-24

I just self answered two questions that I see get asked a ton. They both follow the same template.

Both of these two involve the same objects, Control and Caps Lock but they're totally different questions with different goals, and different search terms. Sure some people get confused between the two (like Bruno Pereira ♦ the mod) but that's why I linked the two together. I think I did I good job using the terms and writing a well marked up answer to both of them. Could someone please undo Bruno's tyrannical deletion?

He didn't just close the question either, he deleted my answer! What gives? Should I expect this kind of trigger-reflex resistance to any contribution I make to AskUbuntu?

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  • 11
    Should I expect this kind of trigger-reflex resistance to any contribution I make to AskUbuntu? Yes.
    – user48100
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:04
  • 7
    The only reason the answer was deleted is because they were about to be merged together. By searching similar question with similar titles in a search engine or in Ask Ubuntu you will be redirected to the main post instead of looking at duplicate questions, automatically. It can be reverted easily if there is the need for it.
    – Bruno Pereira Mod
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:40
  • 1
    +1r for your intention to share your knowledge ,
    – Tachyons
    Commented Jun 13, 2012 at 1:25
  • There is subjectivity involved. E.g., are the questions involved both posed by a famous troll?
    – belacqua
    Commented Oct 26, 2013 at 20:50

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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In this instance, they are similar enough that they should be made into one canonical answer. Hence the closing.

As such, I would recommend that in the future, you make one canonical question and answer, and then go from there.

As for the deletion, after looking at the two answers and seeing just a minor difference, I am personally going to let the deletion stay, because there is almost no noticable difference between them.

Also, for future reference, I would recommend treating people nicely, and with respect. Calling people "tyrannical" is not really a good way to get them to listen to you.

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  • So what is the canonical question that covers two vastly different features of remapping and swapping two keys on a keymap? Could you provide an applicable title?
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:10
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    @EvanCarroll All swapping keys is remapping key1 to do key2's job, and remapping key2 to do key1's. job. Hardly worthy of its own Q&A, so "How can I remap keys on Xubuntu" is sufficient.
    – jrg Mod
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:14
  • So you're saying when you want to search for "swapping" keys as people often do, you really search for "remapping key1 to do key2's job, and remapping key2 to do key1's" seems unwieldy and unnecessarily reductionistic. How about something more vague and less useful, "How do I modify my operating system's conception of a keymap?" Then we can delete all questions about keyboards, remapping, swapping, and half of those about accessibility.
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:17
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    Also, your rebuttal ignores that xmodmap has two specific arguments that handle these features which are specific to two specific keys (because of popular demand, may I add). This means, that you're not actually even explicitly remapping in the remap question. You're in fact using the argument swapcaps, and for "remapping" you're using the argument nocaps. Even if what you say goes on under the hood, no one knows about it and it's distracting and unnecessary to have to explain that.
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:20
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    @EvanCarroll Dude, if you are going to discuss all the color possibilities available for a button on a different post why not create a post that explains how to change the color and that is it? Do you really need to explain all the setxkbmap -option parameters one per post? Why not apply your knowledge to make a better answer explaining more in 1 post?
    – Bruno Pereira Mod
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:22
  • Yes, you do. Just like every possible configuration for any single piece of software should not be concentrated to one post, "how do you configure X?". You want one post per question that is likely to be asked, regardless of what tool or options the answer requires. If two questions are the same you dupe them. If they're not, you let them stand. You don't dupe them just because you think they're too similar if they can be both answered with xmodmap. xmodmap does quite a bit, neither of these two arguments are even documented in man 1 xmodmap
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:27
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    @EvanCarroll Should, would, won't is a matter of opinion. The post is closed because is too similar and will stay like that. If you have any further complains please read the Stack Exchange FAQ and follow any procedure that you might think is the best. Till then I'll consider this talked and over.
    – Bruno Pereira Mod
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 17:30
  • Jeff does not agree. twitter.com/codinghorror/status/212603145317138432
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 12, 2012 at 18:17
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A few points:

  • If you think the people searching the site are going to be able to pick the version they actually want, you're being completely unrealistic. You assume people know the difference between "swap" and "remap" but based on the subtlety of the two answers, if you know that already, you know all you need to.

    Response to comment: my point is that people use the two terms interchangeably without knowing the technical difference (reading the two lists of questions would have shown you that!) And your answer still does nothing to clarify this.

  • I do think that this needs to be a question — CapsLock works in mysterious ways — and any answer should point that out, explaining what the swapcaps and nocaps arguments really do. The answer currently does not do this.

  • I don't think this has anything to do with Control because it works just like any other key in respect to setxkbmap. The question should just be about swapping/remapping CapsLock to "another" key.

    RTC: No, I still don't see the significance of Control to these examples. Why couldn't they work for Shift? A?

  • While we're talking about setxkbmap, I should point out that this also has very little to do with Xubuntu. Your question and answer are valid for all graphical Ubuntu variants. I'd be inclined to ditch all the shell-specific nonsense and bring this back to something that works for everyone.

  • We occasionally delete answers when we dupe-close so that people landing on the dupe are automatically redirected to the master question. It's not tyranny, it's logic.

    RTC: You want a referendum for everything we do here, before we do it? Well, it's not going to happen. If you could see the number of things we need to do on a daily basis to keep the site clean, you wouldn't want us discussing everything either.

    While that sounds like a typical evil-government "you need us because the world is scary", well... I don't care how it sounds, that's what this is. We're elected to handle the junk and keep things running as best they can. That's all that happened here.

    And we're accountable. Look at you holding us accountable. Democracy in action.

Just to draw a line under this, the community has democratically come to the conclusion that you don't need two questions for this (+5 vs -23).

Now that's resolved, is there anything else I can help you with today?

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  • People will certainly search for either "swap" or "remap". They may mistake one for the other, that's why they both link to each other. A quick search would have showed you that there is a difference and that people do search for both of them.
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 13, 2012 at 15:15
  • I don't think this has anything to do with Control because it works just like any other key in respect to setxkbmap. How about you read the answer? This is specific to Control -- the very arguments nocaps, and swapcaps, never mentions control but yet it affects the function of Control specifically.
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 13, 2012 at 15:16
  • We occasionally delete answers when we dupe-close so that people landing on the dupe are automatically redirected to the master question. It's not tyranny, it's logic. It's tyranny to delete them to begin with. That's not a system of governance run by the community. Tyranny is disqualified by the tyrant applying a subjective statement of "it was logical."
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jun 13, 2012 at 15:18
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    @EvanCarroll I've added further responses in my answer but I'm really not looking for a technical or political debate today. I'm hoping you can take our comments on and see things as they are and move on.
    – Oli Mod
    Commented Jun 13, 2012 at 16:02

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