Develop Bugs

[IDEAS] Making this Forum more readable / ?perhaps save Traffic?

Hi,
every time I watch a thread there are thousandy of posts e.g.:
"Thank you very much"
"Good work"
"Ever searched such an app,..."
just look in a thread like:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=535892&page=204
with >2000 answers....
I know it's nice for the dev's to read such things but its hard to find any solution for problems in those threads.
So nobody wants to read 50 pages to find a solution for his prob "just" reading thanks.
-> that follows up many different people asking same questions several times in same thread - cause no one really reads all the pages in long threads -> and even that prelongs the threads.
I already found threads - with "Don't post thanks, crap,... " in thread header.
In other forums often there's a "Thanks" button for people who want to say thank you.
Perhaps you could also add such a button and it would help a bit to shorten threads - make them readable again.
Another Idea:
Many Dev's are reserving the fist 5 posts in a thread to add aditional Information to the topic later
Perhaps it also would be useful to give people who open a thread the ability to add a wiki-like post to their thread - which anyone can edit.
This could be useful to post solutions for known problems, questions <- so it not has to be repeated 10 times.
It also could be a "little" solution for you traffic "problem" <- refering: New Donation System
Ideas:
#1 Thanks button (-> TrippleA and me as it seems)
+ can save/prevent many Posts
+ can save traffic
+ XDA-Dev gets more "readable" again
- "Thanks" might become a clicking toy - fullfilment not as great as a real "Thanks"
- maby still "Thanks-Posts"
- "thank you" competition?
#2 Give Thread-Opener the ability to add a Wiki-Like post in a Thread
+ can save Many posts
+ can save traffic
+ XDA-Dev gets more "readable" again
+ Will save many peoples time if used right
- needs some time/develoment
- maby not used
- maby used wrong (vandalism) <- think its a minor con cause it's not as obvious as THE Wiki
#3 Embed the (long) signatures and make them readable by clicking (-> darfri)
+ XDA-Dev gets more "readable" again
+ could save traffic if: the signature is !just! loaded on click
- don't know if it could be done that way
- minor con: the "meaning" of a signature will be avoided a bit
#4 bot - check double posts and wrong forum posts (-> bolmedias)
explanation:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=539984
#5 add search as button with direct text-input above threads (like the reply button)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
+ perhaps newbys really oversee it the way it's done now
+ space not used jet
- nothing yet
#7 "Post was helpful"-Button
+ users will see how usefull a Thread has been to others
- possibility on "thread pushing" -> like "Thank you" competition
#8 "Forward, Backward, show all Posts"-Links on quoted Messages (-> DougalScott)
+ easier to find posted solutions to a Problem
+ I love the Idea *g*
- nothing yet
#9 Give ROM Dev's their "own" forums (-> CamBendy)
+ No "Thank You" Button needed -> "Thank You"-Thread within forum <- Dev's get their deserved Thanks the right way
+ better usability
+ could save a lot of posts
+ I love the Idea
- perhaps needs development (don't know if the forum allows a thread-depth more than 4)
- Mods have to decides who gets her/his own "forum" (or posibility for all?)
would be great to have (I love the idea).
The more and more I'm thinking about it it tuns more any more in also breaking down the Forums. Especialy adding a "Release" section, a "general discussion" section to many threads...
Structur could be added like this:
- Blackstone
-- Blackstone Rom development
--- Sticky: Know Manilla, WM Problems & Solutions (contains link to WM-Wiki, Manilla Wiki,... as those are for many devices those are in XDA-Wiki)
--- Rom Releases
---- Dutty's Roms [WM 6.5, WM6.1,... all his work]
----- "Thank You"-Thread
----- "Dutty's WM 6.5....." (Release Link,... as Thread is now)
----- "Dutty's WM 6.5....."-Wiki (for Problems and Solutions)
----- "Dutty's WM 6.1....." (Release Link,... as Thread is now)
----- "Dutty's WM 6.5....."-Wiki (for Problems and Solutions)
---- Miri's Roms
-----... (sry Miri)
---- "Any other ROM"
--- "General" (For all the other stuff)
-- Themes, Applications and Software (also for Hack & Dev?!)
--- General discussion
---- Thread 1
---- Thread 2
--- Releases
---- My app v0.1
----- "Release v0.1"
----- "My app"-Wiki
----- "Thank You"-Thread
(combined this Idea with my Wiki-Idea would be even more Powerful)
finaly a big "bang" to myself - i right came from the tread mentioned above - opened this, not seeing there's another "Thank you"-like Thread.
But as my intention to write this not only was the thanks-thing - I renamed the title.
If you got other Ideas post them below and ill add tem to the list. Or - also if you don't like to see your idea here as I also try to gather other ideas i see.
Would be nice if there would be a response from any admin to this in far future.
So I also could clear out "impossible" things.
Or - If you think it's enough - close it.
- I nearly forgot -
plz dont post: good idea, don't like it, THANK YOU,...
If you answer this thread do it with reason.

I second the thank you button

Same here i like the idea, only prob is that it may cut it down the ammount of thankyou posts but on all forums even with ThankYou button users still take the space to say thankyou anyway, bit like how the XDA search button is hidden

I must say
this would get a thumbs up from me.......thank you

I've seen this on Physicsforums and Math Help forum. Both use vBulletin so this should work here too. +1 Supported.

This idea came from TripleA posted 2 days ago in the below thread!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4167498&postcount=5

Just to balance the opinions
Great idea but the thanks button would kind of cut down the meaning of "Thanks" and might also become a clicking toy. One who dedicates some time to type few beautiful words gives a load of sincere "energy" to the developer. I am quite sure besides the pleasure of working and fulfillment of personal need this is the best thing the developer gets back as he/she(?) is giving away his own 'hand-made' freeware. Maybe a thanks button with comments link would be the solution.
Actually I think one thing to save up space in a thread is to embed the long signatures (as mine ) and make them readable by clicking

Thanks hendrixus !
actually i just saw this evolving in another forum and i was surprised to see it come life, i thought it could be impossible to integrate into forums.
What i like about it is that the page doesnt even need to refresh once you click it, also every post in the thread can be *thanked* which shows which post helped out most readers.
i guess this bottoms to 2 Q's
-should we /Can we do it here ?

