Recently we've been the target (via PM and email) of a coordinated effort by some users to get XDA to add an iPhone forum. This intensified a bit recently with the "jailbreaking is legal" news that came out a few weeks ago. We also recently “lost” a behind-the-scenes guy at XDA to the iPhone (someone who had donated countless hours to helping with site development and bug fixes).
Despite his pleading, some of the mods and I decided earlier this month that xda-developers is NOT the place for detailed iPhone discussion. There's just too much going on here. XDA is still digesting the move to add non-HTC WinMo/Android devices. And the site is just too darn big already!
With all that said: many of you know that we also own the iPhone-Developers.com domain. It was purchased years ago—mostly as a joke. Now, with the maturation of the iPhone community (in particular, the independent developer and jailbreak community) we are going to dust it off and launch an XDA sister site. The goal is to try to replicate the XDA feel while keeping XDA itself free of iPhone-related clutter. We see it as a win/win for everyone (iPhone lovers and haters alike). The aim of the site is to demystify jailbreaking and to make iPhone development more mainstream. Millions of people have benefited from the development work that has taken place at XDA over the last decade, and we want to bring these same benefits to iPhone owners.
If you are excited by this move, please keep your expectations in check: The site will be totally separate from XDA (separate mods, servers, everything) and will probably be somewhat "Wild West" to start out (like XDA in the early years). We have assigned a new admin—the former XDA tech volunteer referenced above. His user name is Arbre, and he also is doing all the tech development for the site. He hopes to have it launched (at least in beta form) in September.
We are looking for a few people to help get things started in the new forums. If you’ve got any jailbreak/development experience on the iPhone and want to help out just PM Arbre and he’ll get in touch with you when we’re closer to a beta launch.
PM'd him already
Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?
I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.
Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.
I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?
lemonspeakers said:
Is there another thread where others are discussing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like nobody cares.
lemonspeakers said:
Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?
I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.
Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.
I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you're right. But the launch of the site has been totally funded by a donor. We hope we create a somewhat unique vibe over there. But if not, then it hasn't hurt anyone.
lemonspeakers said:
Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?
I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.
Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.
I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As the one who is actually building and running iphone-developers, I can tell you that for me it is definitely worth the effort. To even have the chance at creating something like xda for the iphone is incredibly exciting.
The only reason I got svetius and the site owners to consider this project in the first place was because of the number of requests we've gotten to add iphone forums -- it turns out a lot of xda users have iphones, and many have even switched altogether. Creating a new site for these people makes a lot of sense (to me at least).
Plus, as svetius said, there is really nothing to lose by trying. I'm the one bearing all of the work, and if you're not interested in apple products then xda will be the exact same as usual
-- Arbre
I'm just wondering if you are going to bridge the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.
MordyT said:
I'm just wondering if you are going to bride the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it...he said they will be completely separate, including separate servers etc...
I'm not an iphone person at all, but sounds like it will be very successful, with the xda name behind it!
MordyT said:
I'm just wondering if you are going to bride the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a great question. I hope that this is possible. This way it also retains our reputation instead of starting from scratch while claiming that you are so and so.
Excelent news!!!!
I'm slowly porting my apps (adding some more bling) to the iPhone with flash CS5, only made a beta of flashlight so far, but was hopping for the greatness of a XDA forum-like to "bind" all scatered users out there, in a way that only XDA can.
Cant wait for it...
lemonspeakers said:
Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?
I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.
Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.
I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are of course many other iPhone sites around as indeed there are for WM / Android etc. Included in that there is also a range of good and poor quality. However, we often talk about our "Community" here at xda-devs and this combined with good quality content is what defines a good forum site. Creating, the right atmosphere combined with quality content is what will also make or break a new iPhone site. It really doesn't matter about the volume of other sites if you can create a better feel in a new site people will move.
We should also not forget that there has been a 200% rise in the smartphone market over the past year and 93% of that has come from the iPhone. Consequently there is a vast and ever increasing number of potential members who have not established a loyalty to already existing sites.
Good luck to Arbre in getting this going, though I'm sure he doesn't need it
Mike
I'm very interested as I have recently seen the light and ditched WinMo on my Tilt 2 for the iPhone 4
lemonspeakers said:
That is a great question. I hope that this is possible. This way it also retains our reputation instead of starting from scratch while claiming that you are so and so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're trying to link the user databases of XDA and iPhone-Developers so that if you want, you can transfer your XDA account.
lemonspeakers said:
That is a great question. I hope that this is possible. This way it also retains our reputation instead of starting from scratch while claiming that you are so and so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
svetius said:
We're trying to link the user databases of XDA and iPhone-Developers so that if you want, you can transfer your XDA account.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is defiantly possible, and several sites exist today that show off that ability. I am glad you are looking into the option, as that will boost the amount of people who are active there.
Looking forward to seeing this go live! Hopefully it will encompass the same community feel that XDA has nurtured and grown
Plus if XDA members who are interested in the iPhone also register with the IPD forum, we will bump into members with whom we may already be acquainted So we will have a ready made 'starting' community!
This actually sounds like a great idea, imagine the development that will come out of this
refthemc said:
This actually sounds like a great idea, imagine the development that will come out of this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's kinda the idea
soon we will have android on the iphone 4 cuz of xda members
and yes i know android is there for iphone 3g
What a great news
Excelent news!!!!
Since i bought my iphone, i no longer visit xda developers but now everything will be diferent.
Can´t wait
This is GREAT news!
Related
*edit: as many people suggested in the posts. a new single forum for other manufacturers with 1 single subforum per maker might be a better idea than whats suggested in this post**
the mods have explained several times why they are not willing to support other non-HTC devices for various reasons over here so im not gonna ask that. i will however ask that the admins to consider spinning off another site to do that.
there are some other sites that try to do that but they ALL fail miserably because they dont have the ridiculously high number of smart users registered to them. to solve this major problem, i propose that the users data base of xda-dev gets synchronized with the newly created site.
the new site may look something like
- windows mobile support and development forums
- htc built devices like palm,xperia...etc
- 1 subforum per device (more if its a very popular devices like xperia X2,omnia, toshiba tg10...etc)
I wasn't aware of the reasoning for no non-HTC device forums. You have a link?
