Question about modding? - About xda-developers.com

Now, I, as a site developer, understand, more than most, the need for keeping the forums organized. But, in my humble opinion, I feel that the modding is getting a bit excessive.
Case in point
Since I can't post a link to the thread in question, since the forum thinks it's an outside link, the thread number is 630584
This particular thread, which was posted in Nexus One development, is about testing self-developed apps on a non-rooted phone, in particular, is it possible? It was locked and marked as a non-valid post for the development forum. Did I miss something....
If this is the inappropiate place to pose this question, I apologize, but, I felt the need to address this.
PS - And, how is linking to a thread on the site an outside link?

jfischer5175 said:
Now, I, as a site developer, understand, more than most, the need for keeping the forums organized. But, in my humble opinion, I feel that the modding is getting a bit excessive.
Case in point
Since I can't post a link to the thread in question, since the forum thinks it's an outside link, the thread number is 630584
This particular thread, which was posted in Nexus One development, is about testing self-developed apps on a non-rooted phone, in particular, is it possible? It was locked and marked as a non-valid post for the development forum. Did I miss something....
If this is the inappropiate place to pose this question, I apologize, but, I felt the need to address this.
PS - And, how is linking to a thread on the site an outside link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you provide a link to thread in question and I'll have a look at it
Ta
Rick

Never mind. The mod in question changed the status of that thread to moved.

