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Questions like this one are requests for resources that can help them in some way, as long it is related to learning/teaching another language. There seems to be confusion (as seen in the comments) whether these types of questions are on topic or not.

So are resource request questions on-topic for our site? This is not a duplicate because this is requesting resources, not methods.

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    Possible duplicate of Are methods recommendation on-topic?
    – Quill
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 0:35
  • 4
    I don't think it's a dupe
    – Anthony Pham
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 0:52
  • You need to specify "on-topic" on the meta site. Per my comment on the linked item, a resources list is a compilation of resources available to support users of that site. Because this would be off-topic on a main site, meta is the place to keep it. Then it is easy to point to when such request is received (even though such questions would be off-topic, it may help the OP).
    – user3169
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 4:47
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    @Quill: Method recommendations and resource requests are not the same.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 5:58

1 Answer 1

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Resource requests can fit on SE, as long as they're objectively framed.

Does Resource X exist?

Should be fine.

Can you recommend a Resource X that you like?

Clearly isn't fine.

I don't see your sample question as particularly problematic--and apparently neither does the community at large. At the moment it's +1/-1, with no close votes.

It's not an especially strong question, though, but IMO, that's not because it's asking for a resource. The question's weakness, in my mind, comes from the fact that it's not well researched, as evidenced by the two built-in misunderstandings: 1) Languages share alphabets, 2) All writing systems use alphabets.

Also, the fact that Wikipedia has a list, which is mentioned in comments, suggests that the OP didn't research their question very thoroughly.

But even these perceived weaknesses didn't earn my down vote or my VtC.

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  • Different from "that you like", which is clearly subjective, how about something like "Is there a Resource X that will help me learn Mongolian parts of speech?" Here the request is not based on personal preference but objective requirements/qualities of some resource that may or may not meet the OP's requirement.
    – user3169
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 17:03
  • @user3169; I'm not sure that's much of an improvement, at least in many cases. See some related discussions here and here.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 17:16
  • Those seem to ask opinions. I am talking about objective qualities of various possible solutions.
    – user3169
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 17:26
  • @user3169: "Can X accomplish Y?" may be objective, in the strictest sense. But it's not very meaningful. a) It's a yes-or-no question. b) It may be that X can accomplish Y, but it may be very cumbersome or difficult to do so. These are the reasons such questions are generally better to avoid.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Apr 13, 2016 at 17:27
  • @user3169, as I read this again two months later, I think you're on to something, I just take issue with your specific suggested wording, which focuses on subjective outcomes rather than objective intentions. "Is there a Resource X that focuses on Mongolian parts of speech?" would seem good to me.
    – Flimzy Mod
    Commented Jun 17, 2016 at 6:52

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