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For example here and here... these two are only examples because I was directly involved, there will likely be more.

I get the feeling that this is a problem in situations where people don't read or understand the question properly, but what can be done about it?

  1. The CS:GO question was closed as duplicate while the older one wasn't even remotely helpful. OP gets pointed towards software issues and even said the hardware was fine and still it gets closed. Thanks to a mod it was reopened later after a discussion in the comments.

  2. The racing question was closed as too broad while it is simply about a difference between two(!) terms used in racing. Sure, it wasn't game specific, but who would need that? They're widely used in racing as well as for example headshot in shooters. It would maybe fit better on another SE, but closing as too broad is clearly wrong. This can never ever be too broad. How my answer earned two downvotes probably remains a secret, but I stopped caring long ago and just deleted answers with bad feedback.

Yes, I admit this sounds like a rant, but it isn't. I'd actually like to have things like that happen less and focus more on actually answering questions more than closing them for pointless reasons. I know, some people have a high standard of questions and downvote mistakes on sight, but closing them seems very unfair.

A good step towards this goal would simply be what I already do:

  • know the game, don't get what OP wants -> VTC
  • don't know the game -> be careful with VLQ/unclear, close obvious dupes
  • don't know the game/genre -> don't ever close as unclear (people knowing the game might still be able to help)
  • Close votes are not super downvotes
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  • in regards to your steps, how am i supposed to know the game if the asker doesnt?
    – Dragonrage Mod
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 0:36
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    @Dragonrage about that racing one I agree.. that's difficult when it's about general terminology. Sorry.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 7:00

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The CS:GO question was closed as duplicate while the older one wasn't even remotely helpful. OP gets pointed towards software issues and even said the hardware was fine and still it gets closed. Thanks to a mod it was reopened later after a discussion in the comments.

The CS:GO question being closed as a duplicate happens often with questions that are based around something like "increase FPS" or "state of the game VS my machine". Personally I don't like these questions, so I tend to lean towards downvoting them, because it just comes down to "upgrade your PC".

We can certainly do a better job at detailing issues with PC gaming and compatibility with certain video games, so perhaps a separate meta post going into that topic will help solve issues like this in the future.

The racing question was closed as too broad while it is simply about a difference between two(!) terms used in racing. Sure, it wasn't game specific, but who would need that? They're widely used in racing as well as for example headshot in shooters. It would maybe fit better on another SE, but closing as too broad is clearly wrong. This can never ever be too broad. How my answer earned two downvotes probably remains a secret, but I stopped caring long ago and just deleted answers with bad feedback.

When this question was first asked, it wasn't as good as its current form. It was clunky, the wording was off and it was much lower quality. Questions with lower quality usually do not get the benefit of the doubt. This shouldn't be an issue now, as it has been reopened and a lot of the comments on the question are addressed and highly upvoted.

The good thing about this site is the ability to use the meta for discussion about question closing and opinions on what is too broad and what isn't. Personally, I would have preferred the question directly asking if there is a difference between racing games and the definitions that they use. That would have cleared things up a bit, instead of just asking what the difference is between two words.

Yes, I admit this sounds like a rant, but it isn't. I'd actually like to have things like that happen less and focus more on actually answering questions more than closing them for pointless reasons. I know, some people have a high standard of questions and downvote mistakes on sight, but closing them seems very unfair.

Good! This is what the meta is for - developing a better understanding for everyone about what is on/off topic, improving the site and giving opinions.

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    Now that's some feedback I was hoping for. Thank you :)
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 20:17
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To begin, I instigated the close votes on both questions. The CS:GO question, I can see was much more borderline. We get so many questions asking us if their computer can run a certain game that that one seemed to fit the same mold. I knee-jerked that one. My bad.

The second, though, is definitely Too Broad. How are racing terms gaming specific terminology? The asker didn't even specify a game, so we have nothing to go off of at all. How each game uses the terms may or may not match commonly used definitions, but at the same time, isn't gaming specific. Your answer only reinforces that. The asker only makes it more obvious that the question is too broad, as he wants to know how each game will use it. Trying to answer that for every game is the textbook example of too broad.

Even if they were gaming specific terms, it's still much better to specify a game, so we can bring that expertise to bear on it, and how that game uses those terms. A general term may or may not be useful, because, again, we have no idea how each game is going to use those terms.

