Related
At least one post in 90% of threads here have a question in them, so why aren't they all moved to the Q And A threads? Forums are discussions of opinions and questions for each other to talk about.
If one thread is going to be moved that (imo) is not a question, then why aren't all the others? tbh, it annoys me, and i think the moderation here is a little too heavy handed.
Agreed... and to add another question why do some devices have a Q&A sub-section and some not? Seems inconsistent. Anyway the forums are hard to navigate anyway (too many sub-sections, outdated stickies, too many "READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST"-threads etc..). I guess at least the Q&A part could be merged with 'General' of every forum. Also Accessoires & Wallpapers/Themes get an extra sub-section? I'd lump everything together and make just two per device (General/Dev).
Oh and don't take this as "This is how you run a forum " - just my humble opinion
Ok. When a device general forum gets over 10,000 posts, or 1000 threads, it gets a Q&A section.
General vs dev only would result in even more junk in both to be fair...
I reckon at present there is a good balance as almost everything is consistent across the site. Go to HTC G1. It has, by and large, the same layout as all other sections.regarding outdated stickies, contact the mod for the relevant section by pm and point it out.
Regarding questions being moved, we can only move what we know about or see... So drop the mod for the section a PM with the threads.
MarkusPO said:
At least one post in 90% of threads here have a question in them, so why aren't they all moved to the Q And A threads? Forums are discussions of opinions and questions for each other to talk about.
If one thread is going to be moved that (imo) is not a question, then why aren't all the others? tbh, it annoys me, and i think the moderation here is a little too heavy handed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heavy handed? Howso??? Feel free to PM if you want.
Typically, the original post in a thread defines the rest of the thread. If it is a question, then evidently the correct place is Q&A. I don't really see any way to argue with that to be fair.
Regarding a question that emerges later on in a thread, perhaps a move is not needed. For example, are you suggesting a ROM thread should be moved because someone asked a question?
As before, the reason some things get moved and others don't is because we are not aware of them. The report post feature, and pm to the section mod, are both essential in letting us know what is going on.
Finally, XDA is a development site first and foremost, so keeping questions clear of development areas is a pretty high priority. People spamming the dev areas with pointless and basic questions annoy everyone, and just bury the content we are all here to see (ROMs and tweaks)
pulser_g2 said:
Heavy handed? Howso??? Feel free to PM if you want.
Typically, the original post in a thread defines the rest of the thread. If it is a question, then evidently the correct place is Q&A. I don't really see any way to argue with that to be fair.
Regarding a question that emerges later on in a thread, perhaps a move is not needed. For example, are you suggesting a ROM thread should be moved because someone asked a question?
As before, the reason some things get moved and others don't is because we are not aware of them. The report post feature, and pm to the section mod, are both essential in letting us know what is going on.
Finally, XDA is a development site first and foremost, so keeping questions clear of development areas is a pretty high priority. People spamming the dev areas with pointless and basic questions annoy everyone, and just bury the content we are all here to see (ROMs and tweaks)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. My time here has been fairly short I know, but I'm not new to forums of course, and this is my experience thus far:
a thread that wasn't a question, but was about speculation for a nexus tablet was merged into the 'what phone / tablet should i buy next' thread. wtf.
other threads have been merged into semi-related, but not completely related threads. wtf.
i see sticky threads for newbies about development in - for example - the nexus s general on how to root / mod etc. wtf.
i know it's a fine balance between heavy-handedness to try to enforce an overall tidy forum vs user intuition and the chaoticness that is the weird and wacky thoughts of people.
imho this processing of my threads annoys me, and i'm sure it does other people too. if it drives people away, then that's bad for advertisement revenue. as long as threads are in the sort-of-right forum, then so-what. i for one tend to browse all the forums for a particular phone. so i'm going to reply if something catches my attention.
though, i do like the concept of having an accessories forum, dev forum, and general forum. i don't think a q+a forum is needed, ie. if i were to ask "does the otterbox commuter have this feature as a thread starter" where should it go? naturally the accessories forum, but it's a question... if i were after information about accessories, i'd head to the accessories forum as i may have the same question.
forums thrive on questions and answers. moving some questions to a q+a forum, and appearing to turn a blind eye to others just doesn't make sense. yes, so you miss some, but visitors don't know what you miss, and what you leave.
i'm thinking maybe test out a slightly looser mod regime for a while and allow related questions in the forums.
MarkusPO said:
Thanks for the response. My time here has been fairly short I know, but I'm not new to forums of course, and this is my experience thus far:
a thread that wasn't a question, but was about speculation for a nexus tablet was merged into the 'what phone / tablet should i buy next' thread. wtf.
I will look into this. Sounds strange.
other threads have been merged into semi-related, but not completely related threads. wtf.
i see sticky threads for newbies about development in - for example - the nexus s general on how to root / mod etc. wtf.
Those threads are pertaining to development, as without a way to root/hack the device, nobody can really develop for it. That's basically the way it's been for ages, so that's unlikely to change.
i know it's a fine balance between heavy-handedness to try to enforce an overall tidy forum vs user intuition and the chaoticness that is the weird and wacky thoughts of people.
You are right, it's hard on occasion to strike a balance, but to be honest, you have no idea what kinds of trolls we get here Most of the time we can sweep away the awful stuff before people see it...
imho this processing of my threads annoys me, and i'm sure it does other people too. if it drives people away, then that's bad for advertisement revenue. as long as threads are in the sort-of-right forum, then so-what. i for one tend to browse all the forums for a particular phone. so i'm going to reply if something catches my attention.
Fair point, but we have about 600,000 threads I can assure you we won't be cutting the number of forums per device, as that would make things unmanageable. Regarding the "right sort of forum", will address next. The trouble is that when I want to find some hack or tweak, I go to development. I don't expect to hunt through 200 pages of "I NEED HALLLLLLLLLLLP PLEEEEEEEEEEEZ NAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KTHX" just to find a buried "[Mod] Trackball Wake source edit" or whatever...
though, i do like the concept of having an accessories forum, dev forum, and general forum. i don't think a q+a forum is needed, ie. if i were to ask "does the otterbox commuter have this feature as a thread starter" where should it go?
That would go in accessories. To be honest the Q&A is actually for beginner device questions moreso than that. I do see your point here, but I think you are misunderstanding the idea for the Device Q&A forum. If you want to ask "how do I flash a ROM on SPL v0.1", then Q&A is the place to go If you are more asking about a theme, then themes & apps is the place to ask it (provided it's about one of the existing themes and you can post in the existing thread). Regarding development forum, the idea there is that ONLY roms and other hacks go there, or discussions about achieving them. Essentially, anything not development related should be in general ("I like this device, do you?", "Is your screen darker at the bottom than top"? etc...), and the questions about ROMs etc in Q&A...
naturally the accessories forum, but it's a question... if i were after information about accessories, i'd head to the accessories forum as i may have the same question.
It would belong to the accessories forum. As above, Q&A is for device/ROM questions.
forums thrive on questions and answers. moving some questions to a q+a forum, and appearing to turn a blind eye to others just doesn't make sense. yes, so you miss some, but visitors don't know what you miss, and what you leave.
Interesting... You got any such examples? It would not be normal to move a question thread from a forum other than development, in my experience, so if there's an example, I'd love to see it. If you mean moving questions from development, that's not something we're likely to change, as it drives away the developers and hackers who make the ROMs you use
There shouldn't be any "blind eye turning", though if something is borderline or in doubt, it wouldn't usually be moved.
i'm thinking maybe test out a slightly looser mod regime for a while and allow related questions in the forums.
Other than the development forums (they're not going to change- we're having to add restrictions in there as well like postcount to stop spam and junk), that should be the way it is... Please PM me any examples you see, as I'd be keen to follow them up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answers inline.
