Ask Ubuntu receives large numbers of questions like this example posted today asking "I have this laptop[specific device], can I install Ubuntu on it?"
These questions tend to attract low quality answers (as the above example has), usually receive downvotes and are often closed, either as unclear, too broad, primarily opinion based, or as duplicates of generic questions like these:
- Is Ubuntu compatible with my hardware?
- How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements?
I nearly always vote to leave these questions open. I once chatted about this topic. Such questions can be answered well by users with experience of the hardware in question, IMHO. But I don't vote to reopen those questions; my conviction is not very strong (answers might be difficult to maintain, might be long and complicated, might not be reliable for reasons that are difficult to work out without discussion).
I am thinking that it would be good to have a policy for this type of question, so I am instigating a discussion. What should be done with these questions and why?
My opinion is that instead of closing them with varied reasons and (not in this case, but it happens) giving half-answers and dumb advice in comments we should do something more helpful and consistent, for example:
- Leave open, but encourage or even insist on (by deleting vague answers) specific answers for these questions, and point OP to the generic resources in "
[Related](link)" comments. - Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because
<reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask (Ubuntu Forums?), and tips on how to ask more answerable questions about system-installation or compatibility and close all these questions against it as they occur. - Decide how we should close these questions, and stick to the policy.
Any thoughts?