Stack Overflow is a website used as a more open alternative to earlier forums such as Experts Exchange. created in 2008 by Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky.
The website features the ability for users to ask and answer questions, and, through membership and active participation, to vote questions and answers up or down and edit questions and answers in a fashion similar to wiki or digg.
The website was created by Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky in 2008.
On 31 July 2008, Jeff Atwood sent out invitations encouraging his subscribers to take part in the private beta of the new website.
On 15 September 2008 it was announced the public beta version was in session and that the general public was now able to use it to seek assistance on programming related issues.
Stack Overflow is written in ASP.NET 3.5, using the ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller) framework.
users that sign in using the OpenID service can gain access to more functionality, such as establishing a profile and being able to earn reputation, where Unregistered users have access to little of the site's functionality.
In April 2009, the owners of Stack Overflow began a private beta for Server Fault, a sister site. The site deals exclusively with questions and answers related to the field of system administration.
Super User, a sister site dedicated to questions from all computer "power users", launched publicly on 18 August 2009.
Meta Stack Overflow became the site for questions about the sister sites themselves and various other meta-level discussions.
The Stack Overflow team has recently begun the creation of an API for accessing the data contained on the other sites. Discussion on Stack Apps centers around the API, although users are encouraged to list apps and libraries developed for the API.
Careers, located at careers.stackoverflow.com, is a new undertaking by the Stack Overflow team. The goal of the careers site is to create a job-seeking service aimed at companies that are seeking top quality programmers. Careers allows Stack Overflow members to link their Stack Overflow profile with their online resume created on the careers site, allowing employers to browse their contribution history to Stack Overflow.