Personally I think we should have subforums for the popular non-HTC devices like i780, Omnia, Epix, SG01, Asus devices, etc. But who am I?
there are many http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=464635
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=463252
and the reasoning is that "jack of all trades is a jackass" or something like that
THE GRIZZ said:
mods: please drop your whack-a-mole hammers and consider this
the mods have explained several times why they are not willing to support other non-HTC devices for various reasons over here so im not gonna ask that. i will however ask that the admins to consider spinning off another site to do that.
there are some other sites that try to do that but they ALL fail miserably because they dont have the ridiculously high number of smart users registered to them. to solve this major problem, i propose that the users data base of xda-dev gets synchronized with the newly created site. all that is needed is for the user to confirm the newly created account in the new site (in case some of the users explicitly dont want to register)
the new site may look something like this
- windows mobile support and development forums
- htc built devices like palm,xperia...etc
- 1 subforum per device (more if its a very popular devices like xperia X2,omnia, toshiba tg10...etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, title is misleading.
Second, it's never gonna happen (another site needs more resources, which this site is struggling with.
Third, I give you one day before this thread gets closed.
Cheers
THE GRIZZ said:
mods: please drop your whack-a-mole hammers and consider this
the mods have explained several times why they are not willing to support other non-HTC devices for various reasons over here so im not gonna ask that. i will however ask that the admins to consider spinning off another site to do that.
there are some other sites that try to do that but they ALL fail miserably because they dont have the ridiculously high number of smart users registered to them. to solve this major problem, i propose that the users data base of xda-dev gets synchronized with the newly created site. all that is needed is for the user to confirm the newly created account in the new site (in case some of the users explicitly dont want to register)
the new site may look something like this
- windows mobile support and development forums
- htc built devices like palm,xperia...etc
- 1 subforum per device (more if its a very popular devices like xperia X2,omnia, toshiba tg10...etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And add ponderous, overlarge, and un navigatable
sa2.14 said:
And add ponderous, overlarge, and un navigatable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just vote no and spare us your silly negativity. i was merely asking for them to consider it. if its a bad idea it will show from their replies and from the poll.
Third, I give you one day before this thread gets closed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stop suggesting them ideas. and they wont
Its so much easier to add a single "other devices" subforum (not even full section like what they are doing now for every single device device).
this way we all get the advantags of having non-htc devices without the extra work and headache that goes with creating full website page.
i like the " the users data base of xda-dev gets synchronized with the newly created site" part though
My opinion is to leave XDA as it is now
Do not add more non HTC forums!
It will just make it slower
Should be around the net good forums for other brands
When have you saw a site together between reebok and nike?
Every one has its own stores
Just my 3 cents
i had the same idea when i bought my omnia
http://winmodevelopers.co.cc
this site deals with all of the non htc devices
((although may i remind you its no way affiliated with this site it just served as inspiration))
it already has a few roms and a marketplace was opened in january, and yes were stuggling with resources but thats the way it is in the shadows lol
any non htc winmo device can be added, although smartphones will be added through poularity
also we are moving the entire site soon to a dedicted server soon courtisy of QUICKSITE and this will take time but feel free to add your nuggets of info to winmodevelopers.co.cc
also take note its a very fimiliar format to xda so u wont get lost
(disclaimers : winmodevs is not an affiliate of xda-developers.com, the onlt connection is certain members including me who frequent both sites)
I think that would be really cool! The TG01 needs to have support from the wonderful ppl @ xda!
ive already got the tg01 there and now ive just installed a chatrrom for geeks
THE GRIZZ said:
just vote no and spare us your silly negativity. i was merely asking for them to consider it. if its a bad idea it will show from their replies and from the poll.
I apologize for your dismissiveness. Only thing I would point out; is that in any enterprise, diminution of effort is really a bad thing. Take the examples of the car cos. just to name a couple. Orb3000 has it right, I've got a motorola device. Found forums that are exclusive to that. I believe that works out the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jayjay8585 said:
ive already got the tg01 there and now ive just installed a chatrrom for geeks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice! Where did you get the TG01 from and for how much?
And guys, let's not be dismissive or overly negative like that please, we should try to be friendly.
jayjay8585 said:
i had the same idea when i bought my omnia
http://winmodevelopers.co.cc
this site deals with all of the non htc devices
((although may i remind you its no way affiliated with this site it just served as inspiration))
it already has a few roms and a marketplace was opened in january, and yes were stuggling with resources but thats the way it is in the shadows lol
any non htc winmo device can be added, although smartphones will be added through poularity
also we are moving the entire site soon to a dedicted server soon courtisy of QUICKSITE and this will take time but feel free to add your nuggets of info to winmodevelopers.co.cc
also take note its a very fimiliar format to xda so u wont get lost
(disclaimers : winmodevs is not an affiliate of xda-developers.com, the onlt connection is certain members including me who frequent both sites)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the site in your signature has more forum sections than actual posts or members. in its current status, it cant complement xda-devs in any way
orb3000 said:
When have you saw a site together between reebok and nike?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well as I understood HTC as a company has nothing with this forum?
And I'm sure reebok and nike wouldn't make site together because each of them want to sell it's sports equipment.
But, if some sport equipment lover make site about sport equipment I'm pretty sure there would be nike and reebok and many others.
I have HTC so I selfishly don't care if there are other devices on XDA-developers.
But if I buy some other non-HTC device some day I would really love to have support for it from great site like xda-developers
cheers
Can someone please explain to me how operating a forum with the amount of members and posts is not a profitable business?
THE GRIZZ said:
the site in your signature has more forum sections than actual posts or members. in its current status, it cant complement xda-devs in any way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well firstly
Board Statistics
Our members have made a total of 272 posts
We have 341 registered members
and theres only bout 23 or 24 forums so that makes ur stateate very brash
secondly you think anything you start now will imediatly get 1.5 million members and chefs will flock and devs will batlle to host there crap on ur site, it doesnt work that way
ive worked really hard to get to the site in it urrent state and itll only get bigger
also you have to take into account everyone is eih ergreedy or impatient so if theres question asked on wimnmodevs then nobody sticks around too long because they wont answers now
so see as many little members there is that brilliant going when u rememerb the site only been opened for 6 months and xda has been going for years
but then again u sdont have to use it, thee are a few who are. but i mean if you really dont like it and if its that bad feel free to trawl around xda asking bout it when theres one there
btw this wasnt meant to sound *****y if it did i apologise im just saying if u want a new site at the drop of a hat that has this much support then it not happening im afraid site like this take time
Ok then. Whoever is willing to pay for the major bandwith and whatnot step right up and pay.
