How is it that Fluther 'knows' in which section my question will fit best?

EDIT: Totally read that wrong.
I would guess it’s the who, what, when… too.

@Nimis I edited the details and made it more clear what I mean (I hope) now.
Thanks for that!

@rebbel EDIT was just a placeholder while I was typing a better response!
Your details were perfectly fine. Totally my own poor reading skills.

Still, a thank you is in place I think…, it looks more clear now :-)

Perhaps it randomly switches between the two?

It goes off of which section you are on when you hit the button to Ask. It already has it filled in before you enter any text. Look on the right.

It’s got eeeerie poooweeeeers…

Are you sure, @johnpowell? I just tried that, starting from this (Meta) page and filling in random text, and it placed me in General.

Look at the url on the page when you ask.

For example:
http://www.fluther.com/ask/meta/
http://www.fluther.com/ask/social/
http://www.fluther.com/ask/general/

It always seems to start me in “general.”

I always thought the default was General too.

@johnpowell It may start that way, but it definitely doesn’t end up that way, after you’ve entered the text of your question. I almost always ask from the General section, but it usually knows when it belongs in Meta, or Social. So I think it changes, based on what you write and what tags you use. I’m surprised that this question didn’t automatically get Meta, because I always assumed using “Fluther” in the question or the tags triggered that.

I don’t actually know the ins and outs of how it knows, though. It’s some kind of algorithm, I’m sure.

That has never happened to me at all.

So is this yet another feature of which the Mobile users are deprived and deemed to be “unworthy” due to their lower status ?

I guess we are forever fated to be the red-headed stepchild of the Flutherverse….sigh…..

;)

I was in Meta and I composed what would be an unintelligible question using random characters (e.g., “l;aksjflajksdlfjlk?”), and Fluther put the question in General.

I agree that apparently the default section is General.

On further investigation, I think it’s different depending on which question button you click. If you use the ‘Asl Fluther’ one at the top of the section page, it does seem to behave as @johnpowell says.

I never use that. I go over to the side and click the ‘Ask a Question’ link right below ‘My Account.’ I think that one defaults to ‘General.’

So there’s a pattern, but it has no relation to the content of the question. That’s just that old human pattern-seeking illusion that fools us daily.

@Jeruba Who is that masked brilliant analyst? That would explain the difference; I always use the one under my account too.

@janbb, you must be way more popular than me.~

@Judi Yeah – you got there first; I was just agreeing with you.

I always use the “Ask Fluther” button, and it still generally assigns my questions to the ‘right’ section.

That’s the one that appears to select the section you’re in, as @johnpowell pointed out. And it looks like those of us who are saying it always defaults to ‘General’ are using the other one—the ‘Ask a Question’ link.