Non-OP edits to change the original question to make it on-topic

Question

I feel that this topic is ambiguous at the current time, and I would like some clarification. When I see a question that is obviously, or at least appears to be off-topic based on how it is worded, my usual reaction is this:

1. Downvote;

2. Vote to close;

3. When applicable, offer a comment that may help the OP either make their question on-topic;

4. If OP edits question to make on-topic, then revoke my VTC and often my DV.

However, this answer threw me for a loop, specifically: (emphasis mine)

If you then find that the code doesn't support unicode, that's a nice point to state in an answer. But the asker's original input domain didn't contain unicode. Just "normal" strings. If the asker had mentioned they did support unicode and it was obvious they didn't then it would be viable for closure (but more likely; we'd edit it so it's no longer making the claim, then review it anyway).

I don't want this to sound more controversial than needed, but I feel that the burden of making the question on-topic should be on the OP rather than the question being coerced into being on-topic, effectively changing the meaning of the original question.

I'm OK if everyone else is OK with this, but I would like input from the community and from mods as to whether this would be a good practice for this site.

PS: I'm not asking about changing the code, that has already been adressed.

Answer 1

Leave open. Nearly always. (*) If the OP claims, it supports Unicode and it doesn't... it's a bug w.r.t. their claims, but it doesn't mean it's a bug w.r.t. the specification. Maybe the claim was just too bold.

If the Unicode support was the main point of the question, this would change the situation.

The point of a real CR is to get feedback and to get it soon. Closing is not helpful in speeding it up. Obviously broken code should be refused and so questions "how can I fix it?" which belong on SO. But when the OP simply make an invalid claim or if they add a notice like "it works only for square boards", then IMHO a meaningful CR can still be done.

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(*) That's actually my general opinion on the whole SO. Unless it's really broken, let it pass. I'm not trying to interpret the written rules, that's just how I think this site can be most useful. Closing and deleting are valid and necessary actions, I just feel closing is overused.