Usually I have never comment on those post ”we should get additional None HTC device listed here” but now I will give my 2 cents on this subject. THIS IS MY PERSONALY OPIONIEN I DON’T MEAN TO INSULT ANYONE!!!!:
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY WE SHOULD NOT LIST NONE HTC DEVICES.
This forum has started to developt WinMo and during that time HTC were first manufucturer of such device. However this forum became so famous in last 8-10 years so that when you type anything WinMo related word in Google or any other search engine it leads you at least few times back to this forum. So with Such search engine power many old and new brilliant people come here to meet and share their knowledge. With Such knowledge base and information the searchengine crawlers are as I believe the most band wide consumer.
Now been this site so famous and this site been only on HTC devices, gives actually VERY BIG Marketing advantage to the “Company HTC” As I believe over the years HTC owns some of their popularity to this forum but DOESN’T HAS TO PAY SINGLE CENTS. I mean many other companies paying hard cash to make their names and their products popular in the search engines so that consumers can find them easily.
Furthermore we all here given so much feedback on our Dream devices or find so many mistakes on the current device models so that HTC itself can learn and align them self for future devices or even make correction on next produced patch for devices that are still in production. Again all these are for free of charge and without making expensive surveys. I assure you for HTC it is a kind of Gold mine here.
I personally believe competition amount of the manufacturer can bring only advantage to the consumer. This is for price and for quality!!!
Therefore As I believe continuing supporting only HTC devices here in XDA_DEV gives HTC big advantage on the mentioned COMPETITION and hurt as Consumer!!!
Be frank I don’t believe on those sister forums or what so ever (again I don’t wanted insult anyone’s idea it is just my opinion)
my simple mathematic is:
A forum based of people…people brings Knowledge/information…Knowledge/information brings search engines…. Search engines bring people.
From my experiences building a forum and been successful (popular) is very very Long and hard job
[FONT="]Conclusion of above I would say we should Support here also none HTC devices[/FONT]
redbandana said:
Can someone please explain to me how operating a forum with the amount of members and posts is not a profitable business?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look arround you will obviously see that this forums attention is not making money!!! But I do fully agree with you that there is alot of opertunity to turn this site to BIG CASH...
However according the websiteoutlook (http://www.websiteoutlook.com/www.xda-developers.com) it stands not to bad there:
Net Worth $1.04 Million Daily Pageview 474342 Daily Ads Revenue $1425.48
Hey Everyone,
As mentioned in my earlier post (please read if you have not yet already), we are considering adding non-HTC forums to the site, and are curious to hear which ones should be first. We're considering devices such as the Motorola Droid/CLIQ, plus the Samsung Omnia II and/or Acer neoTouch. What are your thoughts? We're listening!
P.S. The below excerpt is taken from my first post, and should help answer some questions.
svetius; said:
Finally-- and hopefully this doesn't cause a mass uproar-- we are considering the idea of selectively adding non-HTC device forums (focused on Windows Mobile and Android devices). Every day we get requests from users for this, and there's really no good reason why we cannot oblige them. Already the discussion is happening in the general forums. That said, we will only add new forums if: 1. We are confident added traffic won't cause site speed to suffer; 2. We can recruit quality moderators; and 3. The content and discussion is of high quality. The only way to know these things for sure is to try it out. So, within the next 14 days we are going to add two or three non-HTC forums. The delay is to ensure the site continues to operate at a reasonable speed and so we can figure out where to put the new forums (the forum homepage is already absurdly long and cluttered). We are open to suggestions as to deserving devices for our first non-HTC forums, so give us your ideas in this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MOD EDIT - The following devices are due to be added Thursday morning (CET time):
Acer neoTouch F1 S200
Acer Liquid A1 S100
Samsung Omnia II
Toshiba TG01
There may be a slight delay in adding these so no more request for the above devices
HP iPAQ HX4700
HP iPAQ HX4700, even though it is a HTC made device, would love to have a forum for it, willing to moderate as i have plenty of spare time
Much Thanks
Badwolve1
PS, YES!!! Second Post on both threads
Long overdue!
At last !
This is a very nice forum, resourceful , frequented by the "developers" yet user/noob friendly.
People like me were / are dismayed when requests-questions for non HTC devices are placed in the hacking forum where you just cannot keep track of the threads.
More and more WM/android based devices are launched now and we should have a separate forum for them.
Maybe we can first demand a few requests for a particular device before starting a dedicated forum so that it would not fizzle out in the long run and the whole site becomes cluttered unneccessarily.
From my experience, the most requested one is: Omnia
I think the droid should make the first entry, its really popular. But thats just my opinion.
hell,whose idea was this...??
you are breaking our firs tenant which says "made by a firm called HTC"
we stood for the idea for a long time and prevented such forums to be crated and now comes some "user experience admin" who works for the "unhappy samsung motorola crowd" selling some controversial ideas
come on people,don't be ridiculous...
GREAT,just great....you could also say hello to iPhone and crappy nokias....which we fought for a long time.......great job traitor
Yes, OMNIA II and why not iPhone?
An i780 forum won't be bad too. This is the best site for i780 even if it's not (yet) officialy supported. There are several roms for it on xda and there's also an android porting for this device.
Maybe a brand forum will be great too. For example a samsung or acer or anythig else forum with some subforums like rom developemente, q&a and general discussions.
ajhvdb said:
Yes, OMNIA II and why not iPhone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Omnia 2 is winmo, this forum is for WINMO + ANDROID ONLY!!! iPhone can go somewhere else for the people who like it
I still want one for my HTC MADE IPAQ, its in the WIKI under HTC Roadster
but hey this is..or at least was htc forum and not winmo and android forum...so...if we are expanding towards samsung,motorola and some others,why don't we go for apple too
think about it
i mean i'm not supporting any of that but....higher force wants to try it out,so if we are opening our gates for non htcs....apple is also nonhtc...so what's the difference
Toshiba TG01
Acer S200
Omnia 1 and 2
If Xda is considering to open new foruns, lets open for new top mobiles that are/were best sellers
Thanks for the feedback thus far, it's helpful. We're indeed going to stick with just Windows Mobile and Android.