Unfortunately human nature turns everything into a competition. As I came over here (WM boards ) from the iPhone and Blackberry boards, the " Thank-you button was all new to me. At first I thought " what a great way to say thank-you to someone who has helped you ".
But then all the "thank-you " posts seemed to be replaced by the " begging " posts. "Please say thank you by pushing the button", " if I have helped you, push the thank-you button " On these other boards, help seemed to be done more to " raise your thank-you # " than done out of the goodness of their hearts. While some, ( not all ) would initially answer questions, it seemed as soon as they got their " button pushed " you did not see much of them in the thread anymore.
Sometimes I feel that there are enough useless posts from some around here as it is. ( just to bolster post totals ) Now if we start a competion for " thank-you button " totals where is that going to leave us ? Help out of the goodness of your heart and because you what to help the less knowledgable , not for thank-you button totals...........i'm just sayin ..................

Maybe each custom ROM/Kitchen needs to be it's own Forum?
One of the biggest things I have noticed here is that for each ROM that is released there are hundreds, if not thousands of replies.
This makes browsing the new ROMS and finding out things about them a lot more difficult than it need be.
I would dearly love to see the chefs of the ROMS and Kitchens be able to post their own forums for their stuff.
There could then be a discussion thread about it.
There could be thankyou threads (perhaps a lame alternative to the button)
There could also be, more importantly, separate issue threads. If a user finds something which is a problem or query then they could then start a new thread. The issue could then be answered and addressed and it's in one nice neat easy spot to see.
A casual user could then fairly easily see the title of each thread to see what issues may be there and quickly and efficiently find and resolve their problems. I would rather this than seeing the same questions/issues posted over and over again, and answered over again, or worse, the n00b flame wars (why don't you do a search for f#sk sake!) just clutter up the threads.
Putting myself in the position of a chef (I can dream can't I? ) I know I would personally prefer this sort of approach. I am a software developer by trade, and would hate if issues and queries about my products were only dealt with in a single thread. It would not be manageable.
That being said, I love the fact that XDA exists in the first place - so thanks.
Would appreciate knowing what others think of this. Would love to see the XDA community continue to develop and thrive.

Thanks button and forward link
I also have seen forums where a lot of posts are begging for thanks, generally not the most deserving either. Although it is nice for the chef to get the thank you, they do clutter up the forum somewhat. Maybe a "This post was helpful" button, with stats, to help people find the most useful solutions, and a separate thread just for thank yous - the personal message being more satisfying than a button push.
When searching for an issue, I often find posts that ask the question, but sometimes hard to find the answers (if there are any). Posts have backward links to find the quoted message from a solution, is it possible to put a forward link that skips to the next post that quotes the current one? Or a search shortcut that returns all posts that reply to this question? Maybe ranked by most "this post was helpful" responses.
Thumbs up for multiple threads for different issues for each rom release and seperate rom wikis.
Just my two bobs worth.
Cheers

A) a wiki post just below the OP for users to add (aka like the one @ slickdeals.net )... the actual wiki.xda-developers seems just too 'far' away to keep editing...
B) have a 'button' that flags a post as unsolved/solved
C)how about a "flat view" style (though not sure whether it works for this vBulletin board)
DPreview Forums
Flat View
each user with a problem will have their 'separate' thread where devs can follow up and users can find solutions to their problem
Bad:
1) not sure whether vBulletin has this "plugin"?
2) Users have to learn how to reply (to a current node, or create a new node

"Report post" function sucks...

...to put it bluntly. I've only had 2-3 occasions recently to use it since it was changed, in all cases, I think, to suggest a thread be moved to a more appropriate forum. Now, I have to remember to copy the URL before, click the 'report post' link, click "I need a thread moved...", click the link for the list of mods, have a Google Doc open, and then try and locate the forum. When I do find the name of the mod, I have to memorize it (remember, I have the URL already copied to the clipboard) and then go through the normal steps for sending a PM.
Really ? Sure makes it seem like you don't want people using that function !!
I do know of a shorter method, but many may not. They're likely to (try and) use the standard vBulletin route. If they're like me, many will probably say "screw this !".
Also, what if that mod isn't around for a while ? Granted, the issue likely isn't urgent, I understand, but as I understand with the old functionality, per vB design, reported post messages go into a queue and ANY mod can see it and act on it.

To some extent I appreciate what you say. However, all the Mods are volunteers and much of the copying of thread links and working out what forum a thread should be moved to etc had to be done by them.
The enormous membership that we now have meant that the volume of reports being directed to a central location was just too high to cope with. We felt that reports should be directly sent to the Moderator who will act on it. What you say about reports in the old system being acted on by any available Mod is untrue. A report for a forum was always meant to be acted on by that forum's Moderator. However, due to the volume of reports going into an enormous list of reports meant it was difficult for Mods to pick out what was for them and what was not.
This s a community, we need to share the load and yes it will require the effort of knowing who the Mod for your forum is!! It will mean you need to prioritize what is reported and maybe you'll have to copy a link. This is about sharing the load, but spare a thought fo the Moderators who give their time entirely for free. You might say, why don't you just add more Moderators? Well, we already have around 100 and of course adding more requires more administration, bureaucracy and continual monitoring. All that has to be done by a couple of part time Administrators. If anybody feels that due to our size we must be a wealthy site who could employ more paid staff; think again, Forums are notoriously poor at generating advert clicks for banner adverts!
So, I agree the changes we made, do require some additional effort on behalf of the Members for some of the less urgent tasks. You may need to find out who your forum Mod is, and copy a link or two. We appreciate you taking the time and effort to do that. The Mods and Admins, spend the day copying links and doing other similar things, so we know what it is like - in fact we really really know what it's like!!
MikeChannon
Forum Admin

Sorry, but this new method is truly awful.
You have taken a useful reporting system and completely made it useless!
I don't get how PM'ing a mod a link to the thread is better than the report system?
With the report system it automatically notifies the mods of the exact post you're reporting.
I have gone from reporting posts almost daily on the old system, to literally never reporting posts now because it's a giant pain in the ass.
Seriously;
Old method:
1) Click report button on offending post
2) Select reason, type in an explanation if necessary
3) Click submit
4) Mod gets report, clicks link directly to the post in question, and deals with it.
New method:
1) Click report button on offending post
2) Click a link with the reason you're reporting
3) Get taken to a message about having to PM a mod
4) Click the back button twice to get back to the thread you were in
5) Copy thread URL
6) Try and figure out who the hell the forum mods are
7) Navigate to your PM box and create a new message to the mod
8) Paste in the thread URL, then try and explain what is going on and who is breaking the rules
9) Send PM
10) Then the mod has to read through the thread and try and disect out exactly which posts the person making the report was talking about, and deal with it.
In what backwards world do you live in that the new method is better?
The new reporting system is a detriment to XDA and the community as a whole.

