Do meta questions have a quality standard?

Question

A few weeks back, there was a question posted on meta Why is it marked as duplicate?

From the title, it asks why the question is marked as a duplicate of another question. But when we look into the body, there is nothing as to what is the point of the meta discussion. Just a link to the question and a statement saying it is not a duplicate.

Did Karna think that it was adharma to not appoint Duryodhana as king of Hastinapura?

The so called original question is nothing as duplicate.

Besides this, there is nothing written in the question. This question looks really ambiguous and has many interpretations.

• Is the point of the discussion to reopen the question?

• Is it what to do in the next step to get it reopened?

• Is it a meta to ask why this question is closed as a duplicate?

• Is it a meta explaining the reasons why it is not a duplicate?

• something else

After reading this meta question, what are we supposed to do? Answer it saying it is a dupe or not? Vote to reopen it?

Since I got these doubts, I asked the OP to edit info why and how the question is not a duplicate and what steps should be taken to improve existing question in the comments. But there was a response that the question in main is clear so the question should be reopened. Due to this response, I voted to close as "Unclear what you are asking" because meta discussion lacked context and unclear without a question in the body. But the question seems to be open now and received an answered yesterday. This question is just an example and not a targeted question at the OP of the question or meta.

Meta also works as main site in terms of Q&A and they also have close reasons just like main site questions. Don't the questions here need context and body on what is the point of the discussion?

Do we have a quality standard in questions on meta? Or are we going to allow questions with a title, a link/image and statement that action taken is wrong?

As an honorable mention, should we be okay with editing with what they understood from such ambiguous and unclear questions and then comment

Hi OP! I have edited your question. If you have a problem, rollback to previous revision.

This approach may result in "First come First edit" and waiting for the OP's decision forever without considering the point of clarifying the meaning of a post without changing it according to help center article on editing.

Answer 1

After some weeks after this question is posted, I am writing an answer to my own question that the quality of meta has fallen down.

Our meta has degraded to a level that it is holding debates on religion. When such questions are asked, instead of downting and closing, they are answered with counter arguments. Meta is slightly turning into a main site where sources from Hindu texts are cited rather than policies from Meta Stack Exchange or faq. Comments add up the fuel to fire by making personal allegations on eachother. Perhaps it's only me but the action on flags takes longer on meta than main.

Moderators even though aware that it's a religious debate, letting it stay open. If a religious debate is taking place, moderators should have answered just from Code of Conduct point of view and closed it immediately. On the contrary, it was answered saying Vedanta is supported in the Vedas and the question is still open. It reminds me that the same moderator asked the community Please stay away from Shiva vs. Vishnu debate a couple of years ago.

Votes on questions have turned to "I agree/disagree with the claims made on the sect" from "I agree/disagree with the points made in the discussion".

There were also questions which are not under our site's scope which were supposed to be closed as off-topic. But they are answered by moderator without closing.

There is really no review activity on Meta. Just like the question I linked is still open, there are other questions which have their close votes expired. Users are not participating in reviews. We have moderators who can close questions but they are not closing questions. If they think the question doesn't deserve closure, they can at least review it as "Leave Open" but that is also hardly seen. The question I linked Why is it marked as duplicate? was left open by moderator ( only active moderator unfortunately) in review. But I think there's not much detail in the question except saying questions are different.

There are multiple comments under the question which try to explain the ambiguity of the question. They tried to explain how that question needs some improvement and explaining why there should be an explanation in the meta too. But the OP ignored the comments. I have cast my close vote for the second time and I think that is when moderator left open the question. But, there was no clarifying comment from the moderator also why that question is clear or doesn't deserve closure. There is no edit too (Generally moderators on our main site edit as their wish on what they understand and say I edited it. But that's not even visible there). Generally moderators on other sites explain why a question should not be closed while giving a review against community decision. But that was not followed. The moderator might have understood the intent of the question even though it's a one liner. But what about the standard? Is it going to depend on moderator's understanding? I think so.

This review action implies that we can just write a post with a title and unrelated statement and it's perfectly fine.So I have come to the opinion that we can ask anything on our meta with a one liner without any detail in the body.

Due to above reasons, unfortunately, I am inclined to an opinion that the quality of questions and comments on meta has fallen when compared from the past.