P
In this thread we will provide a short Q&A for your stay on this forum. Please read thoroughly and act accordingly.
While most that is needed to know is pointed out in the forum rules, history shows that some points of these rules are not clearly understood by some users and others leave room for interpretation. With these Q&A we give you some additional guidelines how the forum for this device is moderated.
Who are the moderators for this forum?
The team leaders for HTC International team are Judge Joseph Dredd and O_G
Moderators are: Andy, ceesheim, coal686, KidCarter93, LenAsh, pandaball, Stephen, wildstang83
How do I contact the moderating crew?
While you are free to contact all of us via PM, for moderating purposes it is much more advisable to use report system. If you do that, your request reaches ALL moderators thus multiplying the chance for fast reaction to your request. If you PM a moderator, he does not know whether you have contacted others also and therefore it is possible that your request is handled by different moderators, overruling the others. In report system the ticket system avoids that. Therefore please always use report system.
Where do I post my thread/issue/question?
This is a very important decision and decides not only whether you achieve the goal you intend with your thread/post, but also whether it might be regarded off-topic/not allowed and therefore be removed. So here is a list to help you decide where to put your thread (or maybe to not post it at all).General section
What goes here
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in Q&A)
General information about the device
Tips and Tricks
Every general discussion about technical aspects of device
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
[*]Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above) In regards to best ROM threads and device comparison threads, we will be allowing these kinds of discussions from now on. As always, the forum rules apply so that means no trolling/arguing etc. will be accepted.
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
"Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other Questions (belong in Q&A)
Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
What goes here:
All device/rom/kernel/mods/themes related questions and the corresponding answers
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in General)
What does not go here
see General section
Accessories
What goes here:
All discussions related to hardware accessories to this phone
Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN development (roms, kernels, recoveries and flashable mods, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Original Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN original development (self compiled roms, kernels and recoveries, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Developer Discussion [Developers Only] (only on devices where available)
What goes here:
ONLY high level discussions between developers. (Exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Absolutely everything else!!
Themes and Apps
What goes here:
All discussions related to theming and applications (self made and others) for this phone
Not allowed in ANY section (and also not in signatures):
everything prohibited by above linked forum rules
specified or implied off-topic threads
Discussion of / Linking to work of developers that are banned from xda. If they are banned, so is their work.
political/religious statements of any kind
Where can I post things that are not allowed in Device Forum ?
You might want to have a look in General forums like:
General Discussion
Off-Topic Section
Android Development and Hacking
What do I do when I do not understand a moderators decision?
Please feel free to contact the moderator via PM to get his decision explained. If that does not satisfy you, contact the team-leader.
DO NOT, however, discuss any moderating issues in forum. This will always be regarded off-topic (which it actually is).
Now let's all have fun on this forum and help together to make xda a place where users can gather useful information instead of sipping through knee deep piles of unorganized rubbish
regards
your moderating team for HTC International devices
In this thread we will provide a short Q&A for your stay on this forum. Please read thoroughly and act accordingly.
While most that is needed to know is pointed out in the forum rules, history shows that some points of these rules are not clearly understood by some users and others leave room for interpretation. With these Q&A we give you some additional guidelines how the forum for this device is moderated.
Who are the moderators for this forum?
The team leaders for HTC International team are Judge Joseph Dredd and O_G
Moderators are: Andy, ceesheim, coal686, KidCarter93, LenAsh, pandaball, Stephen, wildstang83
How do I contact the moderating crew?
While you are free to contact all of us via PM, for moderating purposes it is much more advisable to use report system. If you do that, your request reaches ALL moderators thus multiplying the chance for fast reaction to your request. If you PM a moderator, he does not know whether you have contacted others also and therefore it is possible that your request is handled by different moderators, overruling the others. In report system the ticket system avoids that. Therefore please always use report system.
Where do I post my thread/issue/question?