I'm going to have to agree with the others who've said this new approach is a major step backwards. In fact, the last time I reported something, it went something like this:
Click report post button
Use the list of mods to figure out which one I needed to PM (not even a link to their profile to make it a bit less work)
Explain what was going on in a PM with links and all that fun stuff
Get a PM back from the mod later telling me to report such posts in the future
I replied that I wasn't anymore thrilled than they were that I had to PM them but the reporting feature no longer works and we're now required to do it this way
They were nice enough to apologize and say they must have forgot about that.
Sure sounds to me like he was in favor of the new process

I agree with the OP that the new method is truly a PITA! I use to report with the old method regulary, but now I'm not reporting at all!

It is far easier to send a PM directly to the Moderator of a forum than it is to try and use the 'Report' tool... I don't wish to use the Report tool that often, but the steps required just make me not want to report anything.... I hope Management here believes we are trying to help them make a better/cleaner forum via Reporting.
I love the forum, but this function is broken.

Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Then all you have to do is send a PM to those mods. heck you can even click on their name to go to their profile, which you can then PM them from....

the_scotsman said:
Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods...
Then all you have to do is send a PM to those mods. heck you can even click on their name to go to their profile, which you can then PM them from....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, the tone of your post and the lack of understanding for how this affects members are more frustrating than the issue itself. Maybe we came across as whiny but that was not my intention in the least. I personally just wanted to give some feedback on the change. What I gather from MikeChannon's post is that a change was needed due to the large size of this master, unsorted list of reported posts where the mods had to find what was relevant to their forums. I understand the importance of the mods, appreciate that they've volunteered, and know their time is valuable which is exactly why making it easy for all members to easily report issues to them is essential. This change feels like a poorly thought out and convoluted "fix" that will discourage the reporting of posts by new and previously committed members.
I would bet money that there have been far fewer posts reported under this new structure and it wouldn't be because the rules are suddenly being followed. In fact, I would say the number of belligerent/rude/demanding/junk posts is only increasing and needs to be cleaned up which will require a post reporting system that works smoothly for both mods and members and is agreeable to everyone.
As you say, the forum mods are listed at the bottom of the forum's thread list...but it doesn't do me much good when inside a thread and wanting to report a post. Since they are known/listed for each forum though, why can't they be listed on the report post screen? Or better yet, automatically fill in a PM with the appropriate forum mods as the recipients and a link to the post that we want to report since that is easily known as it is done with quoting.
I'm interested in what the forum mods themselves think about all of this since they are the ones actually getting the PMs. Do they find it to be less work/easier than before? Do they get a proper post link and a decent explanation? Sorry for the long post.

Oh... there is actually a topic on this. I will be blunt:
- overcomplicated, overengineered, confusing like hell and plain sucks goat's nuts. People get lost in the options, and some of those redundant options sending people to check Google docs for a list of moderators is just a WTH. Why on earth Google Docs, why is it not a plain HTML here on the site and why should anyone check manually for a moderator when the forum DB already has that information available to assign the moderation rights?
If you felt the need to add code to stock vBulletin since the bundled moderating functionality was not fitting your complex needs, either code it properly and completely, or do not code it at all. Do not send me to GDocs to look up a moderator.
Grrrrh.
The enormous membership that we now have meant that the volume of reports being directed to a central location was just too high to cope with. We felt that reports should be directly sent to the Moderator who will act on it. What you say about reports in the old system being acted on by any available Mod is untrue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add something constructive here, all it takes is a freaking improved DB select hacked into the vB report post functionality. Like, where forum is X and offense type is Y and ... blah (whatever criteria you need), then take the post's $URL (which you already have in stock functionality since someone clicked on the ! in the post) and send it to the appropriate moderator via PM.

the_scotsman said:
Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, when I said this
I do know of a shorter method, but many may not. They're likely to (try and) use the standard vBulletin route. If they're like me, many will probably say "screw this !".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what I was referring to. It isn't ideal though...

In total agreement here
I'm sorry, but saying it's just a 'little bit of work' to report a post is a gross understatement.
I am a moderator on several forums (one is very large, like this one, and chatty, with a varied, opinionated membership, just like this one), and I know, for a fact, how difficult it is to deal with reports. However, they are the key to keeping things civil on a forum. Is your membership large? Absolutely. Then bring on more staff. That is the only way to handle this, it isn't by crippling the report system. Now, with this new system, making a member jump through hoops to report things means they won't - if that's your goal, then you have succeeded marvelously. Really? Is that really what you want? I can't believe that, but from the tone of the answers from moderators here it would seem to be the goal.....

reinbeau said:
I'm sorry, but saying it's just a 'little bit of work' to report a post is a gross understatement.
I am a moderator on several forums (one is very large, like this one, and chatty, with a varied, opinionated membership, just like this one), and I know, for a fact, how difficult it is to deal with reports. However, they are the key to keeping things civil on a forum. Is your membership large? Absolutely. Then bring on more staff. That is the only way to handle this, it isn't by crippling the report system. Now, with this new system, making a member jump through hoops to report things means they won't - if that's your goal, then you have succeeded marvelously. Really? Is that really what you want? I can't believe that, but from the tone of the answers from moderators here it would seem to be the goal.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I would like to elaborate on this. We had a working workflow and procedure. Now, we have manual hack at best, which makes the process annoying to the point that people simply will not bother. Let me explain what I mean.
Say - you are a vendor and write some nifty application. Since you want your users to report bugs to improve it, you include a function that produces a pop-up when the application encounters fatal error/crashes. In there, you let users fill in (optional) comment and their email contact, and then you submit the crashdump automatically to [email protected]
Now, the application becomes immensely popular and [email protected] email becomes a mess. What to do?
Well, what you should do is to improve the crash reporting code so that it gets smarter. Say, you let your users fill in a survey letting them select from multiple-choice list of options about what they were doing when the crash occured etc., maybe do some intelligent automated parsing of the crash log and - according to their answers and the analysis - you send the crashdump only to the people resposible for that part of the code that is involved.
What you absolutely should NOT do: Abandon the nice automated crash reporting and tell users something like: "Oooooh, I crashed. Never mind we already have the info related, we are getting too many reports, so in case you want to report this so that it would eventually get fixed, go, move your lazy ass, dig up the crash dump, find a relevant part of it pertinent to the crash, then go to our website, download a DOC with a list of developers, find the one responsible for the part of the code involved and report it to him via email."
Generally noone will bother since it is way too much work to do. Additionally, the few reports that you still get will miss vital info (such as the crash dump), will get mis-sent since people suck at searching for relevant developer. That is NOT an improvement, that is actually a huge step back.

