About Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow (stackoverflow.com) is a popular Q&A website for programmers.

Anybody from around the world can ask a question, answer a question, or leave a comment on a question or an answer.

Weekly Active Users by Country

  • Any unique user who posts at least one question, answer or comment within a given week will be counted once for that week. Location is self-reported by users. Not all users report their location.

Weekly Questions by Country

  • Australian users now ask more questions on stackoverflow.com than users from the UK.

  • What circumstances could be driving these questions?

Let’s review what’s been happening in the cities

  • While Londoners have been slowly returning to their workplaces, Melburnians and Sydneysiders have had to go back home.

Do Lockdowns increase Questions?

Do they also drive up Answers?

What about Comments?

Summary

  • While patronage has been declining overseas, user numbers in Australia have remained relatively constant.
  • A large number of Australians have been staying at home due to lockdowns. This appears to have increased their activity on Stack Overflow.
  • Correlations are visible between reduced mobility and the numbers of questions, answers and comments posted.
  • Australia’s delayed reopening may partially explain why Australians have now surpassed Britons in the number of questions they ask on Stack Overflow despite the smaller population size.

Sources