But on the other side allowing non htc mobile will mean let in any mobile. So admins, how will you then manage all this?What about server load and all the technical things it will bring along?And also will there be enough staff to monitor the behaviour of each and everyone? This is no simple question. Right now I see xda dev as a small group providing quality support and devs, what will it be then? Many bloggers refer to xda dev website, it is a turning point on the htc platform. Wont allowing other brands in kill this image?
yash08 said:
But on the other side allowing non htc mobile will mean let in any mobile. So admins, how will you then manage all this?What about server load and all the technical things it will bring along?And also will there be enough staff to monitor the behaviour of each and everyone? This is no simple question. Right now I see xda dev as a small group providing quality support and devs, what will it be then? Many bloggers refer to xda dev website, it is a turning point on the htc platform. Wont allowing other brands in kill this image?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i talked to svetius via pm and this was almost the same thing i said to him
and for the
svetius said:
Thanks for the feedback thus far, it's helpful. We're indeed going to stick with just Windows Mobile and Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what about "brew" platform which comes with new htc smart
maybe the "xda-developers.com" should be changed to "apple-haters.com" because as i see everything except apple is welcome
just to make it clear....i'm absolutely not voting for apple (although i love macs),i'm just giving you something to think about...pointing finger towards the paradox so everybody could see it
yash08 said:
But on the other side allowing non htc mobile will mean let in any mobile. So admins, how will you then manage all this?What about server load and all the technical things it will bring along?And also will there be enough staff to monitor the behaviour of each and everyone? This is no simple question. Right now I see xda dev as a small group providing quality support and devs, what will it be then? Many bloggers refer to xda dev website, it is a turning point on the htc platform. Wont allowing other brands in kill this image?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned in my first post earlier today...
We will only add new forums if: 1. We are confident added traffic won't cause site speed to suffer; 2. We can recruit quality moderators; and 3. The content and discussion is of high quality. The only way to know these things for sure is to try it out. So, within the next 14 days we are going to add two or three non-HTC forums. The delay is to ensure the site continues to operate at a reasonable speed and so we can figure out where to put the new forums (the forum homepage is already absurdly long and cluttered). We are open to suggestions as to deserving devices for our first non-HTC forums, so give us your ideas in this thread.
I hope this helps.
I say expand to the iPhone field....wouldn't hurt to add it to the forums....we can say we hate it and that it suxs...whatever. XDA harbors people that want to push their phone's limits. I've been a follower of XDA for a while now, even when I had my iPhone, because the amount of talent in these forums are awesome. I say open the flood gates and bring in iPhone OS to the table. Droid and the new Dell Android would be great as well. My 2 cents
I kind of want to see a forum for the HTC Smart, running that Brew OS and a forum for the Android SE Xperia X10 and WM X2.
farukb said:
but hey this is..or at least was htc forum and not winmo and android forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official or not, this site has ALWAYS been a winmo forum. Given that HTC's devices mostly ran winmo, that's pretty much unavoidable - unless you think that all discussion/development of software that runs on non-HTC winmo devices should be banned, anyway. And the same goes for Android, now that it comprises ~half of HTC's product lineup - unless you think that half of HTC's current phones should be banned from an 'HTC forum'.
YES to new forums
I've been following XDA-Devs for quite some time now (over a year and a half, to be exact) ever since I gleefully bought my AT&T Tilt, and then was frustrated with it within a week. Prior to that, I have owned & happily modded several PPC's. I lurked on these forums for over a year before joining and asking anything. Almost every question I had was answered by patiently searching. So Junior Member, yes. Noob...not quite.
That being said, I am very heavily leaning towards replacing my battle-scarred Tilt with a Samsung Omnia II instead of a TP2 variant. Lots of pros, very few cons, at least for the things I use my device for the most. One of the BIGGEST cons, however, would be that I would lose the guidance, support, knowledge and hard-earned wisdom of the people that post here by straying from HTC.
And so I hesitate.
I've likely read posts into the multiple thousands here, and despite the device or app, or even OS under discussion, one theme runs through it all:
We love messing with our phones.
Better, stronger, faster, smarter, louder, brighter, more fun ..... ad infinitum.
So, for the sake of that common goal, I say add new forums. Break them down by manufacturer. Even iPhones. All those people that bought one, only to discover the limitations of their expensive "cool" new phone? Let's help those poor saps too, ok?
YES to new forums!!
Hey Everyone,
I’ve been an XDA user (under another name) for a long time, but now I’ve been appointed a new role to work with Flar and the moderators to make the user experience here better. For example, some of you may have noticed that the site has gotten faster in the last several days and that there are fewer 502 gateway errors. This is no fluke—we’ve employed an expert server administrator who has been restructuring the database to allow for quicker access speeds and far fewer errors. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we’re off to a pretty good start.
Beyond improving site speed, number two on our list is to cut down on spam. We’ve already experimented with a few tactics that have had varying levels of success, and we’ll keep at it until we get it right.
We’re also working on a home page redesign (or the “portal” as some of you know it). Our goal is to make it a useful destination for finding the best content in the forums and to make it easy for users to find new information about a particular device without having to scan through dozens of threads. We are recruiting volunteers to help identify and "promote" content to the main page, which requires some writing skills (see the "news" posted to the home page in the past couple of days). If you're interested and serious about helping, send a PM to Flar; she is organizing the effort.
Finally-- and hopefully this doesn't cause a mass uproar-- we are considering the idea of selectively adding non-HTC device forums (focused on Windows Mobile and Android devices). Every day we get requests from users for this, and there's really no good reason why we cannot oblige them. Already the discussion is happening in the general forums. That said, we will only add new forums if: 1. We are confident added traffic won't cause site speed to suffer; 2. We can recruit quality moderators; and 3. The content and discussion is of high quality. The only way to know these things for sure is to try it out. So, within the next 14 days we are going to add two or three non-HTC forums. The delay is to ensure the site continues to operate at a reasonable speed and so we can figure out where to put the new forums (the forum homepage is already absurdly long and cluttered). We are open to suggestions as to deserving devices for our first non-HTC forums, so give us your ideas in this thread.
I look forward to working closely with you to bring about exciting new changes to XDA that will make the experience better for you.
Hi Svetius
I asked a while ago for a forum for the Roadster, HP iPAQ HX4700, unfortunatly i received no more information on the topic since I sent a PM to Flar, if this could be added as a new forum, i would be happy to moderate it
svetius;5335158
The delay is to ensure the site continues to operate at a reasonable speed and so we can figure out where to put the new forums (the forum homepage is already absurdly long and cluttered). We are open to suggestions as to deserving devices for our first non-HTC forums[/QUOTE said:
It's not that bad Just make a Bookmark
Thanks
Badwolve1
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XDA in 2010
Great to know about all this changes and modifications!