An eloquent enhancement to my point, doktornotor. Thank you.

Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here. Both responses so far have avoided the real problems. It worries me about the future of XDA if this change really was thought to be the best solution to the "reported issue" master list being large and unsorted. Also, telling us it's now on us to do a *little* more work and play secretary for the forum is a cop out and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.

MongooseHelix said:
...and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect this is the case. I haven't went through the steps to "report" a post since this change. As I mentioned above, I started to 2 or 3 times and then gave up. Call me "lazy", but it's too much effort....
I will say that I frequently used the function, mainly to get non-development questions/threads moved to the appropriate forum. Not any more...

hallstevenson said:
I suspect this is the case. I haven't went through the steps to "report" a post since this change. As I mentioned above, I started to 2 or 3 times and then gave up. Call me "lazy", but it's too much effort....
I will say that I frequently used the function, mainly to get non-development questions/threads moved to the appropriate forum. Not any more...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This frustrates and saddens me for the reasons you and others have outlined. Unfortunately running a forum means dealing with all of these issues on the admin/mod side - this really seems as though they've just decided it's too much work. Rather than just throw their hands up in the air, they need to bring on staff. Also, come up with an infraction system (automated), with points assigned to each infraction, once a threshold is reached, a ban is put into place that lasts for a specified period of time. We're doing this right now on Backyard Chickens (don't laugh, it's a huge forum with 95,000 members, chicken people can be quite unruly ). If any mod or admin wants the notes on our system I'd be happy to share them, we're hopeful it will cut down on our work there.
Reports are a pain, but it's the only way you can keep your finger on what's going on, if users find it too difficult to do, they won't.

MongooseHelix said:
Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this
(And ROTFLMAO @ unruly Backyard Chickens )

MongooseHelix said:
Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here. Both responses so far have avoided the real problems. It worries me about the future of XDA if this change really was thought to be the best solution to the "reported issue" master list being large and unsorted. Also, telling us it's now on us to do a *little* more work and play secretary for the forum is a cop out and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new RP system was designed to make it easier for our mods to action on the most important issues by reducing the noise and sheer number of RPs, while secondarily sharing a bit of the work with the membership. This is a community, certainly, and we all take part in the efforts to keep it moving smoothly. Each and every mod is a volunteer who moderate out of a true passion for the site and for mobile development, they do the best they can.
Now, we're also flexible and willing to change should anyone have a specific suggestion that would still achieve the goals above while making RPs less cumbersome for members. We can't let members *easily* report anything, anytime, because guess what happens...hundreds of RPs flow through, and the important ones get lost because of this. In our previous system, all it took was a simple click and a post was reported. That got taken advantage of.

But you don't address the fact that now people aren't going to bother. There were pictures in the Post Your Home Screen thread I tried to report, but I gave up - and I'm not a stupid user - that's obviously the way you guys want it now. Sad, I guess the concerns raised here are falling on deaf ears.

You say you tried, but gave up? What did you try? What made you give up? Just curious...

Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with Better Titles and Thread Tags!

Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with
Better Titles and Thread Tags!
(and improve XDA search functionality for free!)​
Nobody likes being told "Why didn't you search before posting?" only to have to explain that they did in fact search
but couldn't find anything relevant. I am not going to say search on XDA is the greatest thing ever but it is not nearly
as bad as some posters here think. It could get a lot better over time if everyone did a couple of simple things that are free.
The first thing is to use good thread titles.
Using good thread titles is a last attempt at searching before you post a new thread. Thread titles such as "[Q]" or "Need Help!"
will actually keep people from opening your thread! This shows members that you didn't search for an answer to your problem.
Members here will assume that you have put the same amount of work into your title as you have put into documenting and
solving your problem and they will simply move on to the next thread.
Here are 3 Thread Title suggestions that can help get you better results and solutions.
1. Make it Descriptive!!
When you type in a thread title and then click in the post section, a search shows you threads with similar titles to what you
just typed in. How many threads do you think there are with titles like "[Q]" or "Need Help!" ? Type in a good title and see
what threads are suggested. Type slightly different thread titles and check the searched thread results. The best result here
is to not have to open a new thread at all, but if you do not find a thread which is similar to your problem or recent enough
that you can post in it and get a good answer, then please use a good title for your thread.
2. Include [TAGS] so people can identify it more easily. h/t AllGamer for a more complete list
[Q] or [QUESTION] - All Questions
[REQ] - Requests topics for ROM ports, INFO, THEME, MOD, etc.
[GUIDE] or [HOWTO] - How to do instructions or Guides for newbies
[SOLVED] - for issues that have been fixed or [Q] that have been answered
3. Remember that your target audience is worldwide.
XDA members live around the world in every country. English is probably not their first language. I find it best to use
common words if I have a choice of wording, especially if they are using Google Translate.
The second thing we can all do is more use of thread tags.
I have noticed that many threads do not have thread tags so I think most users don't know about them. This only works with
the XDA website, not the XDA app. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page of most threads, you will most likely see this:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
If you were to click on the Edit Tags button, you would find that you could add 5 tags as an OP or Original Poster of the thread.
Threads can have up to 25 tags of 50 characters each, but most threads have none at all, so they don't get
indexed optimally by the search engine.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The admins have changed the tagging policy so that the OP can add 5 tags, or RC's can add 2 tags.
Mods can of course edit/add any tags as needed. I am asking all RC's to please join in this effort and add tags for anyone that requests it.
Tags should be keywords or phrases that people search for. If those keywords or phrases are linked to your threads then
your threads will be higher in the listed search results. This is really important for guide threads.
This is a little better, but since it is a new user guide there are more tags that could be added there, such as "new user guide",
"where to get started", "starting on xda", "how to get 10 posts".
When people search for those terms, I want them to find that guide, so I need to get those phrases added as thread tags.
If there is a guide in your forums that new users need to find, please some tags to it to help the new people find them,
such as "new user guide for sgs3", "how to flash firmware on a sensation", "all onex users start here", "root guide for droid2".
When users search for those terms we want them to find the guides instead of opening new threads. Good thread tags will help do this.
You can add tags to any thread. Please add good ones.
Anyone that would like additional thread tags added can post requests in their threads with any requested tag terms,
members here can easily help with that, or ask one of the Recognized Contributors and they can help you out with that.
Thank you for helping with this effort. Every time you do these things the search index will be updated and improve the results
for everyone on XDA. This is a valuable contribution to the community every time you do it..

