user7141: I saw someone asking (in this question) for some sources to learn Pali language so he can broaden his understanding of Buddhism.
The reason given by the user who had asked it to be edited was it being off topic.
But here's the thing I am confused about.
We are interested in Buddhism and that's why we come here: so when someone asks us for a good source to learn, should we be like robots and say, "you are off topic", or should we lend a hand to that person who is in search of 'the path'? I mean after all isn't that the advice in Buddhism: to be good friends to fellow searchers of path?
Can't we be more sensitive than being objective in certain circumstances?

user295: I think that question relating to Pali should be on topic as this helps clarify certain options expressed in the Suttas of which most English translations are not perfect and in many cases miss leading because there are not easy ways to express what is in Pali directly in English. On one had we have some subtitles like different words have different shades of meaning generally map to one word in English and on the other where you cannot reliably express some thing easily.
Also though Pali has it's roots in Magada language, it was a language which was created to write the Buddhist texts as if it was in a commonly used language due to the evolution of the language the meaning would change. It is paramount to understand the some Pali to get to deeper or serious practice as trying to do this in English. Languages like old Singhala does have the same expressive power but since the site is not in such a language Pali questions should be on topic. 
Also if Pali becomes off topic this will cut out any body who have done in depth study of Theravada Buddhism.

7141: <p>I saw someone asking (<a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/2081/254">in this question</a>) for some sources to learn Pali language so he can broaden his understanding of Buddhism.</p>

<p>The reason given by the user who had asked it to be edited was it being off topic.</p>

<p>But here's the thing I am confused about.</p>

<p>We are interested in Buddhism and that's why we come here: so when someone asks us for a good source to learn, should we be like robots and say, "you are off topic", or should we lend a hand to that person who is in search of 'the path'? I mean after all isn't that the advice in Buddhism: to be good friends to fellow searchers of path?</p>

<p>Can't we be more sensitive than being objective in certain circumstances?</p>
 295: <p>I think that question relating to Pali should be on topic as this helps clarify certain options expressed in the Suttas of which most English translations are not perfect and in many cases miss leading because there are not easy ways to express what is in Pali directly in English. On one had we have some subtitles like different words have different shades of meaning generally map to one word in English and on the other where you cannot reliably express some thing easily.</p>

<p>Also though Pali has it's roots in Magada language, it was a language which was created to write the Buddhist texts as if it was in a commonly used language due to the evolution of the language the meaning would change. It is paramount to understand the some Pali to get to deeper or serious practice as trying to do this in English. Languages like old Singhala does have the same expressive power but since the site is not in such a language Pali questions should be on topic. </p>

<p>Also if Pali becomes off topic this will cut out any body who have done in depth study of Theravada Buddhism.</p>