XDA is the number one forum on it´s genre
Personally I think adding non HTC devices could add a lot of intensive traffic and may deviate the main objectives and efforts from what this site was created, but I will support and promote any final decision made by Owners & Admin
Count with my help if required.
Just my 2 cents
Long live to XDA!!
It's great to see another Admin aboard XDA, and a very ambitious one at that! These sound like very exciting changes XDA will be going through, and some are much needed, like spam control and an update to the portal. I look forward to watching these take effect
Amen to non-HTC devices!
As a longtime HTC fan, I appreciate the great community we have here at XDA. But I'm looking to branch out, and I recenlty purchased a Toshiba TG01 that is a powerful device and I'd love to see a forum for that if there is enough demand.
The LG Expo is also poised to be a big seller here in the states; already there is work going on with that here at XDA, so perhaps that deserves a forum (it's one of the first WinMo Snapdragon devices after all).
Long live XDA!
PS Maybe a different color scheme would be nice, the yellow has been giving me lots of eye strain recently...
chambo622 said:
Amen to non-HTC devices!
PS Maybe a different color scheme would be nice, the yellow has been giving me lots of eye strain recently...
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If you use Firefox you might want to try this.
Very glad to hear XDA is dropping their completely non-sensical rule of not allowing non-HTC devices (oh, but we will allow Android on a WM-centric site? pfff)
Aside from l3v5y, none of the better known people on XDA I talk to on a regular bases agree with this rule (most think it's a really stupid move), so I'm sure a lot of people will be happy there will be change.
If I might be so bold as to make a couple of device suggestions:
- Samsung Omnia 2 I8000 GSM & I920 CDMA
- Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 & Giorgio Armani II B7620 (pimped pro)
- Toshiba TG-01 (aka T-01A)
- LG Expo (aka IQ, Monaco)
- Acer F1 (aka neoTouch S200)
Of course there are lots of others but most of them are quickly getting old... At least from my perspective these are the most important devices... Then again, what do I know, ey?
Nice to hear that you guys are so busy in making the experience better on XDA.
But I think we should not include those other non-HTC phones.
Personally I hate those Omnia's, they're in my opinion just crappy phones.
Sad to see it happen but you Mods probably know what's best for the community...
Sounds great to me!
It means my SE X2 will have your support!!!
Bravo!
Chainfire:
The main reason I've been opposed to extra forums is because it would impact the rest of the fora here. If the speed of this site is the first priority, and if this site can still achieve what it was made for (it's in the name really, XDA developers) then I can't really disagree.
Also, it would make a significant increase in the workload for the existing moderators, unless we recruit more....
I think it would work well if the devices selected were only ones that pass muster and are as feature rich as their HTC counterparts (e.g. Omnia II, Toshiba TG01 etc).
I'm fairly new to here, but one thing I do like is that this site is heavily slanted towards Windows Mobile. So while I think it would be great to welcome other Windows Phones into the community, I do not think that Android devices outside of HTC phones should be accepted.
This is absolutely awesome, thanks so much. Having the support of Xda-Devs is absolutely a must when buying a phone. until today buying a Samsung-device was completely unimaginable!
Maybe you can add some JS/AJAX to the page, so all device-specific subforums are folded, except the devices the user needs (multiple devices would be nice).
And IMHO you need a really good and catchy logo.
If you want me to help with designing feel free to send me a PM
What a great Decision
I am really happy to hear this. With my second smartphone (TD) i entered the world of xda developers and found answers for every question i ever had. I think it is the best place for discussions about htc devices. When i bought my Samsung Galaxy i was i little bit f***d up because of no more xda developers and it is great to hear this news now.
...hopefuly there will be a section for Galaxy Users?
I was crazy about xda back when I had an Apache/ppc 6700. But I am also a person who likes to try new things and move on to better things. There is no reason we should be penalized for buying a MOTOTOLA DROID or SAMSUNG GALAXY. Show us some love.
Great News Indeed
Wow! Just an awesome news! I think this is a realy good idea and the right way to became thes most important source for ALL Winmo (and Android) devices.
It's not nonsensical to focus on HTC devices on a website that is FOR those devices.
Imagine people asking for help with their Honda's on a Ford Mustang Forum.
As a long time XDA user, I love this website, when I got the Wizard, then the sapphire, I was insanely grateful to have such resources available to me on this site.
Eventually I got the DROID, at which point I had to abandon this forum, and all it's resources, which sucked, but I understand this isn't the place.
With that said, I am excited to see this forum open up for non HTC devices, as I will directly benefit from it. I am worried however that the forum may suffer not just in speed, but in focus. Think about those Chinese food restaurants that sell Italian food, hamburgers, and burritos, they make everything, but they don't make any one thing well. XDA forum is the equivalent of the BEST burger shop in town, so I think it is a very good idea to run a "Trial Period" and I hope for the best!
.... and yes svetius welcome on board mate
This site keeps getting better and better, I appreciate you guys taking time to consider and address suggestions (adding other popular phones-Android and Windows based) to the site. Keep up the good work guys and gals!
samsung galaxy
Hey all,
You may have noticed that the front page (a.k.a. the portal) of our beloved forums has been getting regular updates, leading to news, improvements, and more.... anything related to xda-developers. Keeping up with the latest and greatest apps, themes, mods, hacks, etc. is our way of giving those developers that put the time and effort in this community some 15 minutes of fame by being featured in the largest online community of its kind in the world. However, since we are not omniscient and hence cannot spot every single piece of software that shows up in a 2.5 million member community, we would like to ask you for help. If you see something that is of interest to you, that you believe could have an impact on XDA, or you simply made the next best app in the world, drop us a pm. We will be more than happy to evaluate the submission and feature it on the XDA Portal.
Here is the contact information for the News Writer Team:
orb3000
ben_duder
mic_888
Wen(WM)
ElCondor
sirphunkee
Livven
nqnguyen2
Leddy
wingman1487
egzthunder1 - Portal Administrator.
Any help and tips are greatly appreciated Together we can make xda-developers even bigger than it already is.
Sincerely,
News Writer Team
Introduction
As some of you may know me
I´m orb3000, and been around XDA since 2006; this site change me the way of seeing mobile world. Interested mainly on Windows Mobile platform.
I started with Universal which I had for almost 5 years, after that I got a Rhodium and a Maple and later a Leo.
I write most of my articles for that OS and also do active help on spam reporting, as well as welcoming new members
I do not consider myself as an expert, I am simply a regular member trying to help to they wayI do better to the first and only community I love so much
XDA!!
So, feel free to contact me if you think something of your work may go to our Front Page.
Come on!, don´t be shy
orb
Thanks guys, I love the way you are being updated without losing the essence.
Everything in xda is getting better.
I am ElCondor, and I'm from Holland. You might know me from the GTX Sense theme.
Back in February, I started this job as a news writer, because I wanted to be part of and contribute to the xda-developers community.
Since then, I started to love writing these articles, and my English improved drastically.
My articles are mostly Android or Windows Phone 7 related.
You can always contact me if you have any suggestions or special requests. Also if you have found something newsworthy, something other users may enjoy too, just let me or any other newswriter know.
Best regards,
ElCondor
XDA News Writer
Hi guys, I've been around since 2007 when I bought the HTC Touch, well things have moved on a lot since then, and I've tried my hand at developing for WM and Android (still learning), but wanted to contribute more by becoming a News Writer for XDA
I write mainly Android articles, and some Windows Mobile. We're always sifting through the masses of threads for front page news, but do let me or the other guys know if you think anything is newsworthy including any breaking news!
I guess I will add my little "intro" in here as well
I'm egzthunder1 and I am the Portal Administrator as well as a Senior Moderator. I have been a XDA member for a very, very long time... since July 2005 to be more precise. I have gone through many devices, starting out with a Wallaby (SX56) and kept on going afterwards with many other devices (Blue Angel, Wizard, Vogue, Raphael, Herman, Mogul, and ultimately HD2)... most of which I still own and are fully functional. I have helped many, many people throughout these years, despite my lack of development ability. A few months ago, I became a News Writer based on a suggestion by Flar (Retired Admin) to try to increase the flow of people to the site by creating a more dynamic front page of the website, with up to date content about everything XDA. Shortly after, I became Senior Moderator, and really shortly after, due to Flar's departure, I became Editor in Chief and Portal Administrator.
I would like to invite all of you (as I stated in my first post in this thread) to let us (the news writer team) know if you know of something that would be cool to have in the front page.
Looking forward to your input and thanks for supporting XDA!
Sincerely,
egzthunder1
Hi there!
I've been a member since 2008, when I got my Universal after having the Monet for some time. Although it was basic, the Monet forced me to get another Windows Mobile phone as I was instantly addicted to how much potential the operating system had - before then I could never really check emails, browse the internet or watch video without booting up my PC.
After the Universal came my much-adored Touch Pro, which I still use. I recently bought and fixed up a G1 so that I could branch out into the Android side of the site a little more, and I'm really enjoying tinkering with the system.
I wanted to become a news writer as I have always felt an urge to contribute to the community despite not having any technical knowledge (some of you might have seen me giving out dodgy advice around the forums ).
Having both phones should let me write articles about both Android and Windows Mobile, and I hope I can help if you want to get your story out on the front page.
Well done is better than well said.
Maybe something to expand on....
Found a website that analyzes the value of other sites.
What is the Website Value of XDA-Developers.com
It seems that xda-developers.com is being valued at $13.28 Million. With 1.66 Million Pages and with a World Wide rank of 1,806. Compared to that: Htc.com is only worth $12.66 Million Google is ranked 1 worth $8 Billion and Microsoft on rank 19 worth $1 Billion.
http://bizinformation.org/us/www.xda-developers.com
A little side note, my Blog only ranks at 1.4 Million and is only worth 7800.- For Obvious reasons.
Thanks for the information!
Not sure if we can write about that but I will find out
swiss420 said:
Found a website that analyzes the value of other sites.
What is the Website Value of XDA-Developers.com
It seems that xda-developers.com is being valued at $13.28 Million. With 1.66 Million Pages and with a World Wide rank of 1,806. Compared to that: Htc.com is only worth $12.66 Million Google is ranked 1 worth $8 Billion and Microsoft on rank 19 worth $1 Billion.
http://bizinformation.org/us/www.xda-developers.com
A little side note, my Blog only ranks at 1.4 Million and is only worth 7800.- For Obvious reasons.
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Website valuation sites are notorius for being crazily inaccurate when it comes to valuing Forum sites and Blogs. They tend to be based on assumptions about traffic, potential sales and ad clicks. Few Blogs and Forums sell much if anything and that just leaves ad clicks. Forums are very poor at generating ad clicks as Members tend to become completely blind to the ads and don't click them at all. Much of the traffic to blogs and forums is repeat traffic and they are even less likely to click on the ads (not to mention ad blockers). When was the last time you click an ad on here!?
Mike
mikechannon said:
Website valuation sites are notorius for being crazily inaccurate when it comes to valuing Forum sites and Blogs. They tend to be based on assumptions about traffic, potential sales and ad clicks. Few Blogs and Forums sell much if anything and that just leaves ad clicks. Forums are very poor at generating ad clicks as Members tend to become completely blind to the ads and don't click them at all. Much of the traffic to blogs and forums is repeat traffic and they are even less likely to click on the ads (not to mention ad blockers). When was the last time you click an ad on here!?
Mike
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Absolutly true, and I am sure I did not motivate anyone to sell xda-developers.com. But it is still a amusing evaluation. For me XDA-Developers.com has definetly much more continues value then htc.com but I guess one might not exist without the other. But regarding clicking adds I rather donate directly. But off course I donate to many different people not just XDA-Developers.com. Regarding the adds I wonder how much money they really generate? If they are useless I would not mind to see them gone. Dont worry I will donate something for saying that. lol
mikechannon said:
Website valuation sites are notorius for being crazily inaccurate when it comes to valuing Forum sites and Blogs. They tend to be based on assumptions about traffic, potential sales and ad clicks. Few Blogs and Forums sell much if anything and that just leaves ad clicks. Forums are very poor at generating ad clicks as Members tend to become completely blind to the ads and don't click them at all. Much of the traffic to blogs and forums is repeat traffic and they are even less likely to click on the ads (not to mention ad blockers). When was the last time you click an ad on here!?
Mike
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Wait, there are ads here?!?!?!?!
chrialex said:
Wait, there are ads here?!?!?!?!
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+1
'nuff said.
I love XDA, for not having those huge ugly pop up ads ! Now days some forums/portals have the ones which can't even be shut !
All hail XDA. It's worth can't be counted in millions or billions of dollars.
He he, in the mean it is:
The site is ranked 1,702 in United States.
price less knowledge!!
swiss420 said:
Found a website that analyzes the value of other sites.
What is the Website Value of XDA-Developers.com
It seems that xda-developers.com is being valued at $13.28 Million. With 1.66 Million Pages and with a World Wide rank of 1,806. Compared to that: Htc.com is only worth $12.66 Million Google is ranked 1 worth $8 Billion and Microsoft on rank 19 worth $1 Billion.
http://bizinformation.org/us/www.xda-developers.com
A little side note, my Blog only ranks at 1.4 Million and is only worth 7800.- For Obvious reasons.
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as the guy stated the websites are mostly rated by how many clicks and traffic they have from ads as well. I believe the knowledge that this site provides it's priceless. And because it is distributed free the value ranks it to one of the most important (if not the most important) website from celphone developers to the least know hows users. This website I consider it the Great Library of Alexandria!
nikoskavliaris said:
as the guy stated the websites are mostly rated by how many clicks and traffic they have from ads as well. I believe the knowledge that this site provides it's priceless. And because it is distributed free the value ranks it to one of the most important (if not the most important) website from celphone developers to the least know hows users. This website I consider it the Great Library of Alexandria!
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Completely agree!!
note, although im not listed on the main post by Ez iam a news writer maybe its cause im still a newbie
Captainkrtek said:
note, although im not listed on the main post by Ez iam a news writer maybe its cause im still a newbie
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Patience, you too will be on the front page.
Lol. So much to be on the front page
I've been a fan of this site for a long time. I don't post too much, but I have gained much information here. This site has been an invaluable part of my Android hobby. I own 5 Android phones and a Motorola Xoom tablet, and thanks to XDA they are all rooted with custom roms and I use each one confidently. This site is full of great information and helpful people.
However, as of late, XDA seems to be putting out a bad vibe to many of its users. I personally see this stemming from the fact that users are expecting far too much. Everyone feels entitled to everything, on their own terms. They make demands of developers that will benefit only themselves. Instead of helping new members find the info they are seeking, they'd rather berate and belittle them publicly. The act superior to anyone asking a question. And on and on(trying not to write a book here). I am watching as developers that have contributed so much be treated with little or no respect until they don't even want to be a part of XDA anymore. I am seeing new members being scared off by elitist, rude "veteran" members. Overall, more and more people are wanting to distance themselves from XDA.
We cannot blame the site admin or mods, though i do hope to see them push the site in a different direction soon. It is on our back, the users of XDA. We are XDA. We need to remember that the devs are doing what they do for free, and for Android as a whole, not us as individuals. What happened to the great sense of community with Android. IMO, that was one of the best aspects of being involved with Android. There is much more I could say, but I think the main points are made and you can fill in the blanks. I hope to see Android become a community again, where users help one another, don't expect everything to be tailored to them specifically, and share a bit of both gratitude and empathy.
I agree with you, but sadly I do not see Xda changing for the better anytime soon. Maybe not at all. The majority of the blame does lie with us, the users. But, the admin and mods must also take some of that blame, as they have allowed the current trend to continue as long as it has
sent using a black and Decker toaster oven and two wire coat hangers
abn75 said:
I agree with you, but sadly I do not see Xda changing for the better anytime soon. Maybe not at all. The majority of the blame does lie with us, the users. But, the admin and mods must also take some of that blame, as they have allowed the current trend to continue as long as it has
sent using a black and Decker toaster oven and two wire coat hangers
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Dude we get it, we understand your not happy, we are working on this so give us some time to work through the issues and quit berating us and maybe try helping us by offering solutions to the problems you see.
Ehh, what do you expect with family plans and children with phones? The smart phone demographic over the last 4 years has changed so dramatically. It's no longer just seen as a business tool, but rather the hip new gadget to have. So when you widen the scope and age of users the arrogance and lack of respect is increased and certainly magnified.
good day.
JimmyMcGee said:
Dude we get it, we understand your not happy, we are working on this so give us some time to work through the issues and quit berating us and maybe try helping us by offering solutions to the problems you see.
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Are you a mod or admin? I'm assuming so by the wording in your post. Noone was berating anyone, especially the mod/admins. I said they weren't to blame, and the poster below me said users are most responsible. This was a post to call attention to an issue, and try to get forum members back into a more community oriented manner, and to NOT react like you did by sounding angry, snide, and pointing fingers.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
chopper the dog said:
Ehh, what do you expect with family plans and children with phones? The smart phone demographic over the last 4 years has changed so dramatically. It's no longer just seen as a business tool, but rather the hip new gadget to have. So when you widen the scope and age of users the arrogance and lack of respect is increased and certainly magnified.
good day.
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Good point indeed.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
andr0id23 said:
Are you a mod or admin? I'm assuming so by the wording in your post. Noone was berating anyone, especially the mod/admins. I said they weren't to blame, and the poster below me said users are most responsible. This was a post to call attention to an issue, and try to get forum members back into a more community oriented manner, and to NOT react like you did by sounding angry, snide, and pointing fingers.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
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No Sir I appreciate your Post. abn has been complaining about our inaction for a while and we ARE looking to improve and it just gets a little old hearing the same complaint over and over when you are working to make this a Quality Forum everyone, including us, wants it to be. I do apologize for my perhaps over-reaction, but it is hard to be constantly beat up on. Yes, us Mods/Admins do deserve some blame. But we have recognized it and we are trying to resolve the issue.
We all just do our best.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
you need to consider that back in its earlier days, XDA was all about this lil' group of people with WinMo devices learning to rip their mobile OSes apart. as the site grew in size and popularity, more devs came in along with more end-users who feed upon the products of their kitchen. once the android explosion began, there was no other way around the fact that a multitude of users would flood in where as the number of devs coming in would be far smaller.
i still remember just over a year back when i got to cooking my own WinMo ROM the community was growing but there were still devs around where ever you looked ready to guide and help around but now that the site's more popular than ever people flock here expecting miracles and are not disappointed either. it's so addictive that you have to stick around for more. but sadly the number of devs don't grows as fast as their end-user counterparts. that's why you see this problem today. we need the newer member to be willing to learn on their own, being patient with the progress of other devs and most importantly...READING.
just my two cents.
Open tech forums are always ripe for attrition due to many reasons.
The question here is, do we cater to the users or do we cater to the developers? It's pretty obvious that without developers, XDA wouldn't be much of anything.
It's my opinion that the 'elitist' attitude which you speak of from the senior members is something that SHOULD be done, as their point is to protect the developers from being inundated with trivial questions and not detailed bug reports.
Kyphur, another XDA Moderator, had this to say back in 2008 (in a similar thread) when we were a bit smaller, and it still holds true:
kyphur said:
I think what a lot of people forget is that this is not a "make my phone neat & kewl" place.
As implied by the name this is technically a Developers forum/community.
Now what does that mean? Well first off it means that there is an expectation that if you are here then you want to customize your device but rather than just installing something that someone packaged you want to understand how it works and maybe even enhance it yourself.
When I first came here with a Blue Angel it was a different environment. PDA Phones were not embraced by the general public because of the expense and complexity (I paid over $400 for my BA). A $400 phone 4 years ago was expensive, today the Tilt is $300 after rebates but with inflation & the rise in the cost of other devices and the fact that there are other sources out there giving them away for $150 our neat bit of kit has become popular with mainstream users.
Now we have a flood of new users who are asking not "How can I do this myself" but more like "Give me the quick fix" without caring to understand the process. See if you read the threads then you get to experience the learning process, you see how the issues were investigated and confirmed. Then you get to watch the different attempts at resolution and learn why some failed while others worked. That is called Development.
The NooB backlash is coming from users who have walked in the development shoes and is directed mainly at those who don't care for the journey but just want the end result or destination.
As a Development Forum we are just as much (if not more) about the journey. I've read so many comments like "I don't have time to read all of the threads" or "I don't care how it works, just that it does". These very statements are contrary to the heart & soul of XDA-Devs and that is why the backlash is so strong.
Let me be very clear on this: IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE JOURNEY THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
XDA-Devs is about developers & hackers helping each other and working together to get the most out of our devices by understanding them better than most.
XDA-Devs is not about helping everyone who wants a "Kewl bit of kit" make their phone better than the guy next to him.
Now do we go kicking users off who never contribute anything, NO. We tolerate it to an extent. Where the toleration ends is when these users start diluting the usefulness of the forum by repeating the same questions over and over again.
You ask us to understand your position. Well if you want to benefit from our experience and time then I think it is only fair that you understand our position.
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I think that there are problems here at XDA that are there partially because of the rather loose rules we have set in place.
Sure, the internet, like most places in our society, is one that is supposed to promote freedom of speech. But there is a monumental difference between debating and being immature. A large proportion of the members here grown adults, but it really, really doesn't seem anything remotely close to that quite a lot of the time. Quite a lot of "you ****ing prick"s and the like being thrown about between members. Quite frankly, it's ridiculous, like a bunch of rather scummy 13 year olds.
Part of that does seem to come from the allowance of swearing on the forums; not saying don't swear, because believe me, I'm the last person who'd say that...but I don't on here, merely because it's not the swearing or inappropriate language itself that causes the problem, but the behaviour that naturally comes with it. Many forums are banning the discussion of provocative topics such as Mac vs. PC, iOS vs Android etc. Obviously, this being a mobile device forum, that can't be done here, but there needs to be some moderator control over that. All because people can't help but be immature about it...
That's the worst bit of it.
As for developer vs. end-user, just look at the market now, as well as what the developers here are doing. Smartphones are now more accesible, and the variety between the OSs at their core is much smaller than it used to be. The developers are working hard to make the process of rooting, jailbreaking, any kind of software modification easier for the more technically inept user.
Developers can't expect this forum to stay a developer community if they are going to make their creations so easy to use So experienced users need to accept that XDA has now moved away from being what it's used to be. They need to try and be accomodating to less technical users.
However, the biggest problem here now are probably newer users. They simply don't read or search. Answers are having to be repeated over and over again, even when everything is in the OP...many users need to spend time reading, and they'll realise that a lot of the answers aren't even technical; just a bit of common sense and logical thinking and you'll get the answers you'll need.
In a way, a simple way of post once, sticky once, force end users to read it, and we'll get somewhere.
A lot of good posts here. I tried to word my OP carefully as to not point fingers. Or at least not to lay blame on any one group of people. And I can't claim to know the whole story as while I own a handful of Android devices, that is only but a small part of this site as a whole. I don't come close to visiting all the forums. I really like XDA. From what I see, it is one of the rare sites where thread, where i frequent, often stay on topic. This is due in part to the mods, and in part to the users directing newer members by telling them this isn't the right place to post, linking to an appropriate thread, or just giving a quick answer. However, it's when people start getting angry and calling other people out for not knowing something, being rude, blah blah blah, that I am seeing more of. If all someone has to say is "use the fu**ing search", or "wrong spot noob", there is really no reason to post anything at all. That isn't helping anyone. There are better ways of going about it.
And I think we all have to admit, the days of only the more technical users rooting and modding are coming to an end. Devs are making it easier, one click methods are popping up all over the place, everything is automated, etc. People no long need to learn what is going on when they root their devices. While I enjoy having that knowledge and using the abd method of rooting when there is a one click available, others certainly will not, and they often don't need to. Maybe this isn't the best decision in many of our eyes, but tt is a reality now. More and more people are hacking/modding/rooting every day, and many of them have not even used a command line. I mean hell, there is even an "adb for dummies program" that will install and set up adb for you in one click now!
Again, not point fingers, but I am saddened to see so many people arguing, so many snide, rude responses, people being so demanding and self-serving, and devs leaving the site. I realize that the site is bigger than ever, and that mods do this for free and don't want to waste time being "rudeness police". I don't have all the answers, just something Ive noticed for awhile now. Glad to hear the mods are working on it as well as they can. I know they don't want to see developers leaving. Let's face it, some of these developers have quite a following! Also, sorry they have to hear the same complaints over and over again, but, as I said, I'm glad they are looking into it(if there is even anything that can be done, and I thanks the mods, admin, devs, and users for making this such a great place to learn and share!
I am one million percent in agreement with this topic, but I think the blame is not xda per se... Now, this is MY OPINION, but the problem is as mentioned before, our current society... I said something similar on aamikam's MikG thread on the Evo forum, this is the result of the 21st century, where technology has made mankind do anything anywhere anytime with only a click, and the kids and teens of today are raised in this world of now, so is in their nature to have that state of mind, "I want this now"; and I know this is not all the world, but in general, this is the new way of life on this century, the age of now...
We can also blame the new parents of this era, the average parent now is in their mid 20s to 30s, low 40s and in general, are allowing their kids more privileges and liberties than they had just because "at your age I couldn't do it, but I'll let you do it, not like your grandpas who didn't allowed me do anything at all" and so on and so forth...
Anyway, just wanted to say something about this, good nite all..!