Can I ask a question using photos?
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4$\begingroup$ Thank you for asking first. $\endgroup$– copper.hatJun 21, 2020 at 21:40
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$\begingroup$ I’m voting to close this question because several reasons but I have no words. $\endgroup$– SomosJun 21, 2020 at 21:40
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2$\begingroup$ Some related older posts: Are pictures of hand-written drawings allowed? and On the inclusion of pages-of-text-as-images in questions. Maybe also: What should I do when I see a “pic-question”? and Should I edit a question everytime I see an image in it? $\endgroup$– Martin SleziakJun 22, 2020 at 5:31
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1 Answer
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We prefer you do not ask a question using a photo of text. Instead, please transcribe it using MathJax. There are several reasons for this.
Without text, the question is unsearchable, and it is unlikely another user with the same question will find it. The core principle of StackExchange is to provide help in a way that can also benefit spectators and future users.
We encourage long term participation here, which means integrating into the community, learning its norms, and participating in other ways than asking questions. To write good answers, you'll need to learn the basics of MathJax, so now is as good of a time to learn as any! (The guide is very good.)
Lastly, some users feel that there should be a greater expectation of effort from the reader. Properly transcribing the question in a way that conforms to our guidelines is considered a show of good faith.
With these things said, there is nothing wrong with including pictures with questions when they contribute additional meaning. Diagrams and drawings can be excellent supplements to a question (even if they are from a secondary source). It is important that they do not comprise the entire body of the question. When in doubt, explain your thoughts in your own words, that you wrote.
answered Jun 21, 2020 at 22:32
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8$\begingroup$ One other significant reason for trying to use text instead of a photo is to make it easier for visually impaired people using screen readers, e.g., as discussed in Meta in several posts such as Stack Exchange policy on images and the visually impaired and Why are images of text, code and mathematical expressions discouraged?. $\endgroup$ Jun 21, 2020 at 23:12