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I have asked a question. In this question, I provide details about what I mean and even a link to the content I am talking about. Some people put the question OnHold because they say It is not clear what you want. But when I asked what is unclear nobody answered or commented. It is very strange that some people handle such a detailed question in this way and when I ask what is vague no answer or comment. The question is how to know what is vague? I want to know what is vague. Ironically they are unclear for the reason in putting this question on hold. I hope somebody will listen.

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    First of all, please accept that some people only vote to close and not explain. That is regrettable, but we can't force them to. Second, don't let it get to you. Closed questions can be reopened. Especially if the question isn't clear, it can be reopened when it is clear what you mean. I'll have a look and see if there's anything that confuses me. Thank you for taking this to meta, that is good practice.
    – Discrete lizard
    Mar 21, 2018 at 19:20
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    So, after having checked your question, I must say that I agree I have no idea what is unclear. Perhaps some people voted to close due to being off-topic, as I think it is borderline on-topic at best. Unfortunately, the system cannot display multiple close reasons. Then again, I cannot know what other users are thinking. I hope that some of them will eventually clarify why they voted to close. Please be patient in the mean time.
    – Discrete lizard
    Mar 21, 2018 at 19:26
  • Oh, I put a suggestion on the 'multiple close reasons issue' up on the 'SE-wide' meta: please have a look
    – Discrete lizard
    Mar 21, 2018 at 19:37
  • Some people just like to delete things.
    – Alexey B.
    Mar 22, 2018 at 2:24
  • @Discretelizard thank you. At least someone see the problem here
    – user85361
    Mar 22, 2018 at 14:46
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    The problem is that you've asked five different things, and regardless of how related they may be, that's either too broad to be answered properly or unclear what exactly you're asking so that a better or worse answer can be determined. I'd VTC and DV this kind of thing on every site in the network, and have done.
    – Nij
    Mar 23, 2018 at 20:34
  • @Nij, First of all, I think it is not so many different things, It is a single thing. Please see what has been added to question. Second, breaking this question, one may miss the point even if she read all the answers to different questions.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:16
  • The current version still has at least three distinct questions. They may be related but that's what the related questions and linked questions section is for. If one may miss the point despite reading multiple answers, one is going to miss the point by reading an essay posted in one answer too.
    – Nij
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:47

3 Answers 3

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The multiple questions are bound together by McEnerney's use of the term community. Scaahu wrote, Unless we watch the video, how could we know what he meant by "community"? Some of the close votes and lack of reopen votes may have come at least partly from a similar lack of clarity. So let's get on the same page about that first.

Oxford 1 A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. ‘Montreal's Italian community’ ‘the gay community in London’ ‘the scientific community’

Community, used in this way, is a term that's come into vogue in recent years in at least some parts of the US. (Note, in "I attended a small, supportive liberal arts college that had a great sense of community," it has a slightly different meaning.) Maybe some of our participants haven't come across this usage yet, but what McEnerney appears to have talking about is the set of people who have an interest in the particular area (or sub-area) of study.

I would like to respond to StrongBad's argument, "It is hard to see the single thread that runs between the questions and without that it is unclear how to write a single comprehensive answer that answers your unstated question." (I don't understand "unstated question," since he was pointing to the multiple, supposedly unconnected questions as being the problem.)

Sometimes one person will have an easier time understanding a particular question than someone else. That's why the system requires five closure votes rather than just one. But, following StrongBad's logic, the existence of an answer that holds together well and responds to what was asked, shows that the unclearness was subjective -- some people got it and some didn't.

About the video link. Posting a link to a video in a question is helpful. This is done regularly on many SE sites. Not posting a link to the material the question is about -- that would be bad.

I hope others will join me in voting to reopen.

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    In my mind, the unstated question is the single thread that connects the 5 questions. The fact that one user, and probably many users, were able to understand the question, does not mean the question would not benefit from an edit that would make it clearer to future users. Looking at the voting/review history of the question, there are a number of users who find it unclear and a few who find it clear. It would be great if a user who understands the question could help clarify it for everyone who is confused so that we can get the question reopened.
    – StrongBad
    Apr 2, 2018 at 17:33
  • @StrongBad - By unstated question do you mean that you know what it is, but it wasn't made explicit? Or do you mean that there was something left unsaid, and you're not sure what it was? Or maybe that the multiple questions don't and can't have any unifying thread, so no wonder it's missing from the post?
    – aparente001
    Apr 2, 2018 at 19:59
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    In my opinion, the only way the original post works is if there is a unifying question that ties the 5 stated questions together. That unifying question, if it even exists, is not stated. If someone could tell me what question (or possibly statement) ties the 5 stated questions together, I could potentially see voting to reopen the question.
    – StrongBad
    Apr 2, 2018 at 20:09
  • @StrongBad - I gave it whirl, let's see if the edits, plus the definition of community that I provided here, help.
    – aparente001
    Apr 2, 2018 at 20:13
  • @StrongBad, Please see what I append at the end of question. I think that is the unifying question you mean. Thank you.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:01
  • @user85361 can you delate those 5 questions since people are confuing it as separate and try to write paragraph insted? following instruction from that video?
    – SSimon
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:51
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There are 5 questions in your question. Each of which could probably stand on its own and receive an in depth answer. It is hard to see the single thread that runs between the questions and without that it is unclear how to write a single comprehensive answer that answers your unstated question.

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    I understood OP question as one, he was referring to talk of some professor, OP question remaind me on the one user question about author of Professor is IN, book. where there were several question regrading what advior/supervisor should be like and who to avoid. This is why I think it is not fair to close this question
    – SSimon
    Mar 22, 2018 at 5:07
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    @SSimon great. Please write an answer explaining the issue and suggesting ways the question could be edited to make it clearer to people. Then we can edit the question and get it reopened.
    – StrongBad
    Mar 22, 2018 at 12:30
  • I need approval from moderators, until they reply to my last message to them, I will not be able to reply
    – SSimon
    Mar 22, 2018 at 14:46
  • @SSimon, I agree with you. This is a single issue and all of the subquestions are in fact to make a concept clear.
    – user85361
    Mar 22, 2018 at 14:55
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    @user85361 yes I follow very carefully every question that was asked on this forum, I notice that you had just bad luck as much as you tried to explain and help, people didn't bother to understand your question, which is, by the way, were important for future in academia, generally there is luck of content and understanding for people that are asking question not related to math, CS, engineering or some sort of IT. I think they cannot relate to problems explained in your question and that is why they dont voted to close
    – SSimon
    Mar 22, 2018 at 16:26
  • @SSimon, I hope what I appended to the question helps to improve. It is bad that we have to do so much effort to just open a question.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:03
  • @StrongBad, I think what I have appended to the question shows that It is not 5 separate questions. There is a single thread in question which If you pose these question in different posts, one may miss the point.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:11
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I noticed this question as well. To me it seemed a bit, well, broad -- question #3 is basically "how do I network", and the other questions broaden the scope still further. Your first two paragraphs explain why you ask the question, but don't make your question any more specific.

In my view, all researchers struggle with the question of how best to network -- that's part of the game, and SE is for Q&A, not comprehensive tutorials. If you want to reopen the question, I would focus on what makes your situation different than that of every other researcher. Examples -- maybe you work in an esoteric subfield? Or in an country without a strong research infrastructure? Or don't have an advisor? Or can't afford to attend conferences? Or have never published anything? Or...?

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  • I don't agree with you. Question #3, is not just how do I network. Please look what I have appended to question to see if it is more helpfull.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:06
  • It is not just networking. It is about becoming part of a community. To me it is completely different.
    – user85361
    Apr 3, 2018 at 1:13

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