Questions tagged [policy]
The policy tag has no usage guidance.
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How do we deal with interdisciplinary questions?
As the borders between various disciplines are slowly vanishing with the advent of interdisciplinary areas like Biophysics, Environmental and climate studies, and Complex systems, how do we deal with ...
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Physics.SE remains a site by humans, for humans
We, the moderators of physics.SE, are deeply concerned about the recently announced "network policy" regarding computer-generated content on the SE network, which effectively attempts to ...
ACuriousMindMod
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Do we have to be nice to chatbots?
I referred to Google Bard in a comment as a “confident idiot” and the comment was deleted. Did I violate the “Be nice” policy, or was the comment deleted for another reason?
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Do we have ChatGPT policy? [duplicate]
I recently noticed an answer which, according to the author, was written by ChatGPT. The question was very poor (about quantum entanglement, from a person who have learned about entanglement from a ...
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Why do we still apply the homework policy even when there are many opposite opinions?
Every question marked as "homework-like" will be pointed to How Do I Ask Homework Questions on Physics Stack Exchange. There are a lot of opposite opinions under the highest answer. Why do ...
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Please don't use computer-generated text for questions or answers on Physics
For the impatient reader, the guidance is in the title: please don't use computer-generated text for questions or answers on Physics.
Computer-generated text violates our expectation that users are ...
robMod
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Should users answer questions that they think should be closed?
From time to time I come across posts that are closed by a user/users who has/have also submitted an answer to the question. I feel like this goes against the goal of closure, which is to prevent ...
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Should we take the terminology an asker might be unfamiliar with into consideration when it comes to expectations for research effort?
The reason I would suggest that an askers knowledge of terminology should be taken into consideration is that if by research effort we mean looking something up on the internet before asking a ...
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Keeping track of “abuse” (or other) flags?
Do PSE mods (or SE more generally) keep track of comments deleted for “ harassment, bigotry, or abuse”. Should they? If yes, are there consequences for repeat offenders?
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When are questions with multiple different possible answers good?
It is well known that we do not encourage/allow questions that solicit open-ended discussions or that can only be answered by providing personal opinions, etc. However, at least to me, it seems a bit ...
user87745
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Why is it so difficult to apply the site policy consistently for opinion-based questions?
I already noticed a certain number of times that some questions have been closed based on the policy for "opinion-based" questions. Reading the rationale for that policy, I find:
Many good ...
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Languages of references
I understand that Physics Stack Exchange "is an English language site", but I'm wondering whether it's acceptable to provide a generic reference (such as a link) to a source, written in a ...
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Should we leave technical astronomy questions to Astronomy SE?
In 2012, when the first incarnation of Astronomy SE closed, the community at Physics SE felt compelled to give a home to astronomy questions and overwhelmingly voted to expand the scope of the site.
...
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Does SE allow me to publish my own material (Qs/As) in a peer-reviewed journal?
Does SE return the copyright to its contributors in order for them to partially/completely republish their own material in some peer-reviewed journals, or any written permissions from SE are required?
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Language that can be perceived as sexist
I consider the phrase “you guys” to be sexist and unwelcoming (even though I am well-aware that many people don’t). I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this. After a back-and-forth in comments with ...
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Should comments be used for providing "helpful hints"?
I often see users, including moderators, leaving "helpful hints" comments on various posts. They could be posted on off-topic homework problems pointing the user in the right direction on ...
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Should we not let an answer/question be deleted?
Since the content on PSE is licensed under CC BY-SA $4.0$, I suppose the content that is once posted on PSE becomes part the free culture (correct me if I am wrong), and thus, even if the author ...
user87745
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Comments to point out errors in OP's understanding
Due to recent questions about the comment policy, and because I have seen this being done often, I am here with another question about comments.
On a certain question a user commented
A primary ...
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What's the policy around a jocular political comment within a post?
I included a comment that I thought was hilarious (of course, not. I just thought it was a bit humorous) in a recent answer of mine. However, @user76284 removed the ...
user87745
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Are "Do this calculations for me" question allowed here? [duplicate]
I have a problem to be solved (here) and an answer that brings all the necessary calculation steps (here). I can't do the calculations myself because I don't have enough knowledge and skills. I went ...
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Meta-commentary in questions should sometimes be allowed
I've edited in a 'meta-comment' into this question, which was rolled back by a moderator:
Note: answer accepted for sake of closing the question, though parts remain unanswered, and will be ...
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Easing our policy for some topics
At Physics StackExchange, we discuss almost all types of physics topics. Some get more attention and some get less, but it depends upon various things, including our site policy. Our policy has been ...
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Where can I find a statement of the Physics SE policy on self-citation?
The question How was it determined how many neutrinos result from a single Beta decay? was asked recently and I had previously researched and written up in my book. As the passage in my book ...
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Allowing questions regarding typos in books
My question was closed as off-topic because I was trying to be sure whether something was a typo or not. It involved no physics concept.
Now, I think physics.stackexchange should be broader in their ...
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Asking physics joke questions
I would like to discuss the policy around asking questions which are intended as setups for a joke. I searched through the meta, and didn't see anything about this directly, so I would like to gauge ...
