Math Overflow, where intimidatingly clever mathematicians ask and answer research-relevant questions, has just been upgraded to version 2.0 of the Stack Exchange software which has powered the site since it opened in 2009.
This is news because Math Overflow has merged with the commercial Stack Exchange network, losing its (semi-)independent status. There was a tiny bit of controversy when the merge was announced last year, but the majority of users seem to be happy with the move.
Math Overflow remains separate from Mathematics Stack Exchange (yes, the naming convention is a bit confusing), which is for lower-level questions about non-research maths.
Link: MathOverflow.net
Personally I think we lost very little independence. The software was always owned and hosted by the Stack Exchange company; that simply didn’t change. Our migration agreement with SE safeguards our ownership of the domain name, ensures that we have a way to leave SE, with our database, if we ever want to, and makes explicit that we don’t want SE employees interfering with moderation without approval.
It’s true that there are now links back and forth from MathOverflow to other SE sites, and if you’re already active on other SE sites you get a little reputation bump when arriving. Maybe I’d prefer these didn’t happen, but they’re pretty minor.
“Mathematics Stack Exchange … is for lower-level questions about non-research maths.” On the contrary, Mathematics Stack Exchange is for Mathematics questions at all levels, including high-level questions about research Mathematics.