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Currently the tag excerpt for currently says:

For questions about existing real-life computers that run on a quantum architecture. This is for questions about the machines themselves, not just any computing that could take place on one. DO NOT use this tag for questions about simulation or emulation of quantum computers, or cloud-based quantum computing services like the IBM Q Experience.

However, around 50% of times I find that this tag is heavily misused by new users. Some even use this tag for questions purely based on quantum algorithms. I recently had to re-tag ~50 questions where this tag was misused. I'm wondering whether we should blacklist it altogether or perhaps rename it to something more descriptive. Ideas? Suggestions?

One of our community managers (@Shog9) mentioned that even if we decide to retain the tag, it is possible to enable a warning for that particular tag. Should we go for that option instead?

Update: Following @glS's suggestion I retagged the questions having with , and made and synonyms of . I feel that's a better option than activating a tag-warning, as many users tend to ignore tag-warnings. Also, @DaftWullie's point is very valid. Let me know if you have any objections.

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    $\begingroup$ what about renaming to something like quantum-hardware, or just hardware, or physical-device, or physical-implementation, or experimental-implementation, or similar? $\endgroup$
    – glS Mod
    Commented Dec 17, 2018 at 0:02

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I think you should be guided by the community usage of the tag. Sure, most people don't go and look at how it's been precisely defined, but it conveys some sort of meaning to people who read it. If the definition doesn't match up to how it's being used, change the definition. Clearly there's a desire for a tag that conveys that meaning. Then find a more descriptive tag that better encapsulates the idea of the original decision.

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  • $\begingroup$ I would argue that the need for a tag-warning in that context simply suggests that the tag is not appropriately defined or the tag is too ambiguous. If we're supposed to be community led, let the community lead. The way that I'd use a tag-warning is, were there to be a substantial change in a definition, to temporarily flag that there's been a change so that experienced users who are used to the old definition don't get caught out. $\endgroup$
    – DaftWullie
    Commented Dec 14, 2018 at 8:18
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    $\begingroup$ @DaftWullie 'Community usage' of the tag is split between those questions that have used it for its original purpose and those that have just used it in the same way they'd use a 'quantum computing' tag. If you allow it to be used as a 'quantum computing' tag, then all questions on the site could be tagged as such and there's no point in having that tag in the first place, which is the problem we're having. If you've got any ideas for a better wording, please do let us know $\endgroup$
    – Mithrandir24601 Mod
    Commented Dec 14, 2018 at 8:55

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