Related

Discussion: Important XDA Announcement Regarding New Users

This is for discussion about the recent news that we'll soon be disallowing posts to development forums for new users with 10 posts or less in an attempt to cut down on junk posts.
I believe is a good new way of lowering down the crap-posts
What else a normal member can do to help?
- Report any problematic post by using the "report" button
- Help to improve and maintain a friendly ambiance
Thanks!
>25 would be better.
It sounds very very good. I'd like to suggest a little thing:
is it possible to ban thread with "HELP me please" title?
This type of title is common and doesn't help to focus the problem.
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Daniel, I totally agree with you. These are very valid points. Many people lurk here, mainly because they don't want to look stupid when they ask questions - and then, when they get serious after gaining knowledge here, they try something and they can't post? That isn't right.
The biggest issue here at XDA is what I mentioned above - people are hesitant to post because of the reaction they frequently get - on the flip side, those that do post in the proper areas for questions and answers are lucky if they get answers sometimes, I've had questions go unanswered, when I posted in what I thought was the proper forum (never in the ROM development forums). So what I think you really need to do is to come up with a good support forum for custom ROMs, and have knowledgable people read and help out in there - no matter how 'dumb' the question is in their eyes. From my experience, the only 'dumb' question is the one you don't ask. Will that 'cut down' on the 'dumb' questions? Yes, in the ROM development forums it will - only if they're answered elsewhere, however.
You have to remember, Android doesn't come naturally to everyone, some come from other 'worlds' where they know what they're doing, then they're tossed into the thick of it when they try to make the switch (been there, done that). Are there people who really shouldn't be messing with their phones? Of course there are. Is it XDA's job to let them know they're too dumb to be messing? Or is it a better plan to help those people learn? I've always found the latter to be a better plan.
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that is kind of the idea. If you have questions or are not sure about something, you are supposed to try and find the answers by using the search engine. If you must ask questions, most device forums have a Q&A section where you can post. Keep in mind that the announcement says that you will still be able to read, just not post.
As for the "no real development" comment... these forums are not just guides to teach others how to flash custom stuff. It is called development because the roms, kernels, themes, apps don't just magically appear from thin air. There is a lot of work done to get a custom rom to even boot in a device (let alone get it to work properly). You need to tweak drivers, apps, test, test, and test some more before you can even consider releasing something. And don't even get me started in porting and kernel development.
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
All I can say is about friken time! I have been discussing this rule with a number of mods for a long long time now and frankly I still think 10 is too low, but its a great start and should cut a lot of the rubbish or at least make some people think twice about where they are posting their questions.
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with spock ("Live long and prosper"). For newbies, which I may still be considered, searching the forums is daunting. For example, I have an HD2. I was running Android off of SD for a few months, then just last week took the plunge to NAND. You guys are really making progress on cleaning up the forum structure, because at least now in the HD2 section there are different "development" sections for NAND and SD, etc. BUT, when you are searching for the perfect ROM, it is very confusing with all of the codes in the ROM names. It took me 5 different tries between NAND roms and CWR roms (using clockwork recovery, I'm not THAT DUMB) to finally get one to boot up. I was sweating for a bit!!!
Plus, when you use the search function in the forums, the results very rarely seem to match my search. I understand the experts' frustrations when a newb asks a question or needs help with something that's already been covered, but I have searched numerous times looking for help with bluetooth on a rom, or music skipping, or whatever. Sometimes, I'll take 45 minutes reading through the search results and will realize that none of them are even touching on the subject I was searching for.
Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for all that the XDA team does. I visit this site daily, and follow the news with RSS on the Google Reader. I love it. But, since you're asking for suggestions, there you are.
;-)
It's a shame that you guys need to enforce this kind of rule but we really do need something to keep this forum in control.
Good job.
As i am mech engg and i dont about Rom and other things so i have to post stupid posts
and also some stupid post might help someone
if you can help "If some dev posts some information make sure that he posts his post well informed. by this unnecessary posts can be avoided"
Fair play on attempting something. This is one of a few large community sites I frequent and they all suffer from the problems you describe. Unfortunately no-one has the answer and it is a case of trail and error to find what works.
egzthunder1 said:
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, I didn't even know that. I think this is a smart move, since it will all but force n00bs like myself to direct their comments to the appropriate forum. In terms of other recommendations, I would say having a ROM support forum, as somebody else mentioned would be a good idea.
egzthunder1 said:
Well, that is kind of the idea. If you have questions or are not sure about something, you are supposed to try and find the answers by using the search engine. If you must ask questions, most device forums have a Q&A section where you can post. Keep in mind that the announcement says that you will still be able to read, just not post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Post<>opening a new thread.
Let me phrase this:
1. I have been reading the forum for 1-2 weeks.
2. Then I couldn't find the answer and I have opened an account.
3. I want to post a question to the maker of the custom rom.
4. I can't do this!
5. I will post 10 idiotic comments somewhere else to get my right.
Is this what you want? I (you can see all my posts) have never spammed or asked stupid stuff anywhere but a number of posts should be a sign of my maturity? Posting 10 Post gives you little to no sign if the user has and knows how to use search and stay still untill he has read at least 1000 posts!
This is what you should be aiming for.
Just because you can't measure it better doesn't make it valid. It is like giving you no mortgage loan because in your neighbourhood there were 5% not paying it back in time.
egzthunder1 said:
As for the "no real development" comment... these forums are not just guides to teach others how to flash custom stuff. It is called development because the roms, kernels, themes, apps don't just magically appear from thin air. There is a lot of work done to get a custom rom to even boot in a device (let alone get it to work properly). You need to tweak drivers, apps, test, test, and test some more before you can even consider releasing something. And don't even get me started in porting and kernel development.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does this have to do with my remarks concerning the XDA developer forums?
I do agree with everything you said but "testing" especially means getting feedback from users that can't tell you anymore if "it worked".
egzthunder1 said:
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then make inexperienced users stop "opening new threads" instead of "posting answers/making remarks to current threads".
Naren Raj said:
As i am mech engg and i dont about Rom and other things so i have to post stupid posts
and also some stupid post might help someone
if you can help "If some dev posts some information make sure that he posts his post well informed. by this unnecessary posts can be avoided"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the thing, and probably where lots of people are missing the point here. It isn't a matter of stupid posts. It is a matter of stupid posts in the wrong places. No one is telling you that you cannot ask for help. What we are saying is that, if all search efforts fail, please post in the right place....
seroaddict said:
See, I didn't even know that. I think this is a smart move, since it will all but force n00bs like myself to direct their comments to the appropriate forum. In terms of other recommendations, I would say having a ROM support forum, as somebody else mentioned would be a good idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well...
My advice to all ROM devs would be to make their own thread in Q&A or general, called [SUPPORT] ROM NAME HERE Support Thread - Latest Version 1.2.3
In there, all users could post, regardless of number of posts. The first post would link to the main ROM, and perhaps contain a FAQ.
In the ROM release in development, have a large link to the Q&A thread at the start and end of the post. That way, those reporting bugs and helping with patches/fixes can post in the development thread, and those needing help can post in the Q&A thread.
Just encourage devs to do something like this
One of the things XDA added recently to cut down on posts was a "Thank You" button. It's a great idea! Where the heck is it? I would love to thank the devs that help me out with my HD2, but I CANT FIND THE BUTTON!
Can somebody draw me a picture or something?
I mean something has to be done. But being new to all this rooting, S-OFF etc kind of thing I do consider myself at least somewhat of a greenhorn . I do however try to keep my questions relevant to the topic and try finding the proper topic before placing a question.
But I am also struggling with actually get a proper answer, or an answer at all to some of my questions, making it hard for a new guy (or girl) to transend from being a greenie to actually become more and more knowledgeable over time. I mean if people dont share their knowledge and or their solutions then how are we all to benifit from them.
I do however admit that some form of moderation needs to find place, considering that some of the guides are actually more or less straight forward and quite frankly. If people can't follow a single straight forward guide then perhaps rooting, modding etc is not for them
thefinancemaster said:
One of the things XDA added recently to cut down on posts was a "Thank You" button. It's a great idea! Where the heck is it? I would love to thank the devs that help me out with my HD2, but I CANT FIND THE BUTTON!
Can somebody draw me a picture or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears to the left of the Quote button.
But IIRC it appears only after 5 posts, as we would have issues with new accounts being made solely to thank their "owner".
You're not far off the thanks button appearing.
I would screenie it, but there's little point. It's to the left of "Edit" for me ("Quote" for you I think as you won't see edit buttons everywhere)
This is your site and your rules. The only question is, that a person like me who has been a member for a short time, but been runing modded rom's for about 5 months (thanks to this site) can't post a question if I did have one. This is my second post, and the first one was to answer a question, I have found everything I needed and every question I had answered by way of reading posts. But if I do have a question I can't ask it because I have not posted alot of BS to get my post count up.

why ten post

All I want is to post my questions and answers in the rom forum of my choice
ya, i thought that was dumb too. i dont really care about the rest, just trying to figure out this rom
What rom would the be
The ten post limit is because alot of new members post questions in the dev section. If you are a general user of xda then a ten post limit is nothing.
Maybe try a different heading thay describes your problem in a nutshell. By the way what is your problem, you never said.
Sent from my Incredible using Tapatalk
Answer in this thread ten times and you will get your ten post
I agree with the ten post rule and actually believe it should be a higher number
Or even better if you had to be approved by a mod to be able to.post in the Dev section
Sent from my Incredible using XDA Premium App
Yeah, it is not that hard to get ten posts. Besides all you really need to do is read for a while. The development section is for the pros not for the questions that have been asked a thousand times
That is what this section is for!
i8qbert said:
Yeah, it is not that hard to get ten posts. Besides all you really need to do is read for a while. The development section is for the pros not for the questions that have been asked a thousand times
That is what this section is for!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXACTLY...
I
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Need
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
You could at least post your "10" in different threads....
If they want the development section to be developers, than I can understand that but it seems strange to ask a question about say, Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo here rather than on a thread about it.
srvxda said:
If they want the development section to be developers, than I can understand that but it seems strange to ask a question about say, Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo here rather than on a thread about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not at all, actually. While myself and others are also guilty of posting such banter in ROM threads, that isn't where it actually belongs. Questions posted in the ROM threads should be posted only if they're concerning the actual development of the ROM rather than the usual "how do I...?" or "wow, this Rom is great, thanks dev!".
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713251
It appears a reminder may be in order, about the purpose of the development fora on XDA.
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ten posts?
I tend to read and only contribute if I have something to say. Not in this case! Now I have to post just to post. Gee this is kinda fun. I think I will start posting meaningless drivel on more topics. Thanks ten post rule!
Ya post Hi in the introduction thread then Thank everyone who welcomed you. Hell, there's at least 2 or 3 post. Then check out the development (apps/games) and find something you want there and thank them for their hard work.
10 posts shouldn't take you more than a few days if you're active. Don't need them anyway as the question you're wanting to ask has already been asked.
10 post is annoying, but I understand the reason. Post.
This is the reason for the 10 post rule.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1121527
I realize that this post had over 100 post, but not the place for their post.
My question is why our devs dont have a dev title instead of Senior Member I mean that why some devs leave XDA and get their own website because they don't get the credit or place that they deserve....??
1107963 said:
My question is why our devs dont have a dev title instead of Senior Member I mean that why some devs leave XDA and get their own website because they don't get the credit or place that they deserve....??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to apply for the dev title only some get it i just found out about it like 2 days ago
JoelZ9614 said:
You need to apply for the dev title only some get it i just found out about it like 2 days ago
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that makes sense. That way not just anyone can say I am a dev. I think that with the work your guys do it should have some prestige to it.
Dumb
The only reason I use XDA is as a root resource; this is just irritating that I have to post these ten msgs.

What type of question is not a Q & A question?

At least one post in 90% of threads here have a question in them, so why aren't they all moved to the Q And A threads? Forums are discussions of opinions and questions for each other to talk about.
If one thread is going to be moved that (imo) is not a question, then why aren't all the others? tbh, it annoys me, and i think the moderation here is a little too heavy handed.
Agreed... and to add another question why do some devices have a Q&A sub-section and some not? Seems inconsistent. Anyway the forums are hard to navigate anyway (too many sub-sections, outdated stickies, too many "READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST"-threads etc..). I guess at least the Q&A part could be merged with 'General' of every forum. Also Accessoires & Wallpapers/Themes get an extra sub-section? I'd lump everything together and make just two per device (General/Dev).
Oh and don't take this as "This is how you run a forum " - just my humble opinion
Ok. When a device general forum gets over 10,000 posts, or 1000 threads, it gets a Q&A section.
General vs dev only would result in even more junk in both to be fair...
I reckon at present there is a good balance as almost everything is consistent across the site. Go to HTC G1. It has, by and large, the same layout as all other sections.regarding outdated stickies, contact the mod for the relevant section by pm and point it out.
Regarding questions being moved, we can only move what we know about or see... So drop the mod for the section a PM with the threads.
MarkusPO said:
At least one post in 90% of threads here have a question in them, so why aren't they all moved to the Q And A threads? Forums are discussions of opinions and questions for each other to talk about.
If one thread is going to be moved that (imo) is not a question, then why aren't all the others? tbh, it annoys me, and i think the moderation here is a little too heavy handed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heavy handed? Howso??? Feel free to PM if you want.
Typically, the original post in a thread defines the rest of the thread. If it is a question, then evidently the correct place is Q&A. I don't really see any way to argue with that to be fair.
Regarding a question that emerges later on in a thread, perhaps a move is not needed. For example, are you suggesting a ROM thread should be moved because someone asked a question?
As before, the reason some things get moved and others don't is because we are not aware of them. The report post feature, and pm to the section mod, are both essential in letting us know what is going on.
Finally, XDA is a development site first and foremost, so keeping questions clear of development areas is a pretty high priority. People spamming the dev areas with pointless and basic questions annoy everyone, and just bury the content we are all here to see (ROMs and tweaks)
pulser_g2 said:
Heavy handed? Howso??? Feel free to PM if you want.
Typically, the original post in a thread defines the rest of the thread. If it is a question, then evidently the correct place is Q&A. I don't really see any way to argue with that to be fair.
Regarding a question that emerges later on in a thread, perhaps a move is not needed. For example, are you suggesting a ROM thread should be moved because someone asked a question?
As before, the reason some things get moved and others don't is because we are not aware of them. The report post feature, and pm to the section mod, are both essential in letting us know what is going on.
Finally, XDA is a development site first and foremost, so keeping questions clear of development areas is a pretty high priority. People spamming the dev areas with pointless and basic questions annoy everyone, and just bury the content we are all here to see (ROMs and tweaks)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. My time here has been fairly short I know, but I'm not new to forums of course, and this is my experience thus far:
a thread that wasn't a question, but was about speculation for a nexus tablet was merged into the 'what phone / tablet should i buy next' thread. wtf.
other threads have been merged into semi-related, but not completely related threads. wtf.
i see sticky threads for newbies about development in - for example - the nexus s general on how to root / mod etc. wtf.
i know it's a fine balance between heavy-handedness to try to enforce an overall tidy forum vs user intuition and the chaoticness that is the weird and wacky thoughts of people.
imho this processing of my threads annoys me, and i'm sure it does other people too. if it drives people away, then that's bad for advertisement revenue. as long as threads are in the sort-of-right forum, then so-what. i for one tend to browse all the forums for a particular phone. so i'm going to reply if something catches my attention.
though, i do like the concept of having an accessories forum, dev forum, and general forum. i don't think a q+a forum is needed, ie. if i were to ask "does the otterbox commuter have this feature as a thread starter" where should it go? naturally the accessories forum, but it's a question... if i were after information about accessories, i'd head to the accessories forum as i may have the same question.
forums thrive on questions and answers. moving some questions to a q+a forum, and appearing to turn a blind eye to others just doesn't make sense. yes, so you miss some, but visitors don't know what you miss, and what you leave.
i'm thinking maybe test out a slightly looser mod regime for a while and allow related questions in the forums.
MarkusPO said:
Thanks for the response. My time here has been fairly short I know, but I'm not new to forums of course, and this is my experience thus far:
a thread that wasn't a question, but was about speculation for a nexus tablet was merged into the 'what phone / tablet should i buy next' thread. wtf.
I will look into this. Sounds strange.
other threads have been merged into semi-related, but not completely related threads. wtf.
i see sticky threads for newbies about development in - for example - the nexus s general on how to root / mod etc. wtf.
Those threads are pertaining to development, as without a way to root/hack the device, nobody can really develop for it. That's basically the way it's been for ages, so that's unlikely to change.
i know it's a fine balance between heavy-handedness to try to enforce an overall tidy forum vs user intuition and the chaoticness that is the weird and wacky thoughts of people.
You are right, it's hard on occasion to strike a balance, but to be honest, you have no idea what kinds of trolls we get here Most of the time we can sweep away the awful stuff before people see it...
imho this processing of my threads annoys me, and i'm sure it does other people too. if it drives people away, then that's bad for advertisement revenue. as long as threads are in the sort-of-right forum, then so-what. i for one tend to browse all the forums for a particular phone. so i'm going to reply if something catches my attention.
Fair point, but we have about 600,000 threads I can assure you we won't be cutting the number of forums per device, as that would make things unmanageable. Regarding the "right sort of forum", will address next. The trouble is that when I want to find some hack or tweak, I go to development. I don't expect to hunt through 200 pages of "I NEED HALLLLLLLLLLLP PLEEEEEEEEEEEZ NAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KTHX" just to find a buried "[Mod] Trackball Wake source edit" or whatever...
though, i do like the concept of having an accessories forum, dev forum, and general forum. i don't think a q+a forum is needed, ie. if i were to ask "does the otterbox commuter have this feature as a thread starter" where should it go?
That would go in accessories. To be honest the Q&A is actually for beginner device questions moreso than that. I do see your point here, but I think you are misunderstanding the idea for the Device Q&A forum. If you want to ask "how do I flash a ROM on SPL v0.1", then Q&A is the place to go If you are more asking about a theme, then themes & apps is the place to ask it (provided it's about one of the existing themes and you can post in the existing thread). Regarding development forum, the idea there is that ONLY roms and other hacks go there, or discussions about achieving them. Essentially, anything not development related should be in general ("I like this device, do you?", "Is your screen darker at the bottom than top"? etc...), and the questions about ROMs etc in Q&A...
naturally the accessories forum, but it's a question... if i were after information about accessories, i'd head to the accessories forum as i may have the same question.
It would belong to the accessories forum. As above, Q&A is for device/ROM questions.
forums thrive on questions and answers. moving some questions to a q+a forum, and appearing to turn a blind eye to others just doesn't make sense. yes, so you miss some, but visitors don't know what you miss, and what you leave.
Interesting... You got any such examples? It would not be normal to move a question thread from a forum other than development, in my experience, so if there's an example, I'd love to see it. If you mean moving questions from development, that's not something we're likely to change, as it drives away the developers and hackers who make the ROMs you use
There shouldn't be any "blind eye turning", though if something is borderline or in doubt, it wouldn't usually be moved.
i'm thinking maybe test out a slightly looser mod regime for a while and allow related questions in the forums.
Other than the development forums (they're not going to change- we're having to add restrictions in there as well like postcount to stop spam and junk), that should be the way it is... Please PM me any examples you see, as I'd be keen to follow them up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answers inline.
P

There needs to be a "What device do I get" section?

A thread dedicated to this has its problems.
First off, its huge. You cant look at someone that maybe has the same requirements as you and see what other people said about it. A typical example is a lot of people that want to switch to a Nexus phone. It would be easier to search for that in that section, see what people say and then not have to make the same thing again
Second, way too many posts. Similar to one but if the thread is on page 1000 and some posts a thread saying "What phone do I get?" later another 10 people post the same thing and we are on page 1001. Everything on page 1000 gets lost because noone looks thru them. You would have to double post.
A dedicated section where people can post threads on what device they are look for wouldnt clutter the forums and would let everyone express what they are looking for.
@riahc3, instead of making new threads, please consider posting your recommendations in this thread dedicated to that purpose.
ИΘΘK¡€ said:
@riahc3, instead of making new threads, please consider posting your recommendations in this thread dedicated to that purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...did you even read my post...?
riahc3 said:
...did you even read my post...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I most certainly did.
...did you even click on the link and find out what thread I asked you to post in...?
ИΘΘK¡€ said:
@riahc3, instead of making new threads, please consider posting your recommendations in this thread dedicated to that purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ИΘΘK¡€ said:
I most certainly did.
...did you even click on the link and find out what thread I asked you to post in...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are redirecting me to a similar thread with the same problem; It is a bit more understandable as the staff should read every single suggestion and respond to them.
The device thread is stupid because it is by members for members. There is no obligation.
Basically you are answering my request for a solution to a thread with a problem by redirecting me to a thread with the same problem. Thats why I doubt you read my post.
riahc3 said:
You are redirecting me to a similar thread with the same problem; It is a bit more understandable as the staff should read every single suggestion and respond to them.
The device thread is stupid because it is by members for members. There is no obligation.
Basically you are answering my request for a solution to a thread with a problem by redirecting me to a thread with the same problem. Thats why I doubt you read my post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I see your point. Touché, my good sir.
I just recommended you posting this request in that thread because as moderators and admins frequent that thread more than the About XDA forum as a whole, your opinion might get seen and considered more quickly than in this individual thread.
riahc3 said:
A thread dedicated to this has its problems.
First off, its huge. You cant look at someone that maybe has the same requirements as you and see what other people said about it. A typical example is a lot of people that want to switch to a Nexus phone. It would be easier to search for that in that section, see what people say and then not have to make the same thing again
Second, way too many posts. Similar to one but if the thread is on page 1000 and some posts a thread saying "What phone do I get?" later another 10 people post the same thing and we are on page 1001. Everything on page 1000 gets lost because noone looks thru them. You would have to double post.
A dedicated section where people can post threads on what device they are look for wouldnt clutter the forums and would let everyone express what they are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, there are 3 threads dedicated towards this subject. You're well aware of this because you've been told this, and have posted in one. And now you're complaining again, because your question, which you have already asked wasn't immediately after you posted it after the majority of people qualified to (re)answer your question are in bed, asleep.
Secondly, your "solution" of dedicating a forum for individual threads is hardly a solution. Your complaint is that posts get buried and never get answered. For one thing, this is not true. For another thing, if this is your complaint, what the heck makes you think that dozens of individual threads won't get buried? With the combined amount of posts in these threads, every day would create a new page or 2 in a subforum if they were made as individual threads. It's the same "problem", only multiplied and organized into a subforum rather than a few dedicated threads. Furthermore, it's very easy for me to read through new posts in a thread, but far more tedious to open multiple threads to read and perhaps reply individually, whereas in a single thread I can multi-quote and make several replies easily and in a tidy manner.
I think it's fine just the way it is. If anything, 3 is too many threads, since 2 of them are quite redundant, but since they're both in Q&A sections, (one General, one Android), I can see the reasoning for having one in each, if only to keep down on the clutter you insist you're entitled to making.
Wanna know what device to get? It is simple. Do your research and pic a device that fits what you need it to do. Flashing roms are not important, what devices works for others is not important. It is all up to you and what you plan on to do with the device. If you main plan is to flash roms with it then you might want to rethink the need for it.
There is no need for another forum.
If your not willing to read threw threads then you shouldn't be here in the first place. If you have an issue with said device and dont search and read threw to find the answer and then ask it anyway you are asking to be flamed to no end.
Remember this is a developers site.
zelendel said:
Wanna know what device to get? It is simple. Do your research and pic a device that fits what you need it to do. Flashing roms are not important, what devices works for others is not important. It is all up to you and what you plan on to do with the device. If you main plan is to flash roms with it then you might want to rethink the need for it.
There is no need for another forum.
If your not willing to read threw threads then you shouldn't be here in the first place. If you have an issue with said device and dont search and read threw to find the answer and then ask it anyway you are asking to be flamed to no end.
Remember this is a developers site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
riahc3 said:
A thread dedicated to this has its problems.
First off, its huge. You cant look at someone that maybe has the same requirements as you and see what other people said about it. A typical example is a lot of people that want to switch to a Nexus phone. It would be easier to search for that in that section, see what people say and then not have to make the same thing again
Second, way too many posts. Similar to one but if the thread is on page 1000 and some posts a thread saying "What phone do I get?" later another 10 people post the same thing and we are on page 1001. Everything on page 1000 gets lost because noone looks thru them. You would have to double post.
A dedicated section where people can post threads on what device they are look for wouldnt clutter the forums and would let everyone express what they are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Second (clutter) thread I have addressed of yours...
Why not post your thoughts here to the Admins & Moderators, vice making a new thread (clutter)....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1976627
And or read Zel's Post #8 of this thread.

