New subcategory: rationale and scope

On the subject in the title: New subcategory: rationale and scope Working notes rather than a conclusion.

Process question about how this site works.

I have read the guidelines and the trust-level page and I still have a question about the mechanism rather than the rule. Specifically, I would like to understand the reasoning behind it, because I suspect the reasoning is better than the rule sounds.

Not a complaint. If the answer is "because of a failure mode you have not seen yet", I would like to hear about the failure mode.

Feedback to announcements: if you have feedback on an announced change (not a question, but your position) post it in the Meta category rather than here.

post #2 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different.

Archives: older announcements are archived by date. Checking archives is useful if you want to know what changed when.

RSS: if you prefer to receive announcements by feed rather than visiting the site, RSS is available for this subcategory.

I read post #4 twice before replying, because I had assumed the opposite.

Staff announcements, policy changes, and scheduled maintenance. Read-only except for questions clarifying what was announced.

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

Questions welcomed: if an announcement is unclear, asking for clarification is welcome. Staff will explain their reasoning.

Picking up post #6: that is the part I would want checked first.

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

Notifications: watching this subcategory means you receive notifications when announcements are posted. Useful if you want to stay current.

Staff-only posts: some announcements are visible only to staff (concerning internal operations). Members see public announcements.

post #11 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different.

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

Coming back to post #11, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.

When announcements are made: major policy changes, technical changes affecting site function, planned downtime, and changes to guidelines all get announced here.

Archives: older announcements are archived by date. Checking archives is useful if you want to know what changed when.