14

As many of us have seen, questions are sometimes closed for being primarily opinion-based. I don't object to this at all and I see it as a good thing, but it also begs the question - is there a particular section within the Stack Exchange network that allows one to actually ask a question based on opinion?

A good example of one of these types of questions would be What is your favourite idiom? which I, personally, would find really enjoyable to read and contribute to.

  • 7
    What "begs the question" means: begthequestion.info – Andrew Grimm May 30 '15 at 4:49
  • you can check social polling apps, sites softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/q/18653/7557 – János Jun 4 '15 at 9:42
  • In the pub... :) – Benjol Jun 5 '15 at 12:47
  • It seems like this kind of question requires a bit of a different format than SE provides. I'm actually forming an idea, maybe I could pitch it to Mr. Atwood ;-) – Daniel Jun 5 '15 at 15:46
  • 1
    This question should be closed as it is primarily opinion based. – CJ Dennis Jun 8 '15 at 11:32
  • @CJDennis +1 for irony. – Parthian Shot Aug 4 '15 at 0:41
17

There is no site on the Stack Exchange network to ask questions of the type "What is your favourite X?".

There are some sites on the network that allow questions about recommendations, such as Software Recommendations, however this is not for posting your favourites without reason.

There is World Building, where people contemplate what is possible given certain constraints, but all opinions are meant to be backed up somehow.

The only place you could really ask "what is your favourite X" would be chat. Chat is great for extended discussion and is often full of unchecked opinion.

  • Amongst other things, pal ;-) – skillpatrol Jun 5 '15 at 9:02
  • 1
    @skillpatrol No. SE chat is the only forum in life for opinion. In all other situations, questions must be direct and factual. On a phone call with your mother? You'd better have a specific question that falls within the purview of her Help Center page, or your question will be closed as Off-Topic. – Parthian Shot Aug 4 '15 at 0:43
10

The best place is at a bar: ask your friends over a meal or drink.

  • 2
    Then where between age 13 (minimum age to post to SE or other sites subject to COPPA) and 21 (minimum age to enter a bar)? – Damian Yerrick Jun 1 '15 at 15:33
  • 2
    @tepples Go to a restaurant instead. Or move to a country where the drinking age is 18 ;) – curiousdannii Jun 1 '15 at 23:39
  • Ew. A bar? You mean a public place which is as sticky as a public restroom, but which lacks the saving grace of not trying to serve food? Pass. As an adult who (thankfully) wasn't in a frat, I don't see anything wrong with taking a nice walk. Or going to a coffee shop or a park or whatnot. Bar, indeed... – Parthian Shot Aug 4 '15 at 0:47
7

Opinion-based questions might (or might not) be more appropriate on the Quora service than here.

3

What about Reddit? Eg Reddit English?

  • Nice! They'll accept anything! – Mitch Jun 6 '15 at 20:11
  • Or, if you've been banned from Reddit... 4chan! (e.g. "Dear /b/, I was wondering which enterprise server monitoring software you would recommend...") – Parthian Shot Aug 4 '15 at 0:49
1

Not the questions like your example but you can ask "good" subjective questions on EL&U or other Stack Exchange sites (subject to the rules). Although, community doesn't agree sometimes even if you try your best to ask a "good" subjective question. So you have to choose your words carefully.

Here are the details about how to ask "good" subjective questions:

http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/09/good-subjective-bad-subjective/

  • I read your reference. It declares that only objective is good, then wanders off into an incoherent account of how the author likes some subjective things better than others. Who cares. – Greg Lee Jun 10 '15 at 17:32
-1

Many an online forum welcomes primarily opinion-based questions.

  • Any suggestions as to which ones? – Mitch Jun 4 '15 at 12:08
  • No, I don't use such forums myself. If someone else posts a more specific and useful 'online forums' answer, I'll gladly delete this one. – user867 Jun 4 '15 at 23:40
  • Someone already suggested quora. Also yahoo answers seems to have lots of opinion based questions. – Mitch Jun 5 '15 at 13:11
  • @Mitch Oh, Quora is a forum? OK, then. – user867 Jun 9 '15 at 0:14

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