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Note: This was already discussed here, but with this question I want to reopen the discussion in hope of more attention and stronger agreement.

Currently JavaScript/HTML/CSS code snippets are disabled for Puzzling. This, in my opinion, should change, and these are the arguments I bring forward:

  1. It doesn't break any of the rules mentioned in the What topics can I ask about here? help section.
  2. Snippets would allow creators to make puzzles like for example interactive puzzles, or small websites that can be used for various types of puzzles, while the question itself stays self-contained because there's no link to an external (potentially dangerous) website.
  3. Puzzles from PPCG would still be off-topic, since they are contests and challenges. This is not the suggestion I'm making.
  4. If I'm mistaken and code golf puzzles would be on-topic with this feature, we might consider to only enable code snippets in questions.

Can we have JavaScript/HTML/CSS code snippets enabled on Puzzling?

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  • $\begingroup$ Exactly what do you think Puzzle.SE would gain from allowing it? You suppose that it would avoid external dangers, but you say nothing about the creation of an internal danger! And codegolf is not on-topic for the same reason that we already close too-mathy problems for. $\endgroup$ – Nij Sep 27 '16 at 10:07
  • $\begingroup$ @Nij 1) Puzzle creators would be able to make interactive puzzles / have more creative possibilities in general. 2) True, but it makes the puzzle self-contained and the post would be deleted if it contained dangerous code. A quick look at the code is of course advised and also easier/quicker than analyzing the source code of a website. I think I would rather run a code snippet of an upvoted question after I checked the code a bit than a website called "mypuzzlewebsite.freetzi.com" :P $\endgroup$ – user14478 Sep 27 '16 at 14:55
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    $\begingroup$ So for the 99% of people who couldn't judge code safety, and the 90% of the rest who don't know every risk associated with every language, what happens? Deleting the post after it's already messed with people isn't going to increase the reputation of Stack Exchange, and will probably bring liability to it. And in return Puzzle SE gets more of the same things found on a billion websites: low-quality code leading to a flood of poor questions that we then have to deal with. $\endgroup$ – Nij Sep 27 '16 at 19:29

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