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A single person answered 76k questions about SQL on StackOverflow (stackoverflow.com)

495 points by w-m · 1824 days ago · 176 comments on HN

Article summary

A single person has answered 76,000 questions about SQL on StackOverflow. This achievement is notable for its scale and dedication. The person, Gordon Linoff, has also written books on data mining and SQL. His contributions have made a significant impact on the StackOverflow community.

Main themes

  • StackOverflow contributions
  • Reputation system flaws
  • Answering strategies
  • Popularity contest
  • Community dynamics
  • Expertise and dedication

What commenters say

  • Answering a large number of questions on a Q&A site can be seen as a heroic effort, demonstrating dedication and expertise.
  • The reputation system on StackOverflow can be flawed, allowing non-answers or technically correct but irrelevant answers to receive upvotes.
  • Some users strategically post incomplete or placeholder answers to deter others and then polish them later, which can be seen as unfair.
  • The platform's algorithm and user behavior can lead to a popularity contest, favoring early answers and well-known users.
  • Downvoting and closing questions can be overzealous, but it's also possible that users are not telling the whole truth about their experiences.
  • The scale of Gordon Linoff's contributions is astonishing and hard to match, making him a notable figure in the community.
  • The discussion highlights the tension between providing helpful answers and gaming the system for reputation and upvotes.