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NOTE:
Since my question is opened now so this meta question question doesn't make any sense. I am not changing most of the content of my question because it will invalidate the answer given. The clipped portion of the question has been asked on main because I think it is more suitable to main site.

I asked two similar questions, 1, 2 a few days ago. 2nd is closed because "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center". I am under the impression that they are really not mathematical questions. So,

  • To which subject these questions belong?
  • Is there any website inside or outside SE network where these type of questions are allowed.

Reading the reason of closure contemplatively I come to the conclusion that this website doesn't cater all level of questions.

This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center

As my question is a homework question it might be that my question is a mathematical one but since it lacks a certain amount of research/effort, it is closed.

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  • $\begingroup$ This is disrespect. There is not much point in further wasting time here. I've 2 or 3 questions left to ask on main site. I'm doing research for them. And 1 question of Physics. After asking them I will never come back to these polictical sites. These are not for open science. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 13:18
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    $\begingroup$ I do think that questions like math.stackexchange.com/q/819047/630 are not about "mathematics". This is because they have no objectively correct answer, and are really only slightly removed from the question "What number am I thinking of?" (which, if you don't know, is a reference to a Saturday Night Live skit youtube.com/watch?v=6sdVx5gQz6w ) In fact your second question already shows two possible answers (which are not obtained by interpolation). If you clarify the question by giving a closed form for the $n$th term, then the question would have an objective answer. $\endgroup$
    – Carl Mummert
    Jun 4, 2014 at 13:50
  • $\begingroup$ @CarlMummert I haven't read much Math. I don't know what you mean by closed form for the nth term . I've posted the question as it is in the book. I've shared what I tried. Since the question is closed as: not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center . I only want to know whether it is a Math question or is it closed because these type of questions aren't allowed here. I'm tired of discussions. I came on SE sites to know the answers of my questions. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:10
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    $\begingroup$ !user31782: unfortunately, some math books have bad questions. I believe your question was closed because several other people voted, in addition to me, that they do not think that the question fits this site. Don't give too much weight to the "not about mathematics" reason; the number of options available when someone votes to close is not very long, so the reasons are not always completely accurate. My comment above from 13:50 on June 4 is a better explanation of what is wrong, in my opinion, with the sort of question that we are discussing (the "read my mind" type of question). $\endgroup$
    – Carl Mummert
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:14
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    $\begingroup$ This type of questions was discussed before: meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/924/…, meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/12807/…, meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/6588/… (and maybe a few other threads). $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:26
  • $\begingroup$ @CarlMummert Can we use interpolation in solving a question on sequences? The question-5 that I quoted in the question above can also be answered by interpolation. The book mentions only one correct answer for 5th question. This way the book will be technically incorrect; which is less likely to be because it is a standard book. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:31
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    $\begingroup$ Related: matheducators.stackexchange.com/questions/295/… $\endgroup$
    – user1729
    Jun 4, 2014 at 16:24
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    $\begingroup$ I agree that your question does not have a correct answer and that it is an unfair question to ask on an exam, but I also sympathise because it's absurd to call it "not about mathematics" just because it has no right answer, even if it technically does not belong to the site according to some rule. I'm sorry that the community has given your question here a -6 score, just because a negative score is not very welcoming even if it is the convention here. Unfortunately this site is so large that people are often more concerned with keeping the site in order rather than treating visitors kindly. $\endgroup$
    – user2055
    Jun 9, 2014 at 19:47

1 Answer 1

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I was not involved in any step of putting the question on hold, but even cursory reading of your question and the related comments makes the hold reason "not about mathematics" perfectly valid: the question was not asked in good faith. You say in a comment that a submitted answer diverging from your answer key shows that the answer key is wrong, and that this makes the SE answer "very very very useful" to you, as it can be used "to show the whole exam to be faulty"; dismissing in another comment an answer reproducing the suggested answer key answer. If this would have been my (SE) answer. I would have felt used.

There is a persistent pattern of backhanded passive-aggressiveness in the numerous meta questions you ask. At times, it culminates in what when society wasn't held to mince their words would have been called payback: now I am gonna downvote... Your questions are met with a patience I find astounding, people (still) trying to give reasons, which are throughout dismissed in comment discussions; these discussions inevitably culminating in what can only be seen as the true goal of asking your question on meta: to get a hint of what can be interpreted as support, typically imagined as users even withdraw their good faith comments when seeing how they are mis-represented. And to use this claimed support to establish case law to make any expression of disapproval by downvote on your questions illegal, and reversible.

If I were suspended on one SE site, and became active on another as a result, and I met a lot of negative feedback there as well, I would consider introspection as opposed to creating a comforting fantasy world of persecution. In true passive aggressive manner, I expect the reply to this outrageous claim of mine to be "but that's why I'm asking for clarification!", but, you know, that emperor's clothing.

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  • $\begingroup$ The apperent rudeness in my posts are due to 1.my lack of English knowledge, 2. am a literal and frank person. I am not able to understand your answer completely. Though your first paragraph seems to say that I asked that question in bad faith. No I didn't know the how 435 was the correct answer. But I was quite sure that the book was faulty because my own answer was completely valid. As I can understand you are not answering my question in any way, I am flagging your answer as not an answer. Nonehtless thankyou for the time you spent in writing this answer. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 13:56
  • $\begingroup$ I do not know why the moderator declined my flag. Since I do not downvote silently so I'd like say '-1'. It seems you are making some personal attack on me in the last paragraph( as far as I understand it). Please don't talk of any off-topic issues. Whenever I had voted on any post I only considered the content of that post and I'd hope others would vote on my posts considering only the content of that specific post. Sorry if my wording sees rude. If I'm suspended on some other SE site then it has nothing to do with my contribution on Math.stackexchange. Regards. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:18
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    $\begingroup$ @user31782 If you're consistently receiving negative feedback from the community, through votes, closures and comments, perhaps it's time to carefully reconsider how you participate - rather than immediately taking a hostile and confrontational tone on meta. $\endgroup$
    – user61527
    Jun 4, 2014 at 14:53
  • $\begingroup$ @user61527 It seems like you deleted your previous comment. Thanks for the suggestion. I've understood one thing from the feedback very clear: The votes on my posts are the sign of personal likness of the community. I thought that votes are given based on the research effort, clearness, or usefulness but I guess I am wrong. I am not interesting in any political discussion. I am the way I am and I cannot change. I write in meta posts what my mind thinks at that time. You guys don;t like me and I don't like you guys personally. So lets talk about Math only. $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 15:14
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    $\begingroup$ @user31782 Unfortunately, it's much easier to rationalize negative feedback as dislike, rather than as a suggestion to change or improve your posts. $\endgroup$
    – user61527
    Jun 4, 2014 at 15:37
  • $\begingroup$ @user61527 Are there any other posts of mine on main site which need further improvements? $\endgroup$
    – user103816
    Jun 4, 2014 at 15:57
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    $\begingroup$ Your last paragraph reminds me this quote from Lucky Number Slevin, "My father used to say: "The first time someone calls you a horse you punch him on the nose, the second time someone calls you a horse you call him a jerk but the third time someone calls you a horse, well then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle." $\endgroup$
    – Asaf Karagila Mod
    Jun 4, 2014 at 16:23
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    $\begingroup$ @user31782: Why everything on this page has to revolve around you? gnometurtle wrote something, and it reminded me a quote from a movie, so I wrote that quote down. You don't have to be aggressive. $\endgroup$
    – Asaf Karagila Mod
    Jun 4, 2014 at 16:57

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