Isn't the first step to post a comment rather than vote to close?

Question

Can a question be closed without even a single comment?

I have an example here in which I do understand that several voters close the question without asking for clarification: https://askubuntu.com/questions/261358/dont-open-http-all-site-in-ubuntu-12-10 is closed

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

So this guy is a complete noob, cannot get on internet, goes to another computer, creates an AU login and ask a question. Our reaction: CV without a single comment.

1. No 'do you have an internet connection',
2. nor 'did you modify your host file?',
3. nor 'did you install/mess with firestarter/iptables?'

I am not sure about this, but I feel that with a comment or two the user could have been helped. Isn't the first step to post a comment rather than vote to close?

Answer 1

I agree with your concern — we should engage with people more before closing things — but I think put in the position to close this question, I might followed suit and might have pulled the trigger without explanation.

While it may sound snobby, my only excuse is I expect a certain level of English and technical understanding here. If you can't explain even the rudimentary symptoms of the problem, how are people expected to answer it? You'll only get a load of people blabbering out every solution for every networking problem there's ever been. That is not a good use of anybody's time.

To go further, I'm tempted to retroactively reject Stephen Myall's heroic edit. Editing is what you should do when there's a language problem like this but only when you can be sure you're editing it to mean what the author meant.

In this case, I can't see where ports factor in except being a word in the original post. Ubuntu doesn't block outbound ports (the ones that would stop you connecting to Facebook) by default. Whatever is being explained here has likely nothing to do with ports and everything to do with some random network quirk.

So no, if anything, I'd be looking to direct Ripon (the OP) to a site or Loco that speaks their language. While we like to think we can provide all the help, we honestly can't handle users who can't explain things. They'll get much better service with a native group. We need understandable or nearly-understandable English.

Answer 2

People get closed posts wrong.

Closing a posts means that either there is no quality in it enough to meet the site's standards, or simply its a useless question (either a dupe, or really not a post per se).

That is an opportunity to actually improve the post, should be taken as one and its meant to be taken as such.

No comments? What do you mean? There is a big obvious one already:

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

Is that not enough? What would adding an extra comment add to explaining why that question was closed? Redundancy?

Closing is making better, its not by all means punishing anyone, should not be taken as such.

Do you think it deserves a comment and further investigation of what issue the OP is facing? Go ahead: closed posts can be commented on, information can be obtained, post can be edited, flagged, re-opened.

No issues, no fuzz. Comment, edit, help.

That post, as it is, is closed for a good reason. If you can improve it make it so.

Answer 3

I too find this wrong. We should give the OP a chance to correct their post. And I'm not referring to the example you provided - I see this all the time in the Close Review queue.

For the "possible duplicate" they usually have some time to check it out and comment back if it's not applicable and/or edit their question to explain why.

When there's an "off topic" or a "not a real question" often the OP won't know until it's closed already. I think this is too harsh as many people don't always know how to describe the problem, and a comment or too can help them explain their problem more clearly.

What I tend to do with these is to leave a comment, and then vote to close or keep open as appropriate. Either way, they get notified that something is happening on their question and have a chance to jump in and edit it or ask for more help.

Leaving a comment doesn't hurt and is polite. I think a comment should be mandatory for questions in the Close Review queue.

I understand that an OP can edit their question after it's closed, but this is not the 'easy path'. If they can fix it right away give them the heads up, and avoid having to wait another day for the Reopen Review, before someone can answer.