How can I optimize an epub file - Tips & Tricks question borders on off-topic. Should it be split into multiple questions?

Question

The question How can I optimize an epub file? seems like it could be off-topic. Not in the sense that it isn't useful information, but moreso that it is a tips and tricks type question (these tend to get closed on other stack exchange sites). The problem may be that the word optimize may be too broad. In the op's defense, he has given some bullet points to suggest what optimize means, but I wonder if the question may be better if broken down into separate questions.

Thoughts?

Answer 1

I don't think the question is off topic, but I do think it is too broad.

In addition to that in my experience the load times the Q refers to, are reader dependent, difficult to measure on devices, and there might be multiple optimal configurations for an EPUB depending on hardware of the device (e.g. answer being CPU and memory speed dependent).

So the question could be better, and that is why I voted to close, in the mean time aware that not many. I didn't downvote the question, because I think it is a useful question, just not something very good as stated for this Q&A format.

On a starting site like this, voting to close might not be a good idea. We clearly can use some more questions. On the other hand broad questions threaten future 'sub-questions' from being closed as duplicate. That although such sub-questions could be better match someones visiting this site, and for sure would have a more specific answer.

An example sub-question could be

I am going to publish via X, primarily targeting device Y with EPUB files. My book consists of one page chapters 1.5 to 2K in size. Does putting each chapter in a separate file influence loading times in a positive or negative way, or is especially transition from file to file unnoticeable anyway.

I would probably vote to keep this open if it showed up in the close queue as duplicate of How can I optimize an EPUB file (closed or not), as I rather not have someone else with this 'problem' extract specific information from a lengthy answer to (IMHO) broad question.

Answer 2

Well, here I am finally. I've read all your points, and they are all valid ones.

When I opened that Q&A, I was doing it in response to my own suggestion here. Being it something like a "bait" question, something that I figured could be one of the things that has a great chance to be asked anyway eventually, I opened it with the purpose of being phrased in a generic way; If someone is going to arrive here from a search engine, is more likely that he will use simplier and more general terms like "optimize epub" rather than "improving epub loading times"; hence my choice of words. As Jason Down has already noted on this question, I took care to make explicit in the body of the question what I was asking in a more generic way in the title, which IMHO should be descriptive but also catch attention in a brief and effective way.

But I agree that asking for tips and trick in the subsequent comment was clearly against the rules, so here is what I propose:

• deleting my comment where I ask for T&T.
• if someone has some ideas on how to improve my question, without changing its meaning and its clear and simple scope, of course is free to do that.
• as a last resort, it can be splitted in multiple questions, but I think that this way it will lose part of its purpose.