I was recently introduced to Stack Exchange, and after perusing the various sites, I decided to make a proposal for one that I believe could be a great resource to lots of people.
If you are unfamiliar with Stack Exchange, it is website that began in 2008, mainly as a place for people in IT to help each other solve specific problems, for free. It has grown considerably, and now hosts sites on a wide range of topics. The first thing I noticed about it is that it is similar to Yahoo Answers, but much, much more sophisticated. Through a system of voting, editing and commenting, the community encourages that basic concept is adhered to (only questions and answers), and there is a pleasant level of community and engagement as users help each other develop and rework good questions and answers. The underlying concept is that the site is for experts; if experts gather around ideas then the general public will follow.
So, it is in that spirit that I am hoping my proposal will go forward. The basic concept of my proposal is actually to provide something that seems to often be outside the boundaries of the majority of existing sites. There is an existing site titled "Interpersonal Skills," but the moderators of that site tend to want people to stick to skills, and there is a low tolerance for providing opinions, even if based on strong theory, and encouraging posters to consider different perspectives on the problem about which they are asking. With that in mind, my proposal seeks to generate a channel where it is acceptable to give advice, which inevitably is based in some aspect of opinion. But the goal is to attract people with the knowledge and experience to provide great advice; teachers, therapists, life coaches, etc.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, please visit the site and join. If it gets enough support it might become a permanent site.
Here is the link: https://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/117892/relationships-family-work-friends?referrer=FHgUvIpH0WRJi5KgOaUVig2