Why are asking for lists or questions similar to asking for lists “bad”?

Question

Aren't they legitimate questions? For example, "What episodes in Star Gate reference the 9th seal?" Let's say the answer is episode 1, 5, 20.

Please list the reasons... :P

See also, Are questions looking to simply prove or disprove a premise with a yes/no answer a good fit for our site?

PS Are they always closed?

Answer 1

If the question is suitably scoped then a question with an answer in the form of a list should be fine. Is there a list available of all of the rules of acquisition? is a good recent example - while it was closed ( Why was this "Rules of Acquisition" question closed? ) it was closed because it was thought to be general reference, not because it was a list question.

The problem is with open-ended list questions or those with a huge scope. These either cannot or will not be answered with a conclusive answer, instead resulting in a whole lot of short answers that list a single or handful of works that fit the category.