Ease up on these anti-spam measures, I can't post where I need to

I've been a member over a year. I'm a real person. I know very little about phones but I am a computer programmer so I catch on fast. I would like to be able to post a question in the AFWall+ thread but my account seems to be banned from doing that. Specifically:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may edit your posts
What is the problem here? Do you really expect me to make 10 posts about something I know very little about, and how would I make them?
What's weird is I think last year or the year before I was able to post, I'm not sure what's happened since then.
agenda21 said:
I've been a member over a year. I'm a real person. I know very little about phones but I am a computer programmer so I catch on fast. I would like to be able to post a question in the AFWall+ thread but my account seems to be banned from doing that. Specifically:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may edit your posts
What is the problem here? Do you really expect me to make 10 posts about something I know very little about, and how would I make them?
What's weird is I think last year or the year before I was able to post, I'm not sure what's happened since then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Apologies for the difficulty you are having. I have looked at the thread you are trying to post in and it should be set up to allow members with less than 10 posts to post there. We have set up DevDB threads to allow that if the developer decides or to automatically create a Q&A thread for that particular work. So there is something wrong with that thread and we will look into it. In the meantime you can create a thread in Q&A with your specific question and I am sure someone will answer. Please keep in mind that this is a development site and these measures are in place to protect the developers...it protects them from spam, it protects their thread from being cluttered with new members asking "Do I need root to flash this?" And following it up with "How do I root"...and many posts like that. This is also why almost all devices have a separate Q&A section...to keep the development sections clear of questions and try to focus on changelogs, updated features and bug reports with proper logcats. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Categories

Resources