Can we discourage “Shop for me” type questions?

Question

From time to time, questions pop up where the asker is having trouble locating a product they like. For the most part, it seems like they want the community to help them shop. Since these questions are usually very localized; and usually closed, should we add something to the faq to discourage these types of questions?

Example.

I'm not saying all product type questions should be disallowed, some product type questions are great.

How do I choose a circular saw?
What are the things to look out for when buying a motion detector?

It would just be nice to try to discourage questions that basically ask, "Could you search Amazon for me?"

Answer 1

Shopping recommendations are normally off topic anywhere on Stack Exchange as outlined in this blog post:

Q&A is Hard, Let’s Go Shopping!

However, there are circumstances in DIY where you need to know what tool you need to complete a job - two out of my three questions on the site fit into this:

What can I use to drill dowel holes down the end of a long piece of wood?

Are either of these tools suitable for tightening the pipe union nut underneath a bath?

These are OK as they are asking for the correct tool to do the job - which will help future visitors (hopefully!) - not "where do I buy X?"

Now these are different from the question you link to:

Where can I find Non-ugly ceiling mounted CFL or LED lamp holders?

which is a pure shopping recommendation and should be closed as too localised.

I'm not adverse to amending the FAQ to make "where do I buy X?" questions off topic.

Answer 2

I see three basic categories of these questions, in decreasing order of usefulness:

1. "I need to do a specific task; what do I need to buy?" Recent example:

   • What kind of light can I install in a small, low-ceiling coat closet?

2. "I have a specific product in mind, can't find it, but really I just want to do whatever the product is designed to help me with." Recent examples:

   • Are there high flow floor heat registers available?
   • What can I use to tunnel under a walkway or driveway?

   The first question got an answer offering what the OP asked for as well as several alternatives. The second one, while it looks like a shopping question, is really asking how to dig a tunnel under a paved path and could be edited into that form, making it an unambiguously on-topic question.

3. "Shop for me." Recent examples:

   • Where can I find Non-ugly ceiling mounted CFL or LED lamp holders?
   • Are CFLs available with mini candelabra bases?
   • Where can I buy octagonal outlet boxes in London?
   • Where can I find unusual L-shaped brackets?
   • Where can I get NM cable clamps for a metal box?
   • Are there octagon box extenders that are slimmer than 1 1/2" deep?

   Vote to close and downvote, at your discretion.