I asked a question recently about a rumored biological mechanism that I was ignorant about.
https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/30078/is-there-any-truth-to-at-will-pregnancy-rejection
My question was answered and I am satisfied with the result, but it was put on hold, for what I feel, was the wrong reason.
The question is duplicate of a question asked over at skeptics, but it was put on hold for being off-topic. After consulting the help center more closely, I see that it is indeed off topic.
- general questions about biological concepts
- questions about the biological mechanisms behind medical conditions
- questions about techniques in a biological or biochemical laboratory
I love SE. I think it has the potential to be on par with wikipedia and youtube when it comes to educating the planet.
My expertise is in the computer field, not biology. There are SE sites that welcome different degrees of educated questions.
I've seen questions on UX that don't know enough to know what they don't know, and have their questions welcomed and answered with open arms, even though the question could be interpreted as off-topic if someone felt like doing so.
I've also seen questions on programmers and security that require a stretch of the imagination to interpret the question as off-topic.
Ultimately, I've learned that what is off-topic is largely a reflection upon what kind of questions the moderation want to be asked. Of course that makes sense, these beta sites are created by those whom choose what kind of questions they want to welcome.
Biology is for academics. I didn't have any hand in the creation of this site, but I like any human, being a biological creature with things happening within me that I don't understand, will naturally have questions about it.
My big criticism with the SE network isn't that it enforces quality, thats the reason I prefer it, but rather that many of the sites have an ignorance barrier of entry. If you don't know enough to know what you don't know, its very difficult to formulate a question that meets the criteria.
For non-academics, if one has a question based in ignorance, which is a perfectly natural expectation for someone asking a question, SE is not for them.
Imagine back before you knew anything about biology. Anything at all, complete smooth-brained, wide-eyed student. Except you aren't in school anymore, you're an adult with a job and a family, and you have a question, but you aren't entirely sure what it is you're question is about. You don't know enough to know what you don't know, but you would like to know. Ideally, I would love for that person's questions to be welcome at SE, but ultimately, they are not. For them.. I guess they would need to use yahoo answers, or ask their (probably) ignorant friends on facebook.
And is that what we want? More people graduating from the University of Facebook?
Anyways, just a suggestion, broaden the scope of biology to not so narrow.
- general questions about biological concepts
- questions about
thebiological mechanismsbehind medical conditions - questions about techniques in a biological or biochemical laboratory
Just be more open to questions about biological systems and mechanism. I think if someone has a question to how something within their own body works, even if its based on hearsay (remember, facebook university), it should be welcomed and answered here.