Why was this "unclear what you are asking" flag declined?

Question

I set an "unclear what you are asking" flag on the following question:

How to use google maps as base maps in cartodb?

My project is recreate http://century21.bh/index.php/zoning. The project uses cartodb layers with google maps as basemap. As a beginer i cant understand how to program it.I know how to program to display google maps. I have no idea about cartodb layering with google maps as base map for cartodb.

This was posted on April 4th around 10 AM (GMT +2).

I put the flag for two main reasons:

1. It seems as unclear (or at least to broad) and vauge: "...have no idea about cartodb layering...", I.e. there is no question, just a statement.
2. It was an almost identical question for the one attached below which was put on hold for being uncleared. This one was asked 3 hours before, i.e. 7 PM.

how to use cartodb polygons with google maps as base map?

My project is recreate http://century21.bh/index.php/zoning. The project uses cartodb layers with google maps as basemap. How to add lattitude and longitude values to cartodb to represent points of polygons on a cartodb layer with google maps as base maps.

This is more similar to a question since it uses the word: "How"; yet I agree it is unclear.

My question would be why was my flag declined? or more in general - why are those two questions still opened on GIS-SE?

Answer 1

I'll just answer this from my own perspective because I saw the original question and had some involvement with it. I mostly agree with you and am happy to see Meta questions like the one you are asking here.

The original question was vague and too broad. It seemed to be asking how to capture data using CartoDB with Google Maps as background, and at the same time seemed to be also saying that its asker did not know how to display Google Maps as background in CartoDB. I suggested that making sure the first was known before trying to do the second was necessary and that they would be two distinct questions. What resulted seemed to be two equally vague questions and I think by then I had put the first one on hold. It was late here, so I decided to leave that one on hold (it had not been improved) and I left the "easier" second question open to let the community sort it out overnight via comments, editing, downvotes and/or close votes.

I expected see both on hold this morning and was surprised to see both open.

The second question is now on hold, but the first remains open with one mod vote each way. It is rare for mods to cast opposing votes on closure but we are not clones so it will happen. I think the best way forward on that question now is to let the community proceed with processing it.

The flag being declined was not my action but I would probably prefer to see more downvotes and comments before a flag is raised on a question. If I processed it as helpful then I would probably have commented to consider using downvotes/comments/edits first (if you had not already).