All current requests for tags will be added here, so if you see a request listed here, please take a minute and go to the linked thread and add as many of the requested tags as you can. Thanks!! Check the guides in your favorite device forum and add some good tags there too!
Example of a request that you can make here:
Hey fellow Xda'ians,
I could use some tags on my thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1606380
Its a comprehensive guide on rooting and different ways to do stuff on Samsung Galaxy Fit aka Beni...so I could use some general-android related tags...
There's also some specific stuff in it, so have a look at the index that is present in the beginning, and please help me by adding suitable tags...
Tags related (but not limited to): Root with Superoneclick/update.zip, Custom recovery, Custom rom, Beni, GT-S5670, CWM, Amon-ra, Overclock, Swollen Battery, Bricked, Motherboard dead, Rom Manager, Titanium Backup
And a heads up, the thread is pretty long, so use the side bar to scroll...unless you wish some finger exercise
Thanks a lot friends!
I also promise to stay around this thread, and offer my help when other need it!
Thanks again!​This us just an example, you can make similar posts in this thread, and tags shall be added by me or other fellow Rc's.
Also, do give us suitable examples of tags that could be added to the thread.
Requests (in order of date of request):
*[HOW TO]Make The Most Of The XDA App - by KidCarter93
Requested tags: how to, guide, xda app, new user
*[GUIDE/HOW-TO] Beginner's "Getting Started" Guide :: Root, Recovery, Roms etc - by a.cid
Requested tag: Root with Superoneclick/update.zip, Custom recovery, Custom rom, CWM, Amon-ra, Overclock, Swollen Battery, Bricked, Motherboard dead, Rom Manager, Titanium Backup

mf2112 said:
"Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with Better Titles and Tags!" (and improve the search functionality for free!)
Nobody likes being told "Why didn't you search before posting?" only to have to explain that they did in fact search
but couldn't find anything relevant. I am not going to say search on XDA is the greatest thing ever but it is not nearly
as bad as some posters here think. It could get a lot better over time if everyone did a couple of simple things that are free.
The first is to use good thread titles.
Using good thread titles is a last attempt at searching before you post a new thread. Thread titles such as "[Q]" or "Need Help!"
will actually keep people from opening your thread! This shows members that you didn't search for an answer to your problem.
Members here will assume that you have put the same amount of work into your title as you have put into documenting and
solving your problem and they will simply move on to the next thread.
Here are 3 Thread Title suggestions that can help get you better results and solutions.
1. Make it Descriptive!!
When you type in a thread title and then click in the post section, a search shows you threads with similar titles to what you
just typed in. How many threads do you think there are with titles like "[Q]" or "Need Help!" ? Type in a good title and see
what threads are suggested. Type slightly different thread titles and check the searched thread results. The best result here
is to not have to open a new thread at all, but if you do not find a thread which is similar to your problem or recent enough
that you can post in it and get a good answer, then please use a good title for your thread.
2. Include [TAGS] so people can identify it more easily. h/t AllGamer for a more complete list
[Q] or [QUESTION] - All Questions
[REQ] - Requests topics for ROM ports, INFO, THEME, MOD, etc.
[GUIDE] or [HOWTO] - How to do instructions or Guides for newbies
[SOLVED] - for issues that have been fixed or [Q] that have been answered
3. Remember that your target audience is worldwide.
XDA members live around the world in every country. English is probably not their first language. I find it best to use
common words if I have a choice of wording, especially if they are using Google Translate.
The second thing we can all do is more use of thread tags.
I have noticed that many threads do not have thread tags so I think most users don't know about them. This only works with
the XDA website, not the XDA app. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page of most threads, you will most likely see this:
If you were to click on the Edit Tags button, you would find that you could add 5 tags as an OP or Original Poster of the thread,
or 2 tags otherwise. Threads can have up to 25 tags of 50 characters each, but most threads have none at all, so they don't get
indexed optimally by the search engine.
Tags should be keywords or phrases that people search for. If those keywords or phrases are linked to your threads then
your threads will be higher in the listed search results. This is really important for guide threads.
This is a little better, but since it is a new user guide there are more tags that could be added there, such as "new user guide",
"where to get started", "starting on xda", "how to get 10 posts".
When people search for those terms, I want them to find that guide, so I need to get those phrases added as thread tags.
Anyone that would like additional thread tags added can post requests in their threads with any requested tag terms,
members here can easily help with that, or ask one of the Recognized Contributors and they can help you out with that.
Thank you for helping with this effort. Every time you do these things the search index will be updated and improve the results
for everyone on XDA. This is a valuable contribution to the community every time you do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh so idea is on!
Mind checking threads in my sig?
Sent from my MB525 using xda app-developers app

Wow, you are fast.
OK, I added several tags to your threads.

Wow.. just love the thread is written. Even the threads in my sig have not been tagged properly mf212 you should make a post reserved where guides and other linka can be updated so that users can tag them easily..
Sent from Hell!!

If you could list out the links with any thread tags you would like added then I and hopefully others :fingers-crossed: can get them added. MikeChannon was kind enough to slip a post 2 in there for me so I will put current requests there.
If you have any preferred tags it is best to state them so that they get added that way, otherwise no guarantees on what members add there.

Hey fellow Xda'ians,
I could use some tags on my thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1606380
Its a comprehensive guide on rooting and different ways to do stuff on Samsung Galaxy Fit aka Beni...so I could use some general-android related tags...
There's also some specific stuff in it, so have a look at the index that is present in the beginning, and please help me by adding suitable tags...
Tags related (but not limited to): Root with Superoneclick/update.zip, Custom recovery, Custom rom, Beni, GT-S5670, CWM, Amon-ra, Overclock, Swollen Battery, Bricked, Motherboard dead, Rom Manager, Titanium Backup
And a heads up, the thread is pretty long, so use the side bar to scroll...unless you wish some finger exercise
Thanks a lot friends!
I also promise to stay around this thread, and offer my help when other need it!
Thanks again!

Why I see no Edit Tags?
It hiding. Why?
Looks like only OPs can do so now.

roofrider said:
Why I see no Edit Tags?
It hiding. Why?
Looks like only OPs can do so now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked another thread in this forum that I am not the OP of and I can edit the tags.

mf2112 said:
I just checked another thread in this forum that I am not the OP of and I can edit the tags.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe because ur an RC?
I can't see it, not sure why!

