9
$\begingroup$

Stack exchange isn't a good platform for product recommendations in general, but a few sites allow it with a tight focus and control. Some that have allowed it in the past have decided to discontinue it for a variety of reasons.

I expect at the start we are going to get a lot of "What specific machine should I use" or "is there a 3D model of item X I can print".

  1. Should we allow product or part recommendations?
  2. If we do, what can we do to make sure they are limited, rather than open ended questions where dozens or hundreds of answers would be different but correct?
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Consider: 3D printing technology is evolving fast. Faster than technology in many fields. New designs and products are coming out all the time. Any recommendation made today is going to be wrong or worthless sometime between a week from now and 6 months from now. $\endgroup$
    – Martin
    Jan 13, 2016 at 19:25

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
8
$\begingroup$

I agree with Jeff's blog post: https://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/

don't ask us what you should buy -- ask us what you need to learn to tell what you should buy.

$\endgroup$
2
$\begingroup$

3D printers are, I do believe, on-topic for Hardware Recommendations (I moderate that site, so one might hope I'd know that).

In terms of recommendations in general, I recommend not even trying to get them into your scope yet. As a site that's just been set up, and was not set up specifically for recommendation questions, getting the balance of them right without 100% focus on the subject is difficult.

Get a good, balanced, secure scope in place first, then try to include recommendation questions if you still want them.

$\endgroup$
1
$\begingroup$

I think that hardware recommendations are ok, but in a limited and specific scope:

Bad:

Can you recommend a cheap printer with a heated bed that's at least 8"*8"*8".

Which is better? Printer X or printer Y?

Good:

What hotend can I use to print at 300+C?

What are the advantages of borosilicate glass over picture frame glass?

$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I like the borosilicate glass question, but I'd lump the hotend question into the bad category primarily due to localization in terms of time. There may only be a handful right now, but half of them will stop being produced in a few years, and a dozen more will pop up in that time. $\endgroup$
    – Adam Davis
    Jan 13, 2016 at 16:50

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .