Recently, this question of mine was closed as off-topic:
Where does the @ symbol come from?
As far as I know (and some commenters have agreed) the use of symbols in English if on-topic.
My argument for this is essentially based on the tag symbols and its uses, particularly including history-based questions.
- What Is the Real Name of the #?
- Origin of | (pipe symbol)
- How did 7 come to be an abbreviation for 'and' in Old English?
All three of the above questions include historical references and are effectively looking at a symbol's etymology.
The reason the question was voted as off-topic is due to its being not "about English language and usage within the scope defined in the help centre."
Is such a question off-topic?
If it is, should we close those other questions?