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FAQ for Physics Stack Exchange
Frequently Asked Questions
This thread is an index of Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources, for Physics Stack Exchange.
General questions about Stack Exchange
For general questions about ...
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How to handle references to literature in predatory journals
Are questions or answers that cite, refer to or are based on work published in predatory journals (in the sense discussed here, here, or here) to be tolerated?
If no, how do we check if a journal is ...
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Data collection: When should (or shouldn't) we exclude questions from the Hot Network Questions list?
The SE team has made
several promising changes to the "Hot Network Questions" system.
If you have previously found HNQs to be problematic, you are invited to participate in the discussion ...
robMod
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Users that post every question in their homework/exams
Everybody who's been here for a while knows that the homework policy is not as advertised.
If the exercise is sufficiently interesting, and the OP is sufficiently polite, the question often stays ...
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Please use gender neutral language
In the wake of a recent unfruitful discussion I feel it is necessary for the community to come to an agreement on what kind of language we want to use here. In particular, on whether we want to ...
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T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶
This has been bothering me for a while, and I'd like to speak up about it. I see, with a much higher frequency than I would like, comments that look, with rather little variation, like
This ...
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Are the contents of Q&A and comments in the PSE protected by any copyright?
Does anyone, any entity own copyright on the contents of the Physic's Stack Exchange Q&A that exist?
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Are two questions that only differ in the desired level of sophistication of the answer duplicates?
This meta discussion is sort of a spin-off from this recent meta discussion about whether or not an asker's age is relevant to a question, and whether or not it should be edited out. Since the issue ...
ACuriousMindMod
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Are request-learning-path questions off topic? Why?
I was looking at a previous meta question regarding whether certain types of questions requesting a learning-path, or resource-recommendation, or any learning-related-things are off topic or not. I ...
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Is a moderator's Approach to Delete the Answer Provided When No Comment Was Possible Consistent with a Metrocracy or Hypocracy?
I found the Physics Meta article How to deal with negative responses on SE due to personal grudge? interesting, because it brought to light the phenomenon where some members of the community are ...
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Why might providing contact information be considered spam?
My (now changed) answer to the question,"Why is $PV^γ$
constant in an adiabatic process?" received the following comment:
You do not need to "archive" the question in your answer, that's what ...
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Comments deleted under my question
In the context of the post:
Dimensional reduction of Rozansky-Witten theory
I had commented on this question of mine, and there were some responses in the comments section as well, with some useful ...
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Should question 315730 have the homework-and-exercises tag?
Express Laplace transform of voltage across a capacitor in terms of charge
I'd be interested to hear folks' opinions.
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Chat and the moderation thereof
After discussion at the biweekly chat session starting here and looking at the answers and comments to this post, the feedback appears to be overwhelmingly negative. As anticipated at the end of the ...
ACuriousMindMod
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When should moderators close questions?
I have recently found instances of moderators closing questions (which of course occurs with their single vote) instead of leaving them to be judged by the community in the review queues. For example :...
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Can I copy paste an answer from an (external) webpage?
Actually this question was asked in PSE and after googling it I gave the same question on yahoo with an answer.
So my question is:
can I copy paste that answer?
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Can moderator or user with high reputation be held to the rules?
I keep getting down voted instantly and as a quick as I flagged my last question it got denied without reason. Can moderator or a user with privileges be kicked for down voting to much? Is there a way ...
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Which duplicated question should be closed?
There were two questions marked as duplicated of each other in the closed votes list today:
Why doesn't an electron's charge rip the electron apart?
If like charges repel, why doesn't a ...
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Problem with questions
About five minutes before I posted this, a question came up in the feed asking users to come up with innovative project ideas for a highschool project with a photoresistor. The question had no ...
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What is our position on answers that consist almost entirely of copied content?
We know that plagiarism is bad, and unacknowledged citations will be dealt with.
However, what about answers that properly acknowledge their sources, but consist of nothing but quotes?
I believe ...
ACuriousMindMod
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Alternative Ways to Earn Reputation [closed]
What are ways to earn reputation other than "Good" Questions and Answers that do and do not require time and effort for a moderator on each action on Physics?
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Using Comments as Answers
An answer is placed in the comment box on your question and it would make an answer. As long as you quote it is it OK to use it?
See Comments at this question for example.
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How does copyright here work if I include some of my own posts basically verbatim in a textbook that will be published?
The question basically says it all. I am in the midst of writing a thermodynamics textbook, and there is a question I would like to answer that could be answered by pretty much just copying and ...
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Ultimately, what will the Physics Stack Exchange Become? Are there long term goals?
It was sometime back that I realized what we are synthesizing here (possibly) is an archive for an expert system. Put the Physics Stack Exchange together with an AI machine and you have a super-...
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Book recommendations: On-topic, on-topic but community wiki, or off-topic?
Yes, we've had this debate before. Unfortunately, there's no definite consensus to be found about their community wiki status:
Good list, bad list (from July 2013) has the top voted answer (with a ...
ACuriousMindMod
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