I don't really understand Area 51 [closed]

Question

META: I don't really understand Area 51. If I want to access 'Stack English' I can find it quite easily. "Area 51 English" INTUITIVE?

What is trying to be achieved here?

Actually, I can see how it is not really working. It is difficult to find a good boundary between 'English for Learners' and 'English Language and Usage'. You could say 'English for Native Speakers' and 'English as a Foreign Language' but that negates some of the advantages of the internet as being a world wide communication tool.

Perhaps English Language and Usage should widen its remit and recognise that the majority of people who are interested in English are interested in either learning or teaching it.

Answer 1

Area 51 is for proposed sites that are currently under development. The English Language Learners site has not matured yet, so it is not a functioning site. In other words, you cannot ask and answer questions there as you can on a regular site. What you see in Area 51 is the discussion about what appropriate questions might be asked and what our criteria might be once the ELL site is launched.

You should probably read up on the FAQ for Area 51 before you participate. I think it will answer a lot of your questions.

Answer 2

I've noticed lately a plethora of Area 51 proposals that are very closely related to other A51 proposals, or even main SE sites. Many of the proposals are very narrow (bordering on niche) and have little chance of making it through the process.

Whilst it is important that any SE site has a clearly defined scope, in my humble opinion, I'd rather see a small number of active broadly-focussed sites than a large number of niche but dormant sites.

As such, perhaps widening the scope of this one to encompass the proposal you refer has merit.

However, as RegDwight suggests, this discussion probably belongs on A51, as part of the ELL proposal?