Another thing I'd like to do is push back against the whole, "Close votes are not super downvotes" strawman. You don't know why someone voted to close the question. You not agreeing with their reasoning is not a misuse of their privileges. How about assuming good faith instead of automatically assuming they're wrong? You're allowed to disagree with how someone votes. Just as they have the votes regardless, and have a good faith capability to use them.

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    @dly You answering the question doesn't mean it's actually answered. The asker specifically said he wanted to know how it's used in every single game that uses either one. Do you want to go through each and every game and figure that out? That's why I feel it's too broad. As for my last point, I don't say Reopen votes are super upvotes, although it sometimes feels like that's how people use them. That meta should never have been written, as it's done nothing but give disagreers something to attack.
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 12:27
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    Nope. OP even stated in the comments Thanks ! that is what i was looking for after receiving a link only answer which contained absolutely no gaming reference, so in this case OP just wanted to know the difference between these two as suggested by the question title.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 13:06
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    @dly Which still doesn't match his question. What the asker asks and how the asker reacts to answers are two different things. What's being asked is too broad. The fact that he accepted your answer has no bearing on what the question is asking; the same way a question has to stand alone for closure.
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 13:09
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    Please read that question again. After Robotniks edit it should be a lot clearer, even to non-racers. Also I don't want to start a bashing on disagreers. I'd rather have some senses sharpened again, since some close voters seem to follow the first vote like cattle. I never attacked you directly with this Meta and I never wanted to. When I try to address you or other people I do that in the question's comments. :)
    – dly
    Commented Mar 7, 2018 at 13:19
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    I'm still not sure if this racing question is a good fit. It still sounds like it's not about games; but general racing terminology. It could be revised to say "... but is there a difference in the games?" Currently the question (and answer) aren't really gaming specific. There is an answer to the question; but it has nothing to do with how the terms are actually applied in games; which is what I personally think the question would have to be to fit in here. Defining what a powerslide and drift are in real life doesn't tell us that games follow the convention, or apply it poorly.
    – JMac
    Commented Mar 8, 2018 at 14:34
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    @dly The fact that your answer uses absolutely zero gaming expertise only reinforces my point that it doesn't belong.
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 0:03
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    @dly It doesn't change the fact that you yourself state, "It is just not possible to check all the games whether or not they use those terms." That's literally why I say this question is too broad. Why are you fighting so hard to keep it, when you agree with that?
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 12:15
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    Because that wasn't asked? A simple definition was asked, not where and how each game uses those terms. I would really not fight over it if the question was about how games handle them differently. That would be way too broad ofc.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 13:06
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    @dly The asker is specifically asking how games are using them. No one game is being asked about. He even mentions that he doesn't want to know it for a specific game. How is it not asking how each game uses them?
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 13:10
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    I give up. The questions about the difference between those terms is written even twice in that post. What else do you need to understand what the OP wanted to know? I don't see a word of how the games use them, except for examples of some games using one of them in general. Just rephrase it: Game A uses this, Game B uses that. Is there a difference between those terms, if any? If that is not enough I cannot help you. Just find another 4 guys and close the question and I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll just stick to my votes then. I thought this is Q&A, not Close&Leave with zero tolerance.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 13:22
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    @dly Are you going to tell me that absolutely every game out there uses the terms the same way as you have answered? Honestly. That's the scope of what's being asked. If he wanted to know how a game used it, that'd be perfectly fine. If he wanted to know why two games use different terms for the same thing, that'd be fine, too. But that's not what he is asking in any sense. He wants to know how each and every game out there uses those terms.
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 22:33
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    No. No. No. I already told you multiple times by now the asker wanted to know the difference in general, not the difference in every single game...... He even mentioned it! I even told you that I would agree with you if that was the case. You're just stubborn now. That's not gonna help any of us here. And you could as well go ahead and VTC every terminology question not related to a specific game, because that's what you're doing here.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 23:03
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    @dly That in general encompasses all of gaming. That's how I read his question, and exactly why I believe it's too broad.
    – Frank
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 23:05
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    All of racing... just like what's a headshot in shooters. You can answer with a shot in the head or close it. Your call.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 23:07
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    There's no such thing as a guarantee on the internet. :) Sometimes a shot in the neck is a headshot and sometimes a shot on the helmet is not.. ce la vie. Also: that was never asked and you only thought it was. Why not allow answers with "it is <insert reply here>, but some games may use it differently"? Robotnik gave the perfect example in this question.
    – dly
    Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 23:11

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