To quote our help centre:
Questions about modern, currently supported computers are off-topic. This includes questions about earlier versions of a current machine or OS.
If interpreted strictly that would appear to rule the following out of bounds:
- any question about any version of Microsoft Windows, including those for the DEC Alpha, PowerPC, etc, or any question about the PC in general;
- any question about any Macintosh, including those that run the Classic OS;
- any question about essentially any version of UNIX or the standard UNIX compatible systems (as e.g. Solaris is still available, and was founded upon AT&T System V, and both BSD and Linux development continues apace); and
- any question about either RISC OS or Amiga OS, both of which still occasionally see releases for mass-produced computers you can buy today.
Picking on the Macintosh example in particular, it therefore prima facie rules out discussion of an OS written directly in 68k assembly for a 128kb floppy-only machine from 1984 since there is no hard discontinuity in the OS; there is no single version that does not include most or all of its predecessor and does not retain the ability to run most of the same software.
Is there a consensus for restricting the scope of this exemption, or for removing it entirely?
I understand its motivations, but I would argue in favour of a change as it:
- constricts the judgment of contributes too much as to what is acceptable; and
- in any case, is very rarely enforced — implying a lack of general acceptance of the principle behind it. Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Amongst other options, I can envisage a simple softening:
Questions about modern, currently supported computers are off-topic. This includes questions about recent earlier versions of a current machine or OS.
Or:
Questions about modern, currently supported computers are off-topic. This includes questions about substantially similar earlier versions of a current machine or OS.
Or you could simply remove the second clause:
Questions about modern, currently supported computers are off-topic.