Is the "'ffhq-dataset-v2.json' with Automatic1111" question off-topic?

Question

This question How do I correct the "No such file or directory: 'ffhq-dataset-v2.json' with Automatic1111 was closed as:

This question does not appear to be about GenAI, within the scope defined in the help center.

I don't understand; it seems like a user is trying to get genAI to do something, which is basically what the whole site is about. The only thing I can think of is that it's a bit technical, but I don't recall anyone suggesting technical questions are off-topic. (Things like editing source code, yes. But getting software to work?)

Question: Is the "'ffhq-dataset-v2.json' with Automatic1111" question off-topic?

• I'm just now noticing large numbers of Automatic1111 questions on Stack Overflow.
• There's another "I can't use genAI because of a technical issue" question here: ComfyUI error on PixelTiledKSampleUpscalerProviderPipe

Answer 1

Programming issues are off-topic here

Quoting this answer on What is on-topic on GenAI SE? (emphasize mine):

What topics can I ask about here?

• Effective use of generative AI tools. Questions regarding how to use generative AI models to produce high-quality and useful output. This includes but is not limited to, accuracy/correctness, best practices, data preservation, etc.

  • Questions related to using generative APIs are also on-topic, but they must be focused on the use of the model or tool. General API questions and questions related to application or programming issues should be posted on Stack Overflow

This question is a programming issue, so it's off-topic on Generative AI.

Answer 2

TL;DR: Yes, it's off-topic.

The question concerns an error thrown by an application software delivered as open-source code requiring computer-using and programming knowledge and skills. The root cause of the problem looks to be a programming issue that might or might not be prevented by an application software end-user without programming knowledge and skills.

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As explained in A.L's answer, questions about programming issues are off-topic in GenAI Stack Exchange.

If this site were to allow all questions about GenAI tools that are distributed on platforms like GitHub, the "question" lacks enough details, and it might be required to be split into multiple posts. The OP could require a lot of guidance on using GenAI Stack Exchange and the corresponding application software.

One of the risks of going deep into improving this "question" is that it might be required a lot of back and forth. Unfortunately, the public Q&A platform doesn't facilitate this kind of interaction. Also, the chat platform doesn't look like that will facilitate working with the OP on improving the question.

The OP should clarify the steps to reproduce the problem. One important step to clarify the problem is correctly identifying the application software used because

• Automatic1111 is a GitHub username having 37 GitHub repositories.

  

  ^{Source: https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111. Taken: August 13, 2023}

• Automatic1111 has several repositories related to Stable Diffusion.

Answer 3

I think that the person who closed it might not have understood the question.

I've found similar things on other stacks where people will vote to close based on thinking that a question is about something completely different, like people closing a question on math\stats because they mistake a question about the statistical method for a question about whatever the subject of the data used in an example is (Like closing a question that uses baseball stats as an example because they think that it's a question about baseball, not stats).

Stable Diffusion is definitely on topic as it has a tag, and there's nothing in the scope documentation saying that you that the technology behind the image generation is off topic.

Surely this stack isn't just about input-output?

Answer 4

Thanks for opening this discussion; I have suggested to OP to do it several times. The OP insisted on asking directly to me as if they hadn't understood the standard workings of the public question and answer platform and, more specifically, how the closing questions work.

As mentioned in a previous answer, the post-close notice shows multiple users voted to close the question. Considering this, the argument that the question was closed because a single user misunderstood the question doesn't look to sustain.

The original revision of the question was about general problems related to using open-source code. The later revisions have not made significant progress clarifying that the question is a good fit for GenAI tools.

Questions about general problems with using open-source code are off-topic on GenAI Stack Exchange; in other words, questions on this community should be about using GenAI Tool features, i.e., questions about using Stable Diffusion on a web browser might be on-topic, but troubleshooting like questions that require to:

• validate the user's computer meets the system requirements,
• that computer has the required components and they working correctly
• that have installed an open-source code project
• and debugging programming errors

are off-topic in this community.

Questions on this community should meet the standard public question and answer platform norms depicted in the GenAI Stack Exchange tour, help center and meta posts tagged faq.

The OP and others interested in the question should focus on understanding the GenAI Stack Exchange's:

1. Topic and scope
2. Workings

Some comments focused on reopening the question as if the site were a service desk that should accept any support request question, keeping the question with minimal changes.

Considering the GenAI Stack Exchange's stage, I think that one of the branches of this conversation should be focused on improving the question independently if, in the end, the question stays closed.

Another branch might be how to handle posts that might require back and forth beyond the standard use of comments.