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Why are we allowed to ask only one question per 40 minutes? Shouldn't this time be reduced?

Also, when I was posting my second question on Computer Science.SE then this time limit was 40 minutes but when I head towards posting this question, here at meta, then it was showing 20 minutes limit. What is the logic behind this difference?

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    It isn't absurd, given the crap that spammers, and low quality of posts of fresh users, are able to send out. So to guarantee that you can ask this question, the limit exist. Also it is believed that it takes time to research and ask a good question. 40 minutes seems a reasonable time to allow for that research to happen, which can include, but is not limited to, looking for duplicates on the site you ask your question.
    – rene
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:10
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    Why so downvotes to this question?
    – JM97
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:23
  • And your answer you mean I guess? @JM97
    – Patrick Hofman
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:23
  • Who's answer is it then? @JM97
    – Patrick Hofman
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:24
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    @JM97: Probably the characterization of the limit as absurd.
    – ale
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:24
  • @AlE. But the question has a valuable piece of information.
    – JM97
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:25
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    @JM97: Perhaps, but it could certainly be asked in a more non-confrontational way. Those of us who have been around for a while have lived through the spam and endless stream of poor-quality questions. Keeping new users who haven't a clue about how the sites work from flooding them with crap is anything but "absurd".
    – ale
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:27
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    Did an attempt to do just that @AlE. It could use some more work from OP though to flesh it out.
    – Patrick Hofman
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:28
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    @AlE. I agree, but we can edit these questions with some better wordings. Down voting isn't a progressive way.
    – JM97
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:29
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    Why do you need to ask more than one question in 40 minutes?
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:42
  • @JourneymanGeek maybe OP wanted to ask many questions which are different topics but belongs to same site.
    – JM97
    Commented Sep 19, 2016 at 14:44

1 Answer 1

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The question limit is one of the rate limits that is imposed to prevent spam. If we would allow a low-reputation (new) user to instantly ask a second question, and a third, and ... the site would be loaded with spam.

The time set is just an arbitrary number. It could have been an hour, or 30 minutes, etc. That 40 minutes should be imposed network-wide, so not sure why one site would show something else.

And as rene commented:

Also it is believed that it takes time to research and ask a good question. 40 minutes seems a reasonable time to allow for that research to happen, which can include, but is not limited to, looking for duplicates on the site you ask your question.

Which seems another good reason it is 40 minutes. Taking some time to do some research yourself is a good idea, you might learn from it too. If you have collected a list of questions to ask, you have to wait unfortunately, or gain enough reputation (125) to bypass the rate-limit.

The full guide on rate limits can be found here: The Complete Rate-Limiting Guide.

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