The [format] tag has a broad scope. What should we do?

Question

The tag wiki excerpt of format states that the tag has a broad scope:

For questions regarding file formats, or formatting hard drives.

We can ask questions about file formats or formatting hard drives under the format tag.

Instead of this, why can't we have a separate tag for file formats and a separate tag for formatting hard drives?

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I just now got to know that there is already a tag named file-format.

This makes me feel that the format tag is vague.

In my opinion, the best thing to do right now is to get rid of format tag and, as Zanna suggested in her answer, create a new tag named disk-formatting for questions related to formatting storage devices. The scope of file-format is a matter which needs to be addressed some time later.

Answer 1

You're right, the tag covers too much (file format and formatting a drive are barely if at all related), and is being used even for other types of "format" like date format and text format. We should definitely get rid of it.

I don't think we need a tag for file formats in general. This is not likely to be anyone's area of interest or expertise. There are tags for various file formats already as well as tags for specific tasks like file type conversions, so there is no need for a new tag, imho.

The task of formatting a disk/device may merit a tag. I think we could just create and use disk-formatting as you suggest. That should be ok for all storage devices, not just hard drives.

Answer 2

There already is a tag hard-drive that is "Questions about hard drives, configuring and formatting them."

format includes questions about things like SD cards and flash memory, which aren't really hard drives. I should think we'd rather need something like block-devices or something.

In my opinion, even a tag about file formats is way too broad. I don't suppose we need to tag a question to say its about file formats. That would be a question about file conversion, or parsing json, or decompression, or whatever.