence of my research. My attempt at research does not necessarily say that I have an understanding of what it means, but neither do I see the point of this assertion. (3) And probably the majority of humanity once thought Earth is flat. My goal is to ask and have it answered on Arqade, not just find an answer for myself. (4) Sorry that I do things towards Arqade's supposed goal.
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:43
  • 1
    @NiteCyper You seem to be confused about the goal of any stack exchange site. The goal is to provide helpful information. Your question does not further this goal, because the information it asks for is extremely easily accessible.
    – Brian
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:47
  • 4
    @NiteCyper And you can see how that's working out for you. Asking a question solely so that it exists here is a rather bad reason to ask. If you absolutely, positively want to keep this question, roll it back to the original question. You will garner more downvotes, but I believe that's the only way we can actually accept it. If you want it to be both upvoted and acceptable, I believe you're going to be left disappointed. In this case, the best you can hope for is acceptable.
    – Frank
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:48
  • @NiteCyper You ask what "RNG" means. Then your question has a bunch of information indicating that "RNG" means "Random Number Generator." There, that's it; that's your answer. You have clearly demonstrated that a modicum of research makes the question unnecessary. So, as Frank says, you can't have it both ways. You can either ask a question without research, or a question that doesn't need answering.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:50
  • 1
    @Frank I will trust your assertion that rolling it back returns it to acceptability.
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:52
-4

"You can't [show research without answering the question], because it is a ridiculously trivial question. That's why it was down voted, but left open, until you stopped it being a question when it was closed." - TZHX

I could say the same (that it is a ridiculously trivial question) about What is kiting?, yet it is one of the highest voted terminology questions, not to mention its apparent lack of research effort.

7
  • 4
    What's your point? That that other question should be downvoted? If you think so, go downvote it.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:22
  • I guess my point is that a complaint of lack of research is moot if the downvoter believes that the question cannot add detail without potentially answering itself. Secondly, they malign my question when there is evidence of a similar question that seems to serve its purpose fine in contrast, so it seems the maligning is personal.
    – NiteCyper
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:36
  • When similar questions get different receptions, as in this case, it's almost always because standards have changed over the years (that question is almost 4 years old) and because there are different people looking at them. It's not personal.
    – murgatroid99
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:40
  • And my action to that question would have been exactly the same. What's your point? I down vote about ten times as much as I upvote because I have an aversion to stupid. Lack of research is my reason in most cases. Attitude of poster rarely comes in to it, but I think for some people this could be a factor.
    – TZHX
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:47
  • 2
    Actually , kiting is a primarily gaming term that isn't immediately explained by expanding the acronym. So it's a much better question. I won't dv it.
    – TZHX
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:52
  • 1
    The kiting question was asked four years ago, when searching for it on Google didn't give an obvious answer. It does give a somewhat obvious answer now (once you get past the information about actual kites), but that's still much less obvious than the big infobox at the top of the page when you search "what does rng stand for?"
    – Brian
    Apr 2, 2015 at 17:53
  • I actually used Google's time feature to see what google looked like at the time. The top results are about check-kiting which is completely different and you have to dig well into the first page to find a wowwiki link.
    – Comic Sans Seraphim
    Apr 2, 2015 at 18:35

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .