<p><strong>Question</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Consider the following example long data.frame with two dependent
  measures, "Score" and "NewVariable", 1 between subjects variable
  "Prep" (3 levels), 2 within subjects variables "Day" (3 levels) and
  "Experiment" (2 levels), and a subject identifier "SID".</p>
  
  <p>example &lt;- (proper example here)</p>
  
  <p>My best attempt so far would involve
  creating the two corresponding wide datasets, e.g.</p>
  
  <p>library(reshape2)
  dcast(example,SID+Prep~Day+Experiment,value.var="Score")
  dcast(example,SID+Prep~Day+Experiment,value.var="NewVariable") ...
  then manually gluing them back together.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a better way?</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Issues</strong></p>

<p>None.</p>

<p><strong>Background</strong>
This meta post was recently cited for closing <a href="https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/47736/">a question</a> I posed despite a <em>long</em> and consistent history on meta of allowing and even encouraging such questions on CV.  Moreover, (as far as I can find) the quoted section of the FAQ "if it needs statistical expertise to understand or answer, ask it here; if it's about an algorithm, routine data processing, or details of the language, then please refer to the collection of links to resources we maintain" has never been a community moderated phrase in the FAQ.  At worst, this may indicate that by fiat someone (or group of people) have been by fiat changing what is acceptable in the community without appropriate discussion.  Regardless of the validity of the statement in the FAQ, the FAQ should (at the very least) be considered in light of the determinations made on meta.  See the citations below.  As such, the question listed above is appropriate for CV.</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://stats.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1/">Discussion 1</a>: Note the criteria here is NO statistical content, not the need for statistical expertise.</li>
<li><a href="https://stats.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/35">Discussion 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://stats.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/252">Discussion 3</a></li>
<li><a href="https://stats.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/276">Discussion 4</a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Outcome</strong> (<em>Under Debate</em>)</p>

<p>Should <strong><em>not</em></strong> be closed.  Discussion continues about whether the question is suitable for CV or if migration is a suitable response.</p>
