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This question was recently closed as "too broad" and/or because of the strong chance answers might be based on experience. The question seeks factual information, not subjective opinions. The second paragraph gives very specific criteria and the third paragraph further spells out intended uses that provides another specifying test for what answers would be considered addressing the question (i.e. if the answer could serve the purpose of that knowledge spelled out there). Answers would be in the form of probably-small sets of cities each with short explanation, not something that would be too long for this format.

In comparison, this question ("Which European cities are connected by convenient night boat?") also focuses on transit and seeks answers in a similar format. It's considered a Good Question, rewarded with a silver badge, and after a chat discussion concluding it was not too broad, was even criticized for not being broad enough because it didn't ask about trains as well as boats.

Recent chat indicates that what counts as "too broad" is changing from what it used to mean, so here's a meta question to ask/discuss what are "today's rules" about what's "too broad?"

If there is a decision rule being applied, are there pros and cons that would guide a decision on if it's the rule we should be applying? Does it distinguish between the two questions discussed in the first two paragraphs of this question (and if so, how)?

The answers to this meta question should be helpful for addressing questions like this recent one, and would be helpful for folks like me to know what can and can't be asked on Travel.SE. Looking at existing well-received questions and help resources is evidently not a sufficient guide, but a meta discussion on this specific point should be.

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  • The whole world is way broader than just Europe. Also, "public transit systems" is way way broader than just "night boat".. Your comparison is wrong, IMO. May 20, 2016 at 23:14
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    I voted to reopen your question and if it gets more reopen votes this will all come to a happy ending. Perhaps if reopened your question may start to attract some quality answers and thereby enhance your enjoyment of the site.
    – Gayot Fow
    May 20, 2016 at 23:49
  • @HeidelBerGensis There is also the significant restriction to public transit systems using contactless RFID cards for fare control, and the significantly tighter constraint that those systems interfere with each other as defined in the question. Would you propose a decision rule (answer to this meta question) that questions "cannot apply to an area broader than one continent?" Would questions otherwise less geographically restrictive be more useful if divided up into a separate question per continent? That would not serve people traveling between them, but might better satisfy that rule.
    – WBT
    May 21, 2016 at 14:35

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