I have never heard of that being a limitation before, maybe one of the mods or admins will chime in here but I would be very surprised if that was changed. Nothing was said to RC's about it. I would bet it is an issue with the browser or NoScript or something. You tried Chrome and Firefox?

This is something new, I have edited them in the past..in fact i've added and removed a 'mtm iz noob' tag on this thread sometime back..maybe i'm being trolled? jk.
I'm using chrome and on the beta theme..it's the same even in 2010 theme, no option to edit them.
No difference on IE either.
Stop the lurking u mods! Post!

I wonder if it is related to the database issues going on.

He should try now! Database problem got fixed!
Sent from my MB525 using xda app-developers app

Still nope.
This is what i see.

I removed one of mine, try it again please. This is very strange. I really think you should be able to do this as a normal function without restrictions. You can't edit the tags on a closed thread, but any open thread should work unless it has 25 tags already.

I'm experiencing the same as roofrider.
The only threads I can edit tags on, are my own threads.
Even a thread which I've previously added a tag to I now can't.
Maybe the systems being changed so only the OP can edit tags? I doubt it, but it's a possibility.

I am sure it isn't like that on purpose. I was talking to MikeChannon and svetius just a couple of days ago about the thread tags and this thread promoting more usage of them and they thought it could really help if people participated with good tags so I am sure they would have mentioned a major change like that if it was just a couple of days away.

Yeah true. I only figured it may be that because the only other option is due to the database error which caused a couple of other problems today. The other issues seem to have been sorted though.

I can prove it works well. One of the original tags I added was "How to use thread tags". When you search the forum or the "search all forums" link which uses Google for that phrase, it brings up this thread as the top result. :victory::laugh:
also works for "search doesn't work". :victory: The thread that was the top result for "search before posting" was one of mine for another thread and I changed just now, so I will try to see how long it takes to update the search index.

XDA DevDB FAQ / Feedback / Bug Reports

This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
==============================================================
The main DevDB Access url is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/
This is @bitpushr here, I'm hijacking @svetius's thread to put a bit more information and a quick FAQ on the DevDB for people.
The overall goal of DevDB is to give structure to the development projects on XDA. Most obviously this is for ROMs, but also kernels and other tools and projects that you wonderful people come up with. I've been getting a lot of PMs about DevDB so I thought I'd compile them into a little FAQ:
1. How Do I Add Projects to DevDB?
You can visit the main DevDB url, and if you have access to add a project or import an existing thread, you will see the following links:
Adding a project will allow you to enter a new project from scratch and automatically create a thread for you.
Importing an existing thread will allow you to "enhance" the thread by adding it to the DevDB database and let you add more detailed information about your project.
2. Why should I add my project to DevDB?
For developers, it adds crucial metadata to your project that will allows us to show your project in more locations on the site. Threads that are "DevDB-ized" show up in the device page ROM listings, for example. We also add some cool features like a new large-file download system, reviews, a bug reporter/feature requester, and more.
For end-users, it allows us to present the ROMs and other projects on the site in a friendlier format. Rather than scouring forums and threads for new ROMs, we want to give them a place to see these projects and the unique features each one has.
We have some other cool ideas 'in the pipeline' so we thoroughly encourage devs to add their projects to DevDB.
3. Who can add projects?
Right now Recognized Developers and some other beta users are able to add projects to the system. If you wish to be added to the best-tester list, please pm @bitpushr.
Eventually we'll open this up to all "Senior Members" after we get all of the bugs out.

This is really cool.
Thanks a lot. :good:

That's why this is my favorite forum.

Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).

Awesome idea!

GermainZ said:
Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?

This is frigging awesome.
Feature requests:
1) Can/will this be enabled for [APP] threads, too? Has anyone SEEN the Nova Launcher thread lately?! But, not just for clutter--the feature request, Q&A, etc. will be very useful, too.
2) Can a FAQ tab be added? Not essential, but may keep 1st post of ROM threads from overflowing with paragraphs and paragraphs of text. Also, related to idea 6, below.
3) In bug reports, can we enter our hardware somewhere so we don't have to re-type it every time? Also, can multiple devices be selected, a la Google Play website app installing?
4) In bug reports, can we have a separate, but REQUIRED TO FILL OUT, text box for steps to reproduce?
5) Can bug reports be edited? Many times we think we know the issue, but then another user discovers the actual regression, and then instead of two bug reports, one can be made?
6) The biggest one is the last, hehe. Can we somehow have user-editable FAQs for threads? I seriously think XDA needs to implement Wiki's IN THREADS. People check threads (nobody, IMO, sees or even knows that XDA has a Wiki) and there are a handful of users who are nearly as knowledgeable as the developer who post. Maybe only OP-approved people can edit. But, seriously, you guys can make XDA legitimately 100x better if you implemented Wiki-style FAQs for these special threads.
Many people know the answer, but don't want to retype it 500 times. Now, let them put their answer in a very EASY TO FIND place in the FAQ. You seriously harness the power of this extremely knowledgeable community. If you don't, then you leave smart people upset at multiple people posting the same question.
Question:
1) Are

My two cents
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:

svetius said:
This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a field in the DevDB that indicates if the ROM passes Google's CTS (Compatibility Test Suite)? Some people may not want to install something that deviates too far from what Google intended Android to be like (or if something fundamental got broken), if you know what I mean.
Just my humble $0.02
ref: http://source.android.com/faqs.html#compatibility-test-suite
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.

ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they tried that with the WIKI's and it didn't turn out that well....
Some wikis did well and some were ghost towns.........the clutter remained none the less
OH and I would like to say that I'm not here to piss on the idea of this project or just say "none of this will work", I'm simply stating my opinion based on what I've seen as a member since I've joined.
I would LOVE to see XDA live up to it's potential and maybe remove some of the clutter and trolls BUT I just see it going a different direction at this moment in time...

Exactly! They were ghost towns because nobody knew about them and, if you did, why take the time and energy to edit something that like 10 people would see?
Thus, place them as a tab on the OP like the others are now.
Same...XDA has ridiculous potential!

This is a great idea and one I've wanted to see in XDA or any other forum for a long time. Since I own a Note 2 N7100, I contributed my part by using Google docs and forms to provide much of the same information in the DevDB for the Note 2. I would say now much of my work is obsoleted, but I agree it is a good thing for XDA.
However for improved granularity, instead of just 1 ranking rating, can DevDB also include 1 other rating for Screen On Time as an indicator for battery life?
My sig links to the thread where I made the index, you can see what I've done.

