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We have the following question:

What is the most effective way to manage an overheated device?

It has nothing to do with reading ebooks or ebook readers. Instead it asks what to do with an overheated tablet when playing graphically intensive games (not when using it for reading).

On Area 51 the consensus seemed to be that questions 'devices not marketed as an e-reader' are on topic only if they are about 'e-reader applications'.

Should we add an entry (inspired by SuperUser)

electronic devices, media players, cell phones or smart phones other than ebook readers, except insofar as they are used to read ebooks

to the list of things that are off-topic here?

I am a little reluctant to downvote or flag it, since we have not yet officially stated rules on what is on- and off-topic.

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    Yes, that was discussed during the commitment phase if i remember correctly. It was agreed upon that questions not specific to using a tablet as an e-reader were off-topic.
    – Nathan Osman
    Jan 14, 2014 at 16:05
  • Also see ebooks.stackexchange.com/questions/633/… - which explicitly mentions the Help Centre so we need to enter this or similar text there
    – mmmmmm
    Jan 16, 2014 at 11:16

2 Answers 2

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I just saw this one and put it on hold. I agreed with your take. The entry really was about gaming and non-e-reader uses of the Kindle; it had nothing to do with ebooks.

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    I am not strictly against questions concerning non-e-reader use of e-reader devices, e.g. using it for audiobooks, slideshows or web-browser, maybe also as a calculater (this stuff is actually often possible without any modifications). But this question was about a tablet. A non-e-reader use of a non-e-reader device.
    – Tim
    Jan 14, 2014 at 17:15
  • @Tim Yep, exactly.
    – elixenide
    Jan 14, 2014 at 17:23
  • I intended no harm, it's my bad that I never followed the discussion that Nathan mentioned above. As stated in my flag, I don't have a problem if the question is purged.
    – jonsca
    Jan 14, 2014 at 23:30
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    @jonsca Not a problem at all; it's a good question! It's just not on-topic for the site.
    – elixenide
    Jan 15, 2014 at 0:08
  • @Tim Playing games on a Kindle Fire is possible without any modifications as well. I'm not sure how you justify your hypothetical calculator app question in that context.
    – jonsca
    Jan 16, 2014 at 1:46
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    @jonsca I can play games on my laptop without modifications, I can use it to read ebooks and still the question would be off-topic here. The difference between a calculator on the Kindle and your question is that the Kindle is an e-reader while the Kindle Fire is a tablet. The fact that Amazon named it "Kindle" Fire (probably for marketing reasons) does not make it an e-reader any more than a Galaxy Tab or Ipad. I guess your question is on topic on android.SX even though Fire OS is only a modified Android.
    – Tim
    Jan 16, 2014 at 7:56
  • Could this one be migrated to the Andriod SE as well
    – Chad
    Jan 17, 2014 at 16:55
  • @Tim If you say "No Kindle Fire questions" you are going to shut out a huge segment of the Amazon-based "eReader" (per your delineation) population. I think that could be a fatal mistake for the site.
    – jonsca
    Jan 18, 2014 at 0:35
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    @jonsca And I am not saying this. You can even see in the title that questions about reading ebooks (or at least reasonably connected to it) on them is perfectly fine even in my opinion. Your question was about how to cool the tablet when it overheats. This either happens only with computationally intensive apps, not reading apps. If it happens only while reading, there it is an issue with the reading app and completely on topic.
    – Tim
    Jan 18, 2014 at 10:01
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    @jonsca If it happens with all apps, it is general problem with your tablet. It is then broken on the hardware side or has It is then other heavy-load apps running in the background. In my opinion these general problems do not belong here. And I would even expect that you would receive more competent answers on Android.SE. I think our differences come from the fact that some people see tablets as ereaders while others do not.
    – Tim
    Jan 18, 2014 at 10:11
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This question could be changed to remove the gaming portion and just note that it sometimes gets heated. Then the question is back on topic because it is about the reader and dealing with the overheating of it.

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  • I appreciated and agreed with your edit. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that the question itself evoked such an inflammatory response. My overall reaction is just to get rid of the thing and move on, though.
    – jonsca
    Jan 16, 2014 at 1:50

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