Help! My question was closed (or down voted). Why? And what can I do about it?

• Downvoted

• Duplicate

• Off topic

  • What technology to take up next
  • Recommend a software library, tool, book, research paper, blog, forum, or other resource
  • Career or education advice
  • Legal Advice or Aid
  • Assistance in writing or debugging existing code
    • (MSE) Which computer science / programming Stack Exchange do I post in?
  • Are you still confused about what Programmers (now called Software Engineering) is for?

• Needs details or clarity

• Needs more focus (f.k.a. too broad)

• Opinion-based

• Other
  certification, homework, interview, current events, cross-posting etc...

Three of categories listed under Off topic match site-specific close reasons, see: What should our predefined off-topic reasons be?

The answers below try to summarize the issue and provide links to related content that helped shape the policies. Realize that many of the links are from particular points in the history of Software Engineering (previously known as Programmers.SE) and while they have good advice and ideas in them, policies described in 2010 may not be the same as 2014 and beyond.

_{Please note: There are quite a few of my answers in this question. Up voting (or down voting) them all in one go may lead to a serial vote reversal. If this happens, it makes it even harder for you to vote on other things I may have written elsewhere on this meta. In that light, please limit your voting on this question and its answers.}

_{For pasting into chat or comments there is a "Quick link" at the end of each answer. The quick link for the question is [Why was my question closed or down voted?](https://softwareengineering.meta.stackexchange.com/q/6483/) - pasting this into chat or a comment will link to the question.}