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When trying to close a question, occasionally the reason for closure is that the question belongs on another site on the SE network. However, the closing reason "This question belongs on another site in the Stack Exchange network" allows for proposing migration only to three sites:

  • Meta Math.SE
  • Stats.SE
  • Physics.SE

These three options are insufficient. Mathematica.SE should be added to the list of potential migration sites, as should be MO, Theoretical CS, etc. It would be best if the person submitting the close vote could propose to which site the question should be migrated.

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    $\begingroup$ declined and declined $\endgroup$
    – user127096
    Mar 5, 2014 at 19:48
  • $\begingroup$ Let's see how the statistics measure up right now. $\endgroup$
    – Grace Note StaffMod
    Mar 5, 2014 at 20:08
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    $\begingroup$ I see no reason why migration to MO should be a standard option. Any question that is on-topic for MO is on-topic here, so migration should only happen in some slightly unusual circumstances. $\endgroup$
    – Tobias Kildetoft
    Mar 6, 2014 at 8:02
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    $\begingroup$ The point is that it would be best if we had e.g. a drop-down menu for proposed migration, instead of the three 'main options'. As Grace's post shows, nearly half of all migrations are not covered by the three 'main options'. $\endgroup$
    – Newb
    Mar 6, 2014 at 8:09
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    $\begingroup$ "It would be best if... could propose." Why not just flag? We don't do that much migration outwards over all, and compared to the other moderation duties that we do, migrating the occasional question is but a drop in a bucket. $\endgroup$
    – Willie Wong
    Mar 7, 2014 at 9:40

1 Answer 1

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In the last 90 days, 73 outgoing migrations have occurred, in the following distribution (we'll skip the Meta migrations, which are 18 in number). 37 to your open migration routes, and 33 through the moderator channels.

  • 11 to Cross Validated (3 rejected)
  • 11 to Physics (6 rejected)
  • 7 to Stack Overflow (1 rejected)
  • 6 to Mathematica
  • 6 to Math Overflow (1 rejected)
  • 6 to Academia (1 rejected)
  • 3 to Signal Processing
  • 3 to Computer Science
  • 2 to Computational Science

Putting aside that Physics has an over 50% rejection rate, the rest are too few in number anyway. Migrations are not enabled based on logical bridges - we enable migration paths for a site when the site receives a high frequency of off-topic questions that belong on that site - enough that moreso it's a burden on the moderators to handle the migration via flags. And also that the migration rate is actually accurate with little rejection rate. Sometimes it's simply a matter that in the long run, compared to the volume that the site gets (and Math gets a very nice question income), there actually isn't all that much off-topic for the site, nevermind that belongs on another site.

At an average of less than two migrations per month on any of these, I'm not inclined to agree with opening up additional migration routes. Mathematica I still have been keeping an eye on for the past few years, but the situation doesn't seem to have shifted enough to warrant opening the gates to there.

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    $\begingroup$ Wow! That rejection rate to physics.SE is a bit worrying. Looking at the last five rejections it seems as though not enough members of our community are aware of physics.SE's policy on homework questions. $\endgroup$
    – user642796
    Mar 5, 2014 at 20:51
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    $\begingroup$ @ArthurFischer Or, as I sometimes act when I'm in a "bad mood," they were well aware of Physics.SE's policy, but wanted to make a point that people can't ask physics homework questions here (which, in many cases are off topic here) just to get around the "no homework" policy of P.SE. (There's a fair amount of double posting between our site and theirs--I've seen them ask the same question here after it gets closed as homework on Physics on more than one occasion.) $\endgroup$
    – apnorton
    Mar 6, 2014 at 4:16
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    $\begingroup$ @anorton But closing as off-topic would make the same point (don't ask physics HW questions here). Migrating to make a statement might lead to Physics mods making a statement of their own - requesting the pipeline from Math to be closed. $\endgroup$
    – user127096
    Mar 6, 2014 at 6:23
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    $\begingroup$ @anorton: Intentionally creating a mess — that others will ultimately clean up — when in a "bad mood" seems awfully similar to how my three-year-old son acts when in a tantrum; I would hope that users here exhibit better behaviour. Closing these questions as off-topic is fine; but when they would not be welcome at physics.SE remember the first rule of migrations: $$\Large\textbf{Don't. Migrate. Crap.}$$ $\endgroup$
    – user642796
    Mar 6, 2014 at 7:15
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    $\begingroup$ @ArthurFischer Perhaps I wrote that comment rather hastily. I know the rule of "don't migrate crap." The particular questions I had in mind were terrible math questions (e.g. asking for clarification on energy conservation, or some other physics concept), yet were somewhat decent physics questions. That is, although they were homework questions, they were "good homework" according to our site (meaning, they showed work, etc.), and I don't know how lenient the "no homework" policy is over at Physics.SE. tl;dr: I don't migrate stuff I know is bad; only stuff I think might have a chance. $\endgroup$
    – apnorton
    Mar 6, 2014 at 14:37

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