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This is based in part on a chat message I wrote on Thursday, which I'm now acting on (ignore the linked question).

Some sites on Stack Exchange allow, in some form or another, resource recommendations, using one or more of the following tags:

You get the idea.

We currently have the tag (and Stack Exchange also has Software Recommendations Stack Exchange, and Hardware Recommendations Stack Exchange may enter private beta soon), and we have the tag, so recommending worldbuilding resources works on Worldbuilding Stack Exchange. However, I'd like to take it a step further, and suggest that more resource recommendations be on topic, specifically

As such, I'm working on a trial question to test the waters.

Should we have resource recommendation questions? If so, what should the limits be?

The relevant precedent question is Are software recommendation questions on topic?; When are software-recommendation questions on topic? is also relevant and based on Are Wikis the only solution for creating online encyclopedias? [closed].

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    $\begingroup$ Mi Yodeya uses a single product-recommendations tag (and considers things like web sites to be in this category). If we do this I definitely recommend a single something-recommendations tag, not one per type of resource. Somebody looking for info on a topic might be happy with a book or a website or a video tutorial or whatever; don't fragment on that. $\endgroup$
    – Monica Cellio Mod
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 19:57
  • $\begingroup$ @MonicaCellio I've been considering that. If there's a tag called "resource-recommendations", then there's clearly confusion with "worldbuilding-resources". I figured it would be best to push the ideas of the topics first and then have a go at the tags. $\endgroup$
    – HDE 226868 Mod
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 19:59
  • $\begingroup$ Either tag name would work; the main thing is that if they're talking about the same thing there should only be one. $\endgroup$
    – Monica Cellio Mod
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 20:12
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    $\begingroup$ It's all the same thing. Let's just keep the most relevant: worldbuilding-resources ? $\endgroup$
    – Vincent Mod
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 21:08

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I feel like this is already covered tag wise with the tag.

I wholly support asking for resources from people, though lets be honest in most cases answers are going to be opinion based...so I am not sure how this would work.

Questions in this category will need to be very specific.

Potential good questions:

I need a book that illustrates Mayan dress during the height of the empire

I need a book that details Roman military organization and tactics prior to the Marian reforms

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    $\begingroup$ While I don't object to (specific) resource-request questions (there's precedent), if you're tempted to ask a question like that why not recast it to ask for the answer instead of a pointer to the answer? Instead of "a book that illustrates Mayan dress...", why not ask "what did Mayan dress look like during..."? (Assuming that's on-topic, which it might not be.) Answers are free to recommend resources, but let's try to ask the question instead of the question leading to the question, y'know? $\endgroup$
    – Monica Cellio Mod
    Commented Sep 1, 2015 at 16:27
  • $\begingroup$ @MonicaCellio In general I agree/That makes sense. I would say the one caveat that comes to mind is when a person asking a question KNOWS its going to be a long open ended answer, in that case I think asking for resource, rather than paraphrasing a whole book may be the better of the two options. $\endgroup$
    – James
    Commented Sep 1, 2015 at 18:07
  • $\begingroup$ That's fair. Mostly I just want people to remember to ask the real questions here -- if the real question really is "what resource?" then fine, but we shouldn't jump there most of the time. $\endgroup$
    – Monica Cellio Mod
    Commented Sep 1, 2015 at 18:14

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