Ask HN: Pros and Cons if GitHub were to add a Q/A tab like the “Issues” tab?

2 points by supersan 10y ago ↗ HN

Hi,

I was just wondering that there a lot of repos on GitHub with only 1 or two contributors. So it doesn't make sense to ask questions about code on StackOverflow. You can certainly put it in Issues tab but I think they are more about bug reports / feature requests. A lot of repos (like AngularJS) frown upon it, when people ask questions about the code in the Issues tab.

So wouldn't it be awesome if GitHub were to add a Q/A tab like the Issues tab? This way you can get answers from the active maintainers of the repo/code and don't have to wish that somehow they see it on SO (and not break rules by posting questions in Issues tab).

What do you think? What are the pros and cons of such feature?

2 comments

[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 53.0 ms ] thread

percept 10y ago ↗

I often find questions in 'Issues' helpful, and am disappointed by projects that forbid them, because sometimes an obscure issue doesn't appear in the normal channels--mailing lists/SO/etc.--and at other times it seems like a means of stifling open discussion (ditto "I'm locking this thread").

Labels offer one simple (and existing) solution for this.

AznHisoka 10y ago ↗

I would especially love it if github allowed repo owners to optionally charge for answer. While freely allowing answers from anyone else.