A number of users come to this site in a (misguided) quest for general help. I often see questions by new users along the lines of "My dual-boot system/live USB/whatever isn't booting, help plz" or "Help me construct a shell pipeline to solve my particular problem" or "Help me troubleshoot my networking issues". These questions are almost always closed as "needs clarification" or "off topic", which is correct according to the rules and culture of this site.
Unfortunately for the people who are asking such questions, this isn't particularly helpful. They came here looking for assistance, and got the message "bugger off" instead. Of course, we can point them to the guidelines in the help center on off-topic and on-topic questions, which tell you all about what sort of questions are on- and off-limits here, but (without a trace of irony) don't provide very many suggestions on where to get helpful responses for questions that don't fit U&L SE, aside from the general suggestion of "Look what else is in the SE network!".
Should we be providing suggestions on alternative sites where users might be able to get help for questions that don't fit the format of this site?
Arguments I could see in favor:
- Could make U&L a warmer & more inviting community, particularly to new users who aren't familiar with the scope of this site
- Could reduce the number of close votes cast and "low quality" flags raised if such information is available to new users before they post their questions
Arguments I could see against:
- Don't want to endorse any particular sites outside the SE network.
- Could potentially drive users away if they get the impression that U&L is a niche site that can't serve their needs.