Stack Overflow’s documentation should be called samples

I’m thinking “documentation” is a misnomer for Stack Overflow’s new feature. “Samples” would better convey the feature’s purpose and form. A topic is basically a code sample (or a few code samples) with metadata (title, tag) and comments.

Calling it “documentation” led me to expect more of it. I looked for such things as navigation aides, a way to order topics in logical sequence rather than by date/popularity, and more control over the hierarchy of concepts.

I  love the idea of sample-driven documentation, but I don’t think the Stack Overflow platform offers it yet.

For background, see my earlier posts: What does Stack Overflow’s new documentation feature mean for tech writing? and Information architecture of Stack Overflow’s documentation feature.