Do we really need stackoverflow?

Uhhh, ohhh, have you seen or rather heard about stackoverflow.com? If not, you are probably just a medicore programmer and don’t follow the newest stuff happening on the net! (just kidding). For those who never heard, stackoverflow.com is a new web site, kind of a forum which doesn’t exist yet, but will be created (no one knows when but sometime in the future). The site is an idea of Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood. If at least one of those names ring the bell in your head, well, maybe you are not that bad programmer after all :). Personally, I have never heard about Jeff but after I googled his blog I have to admit, I see this blog quite often. Talking about Joel, well, he is kind of my guru, I read his blog regularly and got his book even, but the whole stackoverflow.com idea for me, is exactly what it says, it is just a kind of internet overflow, another forum on the net. The only positive thing I can think of, is just a great promotion this site has. I like the guys but are they serious? Are they going to create another programming forum?
The site doesn’t exist yet (just a welcome page so far) but you can listen to their podcasts to get an ‘understanding’ of the whole idea. I have heard all three podcasts so far, beside the fact, that they don’t work on my shuffle ipod, I can only say this is nothing new or innovative.
I was thinking about it and I think, I know why they do this! If you know Joel a bit and you hear Jeff or read his blog, you will quickly understand that they technology of choice is .NET, one might argue that no, no Joel thinks about Mono, has his own ‘wasabi’ staff but hey, everyone has to concentrate on something on the daily basis and their choice is .Net, correct me if I’m wrong.
If you have ever programmed in more ‘open’ languages like Java or straight C/C++ you know what is the real power of the language – COMMUNITY. I do program a bit in C# for a year now and I really like it but when you look for a solution to the problem you either find something very old or have to stick to MSDN, there is no community, it feels like if you are on your own, and that makes me do everything to not to program in .Net.
Perfect example Sun Java Forum, I grow up on this forum, in my opinion is the best programming forum ever created with its duke dollars and vivid community.
Do you think they can do something better that that, well I hope to be surprised but to be frank, I don’t think so, I think it is just a crazy (although successfull) FogCreek products promotion.
Am I wrong? What do you think?

You can listen to the podcast and read comments at: http://blog.stackoverflow.com/