Good feedback, guys. Keep it coming :highfive:

Well, more of the same, haha:
Threads are great for a few users having a semi-cohesive discussion. With many users, many important issues are somewhere within hundreds of pages.
A user-editable FAQ would fix that. I'd like to also stress the importance of having the FAQ as a tab and NOT a link, as otherwise we'd have fewer users editing and fewer users reading.
It doesn't have to use the exact wiki format. But, maybe, a community-editable post that is otherwise normal.
Some threads that could've used it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1727052
Galaxy SIII Annoyances Megathread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984126
The AT&T Jelly Bean Release Thread (4.1.1 released; Kies and OTA)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter - [ATT / Bell / Telus / Rogers / Sasktel]

Mention @ tags don't work with DevDB.. Rest it ok needs improvement though

Not the s3? wow.

AdamOutler said:
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually we are considering this as some tools are multi or pan-device. Working on a way to show this correctly across multiple devices without getting confusing. Honestly we wanted to make sure that this system works in the first place, find out where we need to expand it, and then do it. @AdamOutler don't know if you noticed but one of the download options (if you have edit capabilities on a download file) is to set it as a CASUAL file. You can also set a specific board for the download. Our API will allow you to ask XDA to "send me all CASUAL package files for 'mako'" and then allow you to download those directly. More TBA.
Mazda said:
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey @Mazda, this is ddrager from Twitter.
Well these are all good points. We did a lot of thinking about what XDA does, what we stand for, and what we provide for developers. For a developer, we are oftentimes not only for discussion but also a platform both for distribution and for feedback on ROMs and other applications for mobile devices. In this regard, DevDB is a platform for users to find the right ROMs and applications for their devices, which hopefully keeps them off of the threads with questions about downloads and whatnot. Sure, we can complain all we want that n00bs don't read, don't search etc... but complaining about it doesn't fix the issue. We wanted to present a way that is easier to follow for those looking for new ROMs and how to modify their devices. A sort of 'device central' where you can get all the information on your device for everyone from those new to Android to those who are veterans at flashing ROMs.
For developers, not much has changed. You still have the development forums, and this is totally optional. DevDB adds some features like built-in reviews, bug reports, a torrent tracker/download system etc. This is mainly for those devs who wish to have additional promotion of their projects, and to make it easier for end-users to find and interact with those projects.
Regarding the issue of users not reading, this isn't a problem unique to XDA. You can point people to search as much as you want but there are 10 people behind them asking the same questions. We've all been guilty of this to some extent at one time . What we can do as a site is make the important information as easy to see and find as possible to help reduce the amount of extraneous questions sent to developers, that have already been answered.
XDA is a site full of information overload, and the best thing we can do is make that information categorized and easy to read.
ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been brought up a few times. I think what it comes down to is that we currently have a wiki, and nobody really uses it for something like that (that I know of). You can create a page on there and link it to the thread as it is right now.
Great feedback all, keep em coming! :highfive:

awesome feature. when can we expect it to be available on other forums
not asking for an eta although

Just wanted to say this is AWESOME!
I browsed around a bit in the "db-test-areas" and I really like it! The benefits are clearly visible:
Better overview
makes it easy finding stuff for your device
no need to browse pages and pages of devices sections when you are searching for something specific
I'd love to find it in the whole forums!! Keep it on!

[CLOSED] XenForo 2.2 Upgrade! Post Bugs, Issues and Comments Here

On 3/11/2021 at around 10am New York time, XDA will be upgrading our forum software to XenForo 2.2 which brings a bunch of new improvements, like a new thread preview tool, a Device Inventory tool to show off which phones you use, a most-thanked widget in every thread to easily spot the most important posts, plus a host of other new feature you can read about here. Not every feature of 2.2 will be available/active on XDA from day one, but we'll roll more things out soon as we settle in.
Please use this thread to post about bugs, issues, or overall comments. If reporting a bug or issue, be sure to tell us about your configuration (device, browser, OS) and the steps to reproduce the issue. Screenshots help!
In addition, later today we'll be updating the XDA app to work with 2.2.

New XDA App Bugs and Requests​
Welcome to XDA 2021 Thread
Known Bugs List Post #3 this thread
Wish List/Requests Post #4 this thread
Mention @osm0sis if you would like something added.
Navigating the new Site
Navigating the New Forum App
Mention @sd_shadow if you would like something added.
New: How to Use New Questions and Answers Threads - (16 March 2021)
Upvote or downvote replies, making the best answers listed at the top of the replies​
Xenforo 2.2 New Features
New Question and Answer Threads
Profile banners
In-Thread Search button(Broken till reindexing complete)
Desktop/Mobile/Forum App)
Thread Preview
Post-Reply Preview (Changed)
Post Quote changed from BB code to pure WYSIWYG
Toggle WYSISWYG/BB Code
Device Inventory (My devices)
Muti-Factor Authentication
Styles(account/preferences)
XDA App Theme (light)
Community App Dark
Remove Right Sidebar with app-style (click 3 dot menu top right of page)
Device Inventory https://forum.xda-developers.com/account/xda-devices
Spoiler: screenshot
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Spoiler: Original post
Can't wait!

Known Bugs/Regressions:
Advanced forum user max title length is too short, truncating them (e.g. "Senior Recognized Developer / Recognized Contribut"). Fixed 06/18 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...d-comments-here.4245677/page-16#post-85203961
Long forum names are truncated (e.g. "Android Software and Hacking General [Developers O").
Thanks/Likes counts are reduced for most users, sometimes dramatically, seemingly from Aug 29 - Dec 2; possibly related to posts reverting to older versions.
Various old forum emojis aren't mapped to new unicode ones, and ones in old posts that do exist (e.g. :cowboy:) don't display.
Broken redirects from old links for many threads/posts.
Disabling Alert in Preferences forces Mobile App Push enabled, one should be able to disable both.
"Unfurl"ed URL links to posts sometimes show a preview of the OP instead of the correct post (e.g. [URL unfurl="true"]https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/post-84073623[/URL]
==
Welcome to XDA 2021!
KNOWN ISSUES as of 12/3 (we're working on these!): Some threads/posts may be missing. We imported missing threads, some first posts missing still. Need to launch new XDA app asap. All current apps are broken like Tapatalk and XDA app. Use the...
forum.xda-developers.com
)
Missing colored/underlined user names to denote advanced forum users (e.g. Moderators/Admins and Recognized Contributors/Themers/Developers). Fixed 12/14 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...d-comments-here.4245677/page-28#post-86097881
Posts containing only quotes and no new text shouldn't be allowed.
Ability to subscribe to an entire forum is missing for some forums.
XDA Wiki pages are missing.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] functionality is broken and pics lost.
Shell scripts are detected and rejected as attachments, even if renamed as .txt files.
Search "this category" option never shows any results when used.
Recognized Developers can't moderate their own threads anymore.
Missing/broken legacy devices in Device Inventory (e.g. Galaxy Nexus is listed when you search but fails when you attempt to add it).
Missing setting to receive emails for mentions and/or quotes.
Reaction Score doesn't match between profile and "All" under Reactions Received.
DevDB secondary thread contributors have completely lost access to updating these threads.
See previous lists in the "Welcome To XDA 2021!" thread for items resolved up-to-and-including the XenForo 2.2 upgrade: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018

