When editing a new question, for grammar, punctuation, clarity, formulas, etc., is it appropriate to add the homework tag if your intuition is strong that it is homework?
Please don't knee-jerk brand this a duplicate question. This is a specific question about homework tags and non-OP editing that I didn't see directly addressed in the voluminous (I read more than ten) questions on this ... roiling ... subject.
I have been assuming no, that it's not constructive to force-apply the homework tag without asking the OP first, even for questions that I would bet 100:1 are homework. I don't want to make the OP feel shame at asking a homework question, nor for asking one and neglecting to tag it as such. Good point by Isaac about the delicate etiquette of this.
What I'd rather is the OP see a friendly "We have the impression this is homework, and so we assume you would prefer help to a thorough answer. Please explain if not the case."
Or even a convenient, affirming, OP-knows-best prompt:
Is your question homework?
- Yes, I prefer answers not be too thorough.
- No, I prefer detailed, complete answers.
But in lieu of a feature like that, I have been just refraining. What's your policy?
Edit: duplicates found at
In particular from Alex Becker's answer:
I and many other users consider it inappropriate to tag another user's question as homework unless they have explicitly said it is homework.
So now what I think I should do is propose a feature in meta that the OP can be offered a friendly prompt like the above.
