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For example, would a question like 'who is stronger, Dumbledore or Gandalf' be on topic if there would be a canon based answer? (for example, if JKR addressed it in a tweet)

I have a specific question in mind based on an obscure piece of Supergirl canon, but wanted to know if it would be on topic.

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    Why bother making it opinion-based? Why not just ask "Has JKR ever addressed who's stronger, Gandalf or Dumbledore?", then everyone's happy
    – Valorum
    May 1, 2018 at 22:17
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    I'd say as long as the (official) author wrote it, then being part of canon, well give it a go. But that only applies for "one universe" questions; for the Gandalf/Dumbledore example, even if JKR did address it, I would'nt consider it cannon until the other party confirms it. And obviously with Tolkien we're going to have a slight problem when it comes to that...
    – Jenayah
    May 1, 2018 at 22:22
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    That’s a terrible example. JKR has control over her canon, not Tolkien’s.
    – phantom42
    May 1, 2018 at 23:47
  • "I have a specific question in mind based on obscure Supergirl canon". This sounds suspiciously like a gorilla vs shark question given your Dumbledore vs. Gandalf example. You can post any question you like, but just be prepared for DV/close if it is in fact GvS or otherwise off topic. :)
    – JohnP
    May 2, 2018 at 0:54
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    Let us continue this discussion in chat.
    – Adamant
    May 2, 2018 at 7:44
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    <comments deleted> Take it to chat, guys. Or if you have something that actually answers the question, post it as an answer.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    May 2, 2018 at 9:31

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If it has a canon answer, it's not primarily opinion-based. POB questions can't be answered with anything but opinion pieces and pure speculation. A canon answer is always better than that.

For example, would a question like 'who is stronger, Dumbledore or Gandalf' be on topic if there would be a canon based answer? (for example, if JKR addressed it in a tweet)

No, because this counts as a "Gorilla vs Shark" question, comparing two different canons with no real connection. SFF policy on Gorilla vs Shark is here. JKR addressing it in a tweet wouldn't be a canon answer either, because although her word is canon for Dumbledore, it isn't for Gandalf.

I have a specific question in mind based on an obscure piece of Supergirl canon, but wanted to know if it would be on topic.

That sounds like it wouldn't be a Gorilla vs Shark question, if it's just about Supergirl (unless it's something like "who would win in a fight between Supergirl and Hermione Granger"). If there is a canon answer, then the question would probably be on-topic. No guarantees though :-)

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    It's a Gorilla vs shark, but it actually happened (Spoiler, its Supergirl vs the wicked witch of the west - if anyone knows where I found this, that's impressive.)
    – TheAsh
    May 2, 2018 at 10:16
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    It's not a gorilla vs shark if it actually happened. Things get fuzzy when stories are from "what-if" type comics/stories, but if we can refer to actual evidence of comparison, it's not GvS.
    – phantom42
    May 2, 2018 at 13:09
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    @TheAsh As phantom42 gave a nod to, not every "vs" question needs to be closed as GvS. Do have a look at that policy blog post - it's a long read, but the most important point is "Can we answer this question objectively, based solely on in-canon information?" If the answer is yes, then it's not GvS. E.g. this question is fine because it's objectively answerable based on sizes known in the two different universes.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    May 2, 2018 at 13:21
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    -1 because everyone knows Hermione would win.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    May 2, 2018 at 15:10
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    @TheAsh - I just don't see you getting what you want out of this. If you want to know what the writers think, it seems like you already do. You could post a Q&A pair for the benefit of others, though. (Q: "Have the writers said anything about Supergirl v. Wicked Witch?" A: "Yes, here.") But a question about "What do the writers think?" doesn't admit answers of the type "Here's who would win, because XYZ." And that latter might be what you want. But that discussion would be perfectly acceptable in chat, as you know.
    – Adamant
    May 2, 2018 at 20:00
  • @Adamant I exactly want to post a q and a for others. But I don't want downvotes.
    – TheAsh
    May 3, 2018 at 10:49
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    Self-answered questions where the answer is posted immediately often gets at least a few downvotes on the question. That's a separate issue from whether or not something is GvS/POB. Some people just see those questions as being dishonest since you're not really looking for information.
    – phantom42
    May 3, 2018 at 12:05

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