Proposed edit to "cannot be generalized" closure tag

Question

Based on the positive response to the shopping closure tag question I recently asked, I think the best way to handle this would be to edit the "cannot be generalized" tag to incorporate this specifically.

I would propose to change the text of the tag as follows:

Questions that cannot be generalized to apply to others in similar situations are off-topic. In particular, "shopping" questions asking about recommendations for specific programs or universities are off-topic. For assistance in writing questions that can apply to multiple people facing similar situations, see: What kinds of questions are too localized?

Answer 1

I don't think "shopping" is generally a subtype of "Questions that cannot be generalized to apply to others in similar situations."

Many of the shopping questions we get are very general. For example,

• What are the cheapest online degrees in Computer Science?
• Where can I take online MBA courses without being admitted?
• Good chemical engineering schools in US for Ph.D?

The fundamental problem with these questions is not just that they are too broad, because if they were narrowed down a great deal they'd still be off topic. The problem is that they are shopping questions. I don't think that "shopping" is a subtype of any of our existing close reasons.

Answer 2

On some other sites I might agree, but I suspect that on academia.SE, the biggest cause of the "cannot be generalised" closure is "Here is my specific situation in great detail. What course should I take / how should I deal with my supervisor / what colour of pen is it best to use?". Answering that with something that might be interpreted as "don't ask shopping questions" will just confuse.