For class, we had to pick a stack exchange site and engage with it throughout the weekend. I’ve had some exposure to Stack Overflow, which is the exchange for questions on computer programming but not with any of the other exchanges offered on the site.

I was surprised by the sheer number of different exchanges to select from. I felt that in order to get a full appreciation for the website, I should try engaging in more than one exchange. I started off with “English Language & Usage”, as I felt like the area where I could help with the most. After answering a few unanswered questions on grammatical rules, I decided to view a few of the top questions of the month. I noticed that I was not as much of an expert in English as I initially thought.

In addition to “English Language & Usage”, I also joined “Personal Finance & Money”. I follow r/personalfinance on Reddit, so I wanted to see how different the two platforms were. After spending some time on the exchange, I felt like the technology was not conducive to any spirit of community. It just all felt very bland. Reddit fosters amazing discussion with nested comments, and it emphasizes what’s “hot” that day, week, or month. I felt like, unless I was looking for a specific question to ask, the Q&A format for Stack Exchange did not generate a desire in me to keep returning to the site.

I have a few issues with the way Stack Exchange is currently organized. It definitely feels like Stack Overflow is the main feature of the site and the rest is an afterthought. For instance, the Stack Overflow logo was even on the “Sign Up” section of the Personal Finance exchange, which is meant to be an entirely separate part of the website.

Although I see myself to continue using Stack Overflow for any quick programming questions I have, and perhaps also using a few other exchanges, I would not recommend it as a place to keep coming back to if you’re a “Science Fiction & Fantasy” enthusiast.