Nice-to-Haves/Requests:
Jump to Last Unread link icon in Watched threads page.
Attachments management page.
Folders to organize Watched threads.
Folders to organize saved PMs/Conversations.
Edit Reason for edited posts.
Threads Started by User search shortcut in user info popup.
Thanked/Liked Posts by User search shortcut in user info popup.
The ability to use the post editor buttons to insert BBCODE even when the WYSIWYG functionality is disabled.
Country flags below user images/info in threads (could replace trophy and post counts in expandable area)
Telegram account linking.
Make the forum search default to in-thread.
Thread Ratings.
Donate To Me links.
Add thread page number to HTML title.
A list of all user mentions, similar to the list of all user reactions.
See previous lists in the "Welcome To XDA 2021!" thread for items resolved up-to-and-including the XenForo 2.2 upgrade: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018

Good afternoon,
so I seem to be the first to report an issue: the ad banner at the bottom hides the watch/unwatch button.
Thanks.

Welcome to the other side

MikeChannon said:
Don't worry, for the over excited, Svetius has included the counselling and psychotherapy add-on to our shiny new XenForo 2.2 install.
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good! Because for a moment there I didn't know what to do with my life...
Spoiler
Oh the preview thingy replaces the editing for a bit! Okay, okay...
Edit: the replace icon is missing.

Looks good! New Top Liked Posts is excellent.
Woot! Shell scripts can be uploaded again.
I'll move my Bugs and Requests lists over here if a moderator can give me a couple posts following @svetius' again?
Edit: Since @sd_shadow has done a nice New Features post at #2 now, please add my two after that.

Search This thread
aka
In-Thread Search
Spoiler: New Search this Thread button

Anyway to see the download counter again, without having to hover the pointer?
Anyway to have the old style for attachments?

sd_shadow said:
Search this thread doesn't seem to be working.
The new one nor old.
Can someone else test?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep can confirm. Typing in the Search bar slowly moves the page up in Chrome (Windows desktop) as though I'm pressing the up arrow or something, and then the search of this thread for the word "excellent" shows no results.

Timmmmaaahh said:
Good! Because for a moment there I didn't know what to do with my life...
Spoiler
View attachment 5246727
Oh the preview thingy replaces the editing for a bit! Okay, okay...
Edit: the replace icon is missing.
View attachment 5246731
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird, I don't see that icon at all. The preview doesn't work for me or something. Will look into it.
sd_shadow said:
Search this thread doesn't seem to be working.
The new one nor old.
Can someone else test?
Spoiler: screenshot
View attachment 5246745
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah seems like we need to kick off a re-index. I've done that and our search server is running a re-index.

It is almost impossible to tell which page is being displayed.
XDA Classic theme in browser (Naked Browser) on Android 9 tablet.
Before today, it was easy, so I'm going to guess that it used to mark the current page (in the list showing some page numbers at the top and bottom of the page) using inverse-video.
I tried the other themes. None uses inverse-video.

VD171 said:
Anyway to see the download counter again, without having to hover the pointer?
Anyway to have the old style for attachments?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting, didn't know it was a change in 2.2. Will consider having this info always visible.

Massive lack of legacy devices in the device invertory(Topaz, Diamond , Orbit) though we have them: https://forum.xda-developers.com/account/xda-devices

MikeChannon said:
Don't worry, for the over excited, Svetius has included the counselling and psychotherapy add-on to our shiny new XenForo 2.2 install.
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, just call up @svetius .... 610-555-....

bitpushr said:
Yeah, just call up @svetius .... 610-555-....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
555?
Spoiler: wait a minute

Device Inventory (My Devices)
Direct Link https://forum.xda-developers.com/account/xda-devices
Spoiler: Account/Device Inventory
Spoiler: Add new device
Spoiler: Search for device
Device inventory Bugs
MikeChannon said:
The Google phone naming is a difficult one and I'm not sure we'd please everyone as the poularity and distribution of the phones varies as much as the accepted name in various locations. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus for example is known as :
Samsung Google Galaxy Nexus I9250
Samsung Google Nexus 3
Samsung Galaxy X
All of those are official names and all are valid. At the times we added them we'd use the most recognizable, best known name.
I had thought that some of those older phones are missing because they are contained in our "Legacy and Low Activity" category forum. However, on checking I don't think that explains why some devices are missing because many in "Legacy and Low Activity" DO appear on the list.
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Post
Spoiler: More on bugs
strongst said:
Massive lack of legacy devices in the device invertory(Topaz, Diamond , Orbit) though we have them: https://forum.xda-developers.com/account/xda-devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[CLOSED] XenForo 2.2 Upgrade! Post Bugs, Issues and Comments Here
On 3/11/2021 at around 10am New York time, XDA will be upgrading our forum software to XenForo 2.2 which brings a bunch of new improvements, like a new thread preview tool, a Device Inventory tool to show off which phones you use, a most-thanked...
forum.xda-developers.com
[CLOSED] XenForo 2.2 Upgrade! Post Bugs, Issues and Comments Here
On 3/11/2021 at around 10am New York time, XDA will be upgrading our forum software to XenForo 2.2 which brings a bunch of new improvements, like a new thread preview tool, a Device Inventory tool to show off which phones you use, a most-thanked...
forum.xda-developers.com
[CLOSED] XenForo 2.2 Upgrade! Post Bugs, Issues and Comments Here
On 3/11/2021 at around 10am New York time, XDA will be upgrading our forum software to XenForo 2.2 which brings a bunch of new improvements, like a new thread preview tool, a Device Inventory tool to show off which phones you use, a most-thanked...
forum.xda-developers.com
Chromebook

I really like the new theme "Community App Dark"

Minor thing, but yeah, got my attention
Spoiler: Devices