>I still read SO, but as someone who was around before it existed I don't really feel like the quality of answers is any higher than the random forum posts of yore, it's just that they're all under the same URL now, and the same user interface.
Hmm, we really remember things differently. I remember:
Correct on all accounts. SO is radically superior to what existed before. Faster, more comprehensive, tightly maintained, highly accurate.
I routinely cringe at reading some of the comments on SO, the general smugness on there. However there's no comparison to the past options. It's better in every way. Forums of old were overflowing with plenty of smug behavior as well, SO didn't spawn that.
Hmm, we really remember things differently. I remember:
- Answers locked behind paywalls (ExpertsExchange)
- Searching pages of forum threads.
- Answers spread across multiple posts
- "Nvm, I solved it" https://xkcd.com/979/
In my experience, finding answers to programming questions is in a much, much better state of affairs now than it was in 2007.