This is a very important decision and decides not only whether you achieve the goal you intend with your thread/post, but also whether it might be regarded off-topic/not allowed and therefore be removed. So here is a list to help you decide where to put your thread (or maybe to not post it at all).General section
What goes here
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in Q&A)
General information about the device
Tips and Tricks
Every general discussion about technical aspects of device
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
[*]Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above) In regards to best ROM threads and device comparison threads, we will be allowing these kinds of discussions from now on. As always, the forum rules apply so that means no trolling/arguing etc. will be accepted.
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
"Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other Questions (belong in Q&A)
Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
What goes here:
All device/rom/kernel/mods/themes related questions and the corresponding answers
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in General)
What does not go here
see General section
Accessories
What goes here:
All discussions related to hardware accessories to this phone
Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN development (roms, kernels, recoveries and flashable mods, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Original Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN original development (self compiled roms, kernels and recoveries, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Developer Discussion [Developers Only] (only on devices where available)
What goes here:
ONLY high level discussions between developers. (Exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Absolutely everything else!!
Themes and Apps
What goes here:
All discussions related to theming and applications (self made and others) for this phone
Not allowed in ANY section (and also not in signatures):
everything prohibited by above linked forum rules
specified or implied off-topic threads
Discussion of / Linking to work of developers that are banned from xda. If they are banned, so is their work.
political/religious statements of any kind
Where can I post things that are not allowed in Device Forum ?
You might want to have a look in General forums like:
General Discussion
Off-Topic Section
Android Development and Hacking
What do I do when I do not understand a moderators decision?
Please feel free to contact the moderator via PM to get his decision explained. If that does not satisfy you, contact the team-leader.
DO NOT, however, discuss any moderating issues in forum. This will always be regarded off-topic (which it actually is).
Now let's all have fun on this forum and help together to make xda a place where users can gather useful information instead of sipping through knee deep piles of unorganized rubbish
regards
your moderating team for HTC International devices
In this thread we will provide a short Q&A for your stay on this forum. Please read thoroughly and act accordingly.
While most that is needed to know is pointed out in the forum rules, history shows that some points of these rules are not clearly understood by some users and others leave room for interpretation. With these Q&A we give you some additional guidelines how the forum for this device is moderated.
Who are the moderators for this forum?
The team leaders for HTC International team are Judge Joseph Dredd and O_G
Moderators are: Andy, ceesheim, coal686, KidCarter93, LenAsh, pandaball, Stephen, wildstang83
How do I contact the moderating crew?
While you are free to contact all of us via PM, for moderating purposes it is much more advisable to use report system. If you do that, your request reaches ALL moderators thus multiplying the chance for fast reaction to your request. If you PM a moderator, he does not know whether you have contacted others also and therefore it is possible that your request is handled by different moderators, overruling the others. In report system the ticket system avoids that. Therefore please always use report system.
Where do I post my thread/issue/question?
This is a very important decision and decides not only whether you achieve the goal you intend with your thread/post, but also whether it might be regarded off-topic/not allowed and therefore be removed. So here is a list to help you decide where to put your thread (or maybe to not post it at all).General section
What goes here
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in Q&A)
General information about the device
Tips and Tricks
Every general discussion about technical aspects of device
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
[*]Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above) In regards to best ROM threads and device comparison threads, we will be allowing these kinds of discussions from now on. As always, the forum rules apply so that means no trolling/arguing etc. will be accepted.
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
"Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other Questions (belong in Q&A)
Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
What goes here:
All device/rom/kernel/mods/themes related questions and the corresponding answers
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in General)
What does not go here
see General section
Accessories
What goes here:
All discussions related to hardware accessories to this phone
Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN development (roms, kernels, recoveries and flashable mods, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Original Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN original development (self compiled roms, kernels and recoveries, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Developer Discussion [Developers Only] (only on devices where available)
What goes here:
ONLY high level discussions between developers. (Exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Absolutely everything else!!
Themes and Apps
What goes here:
All discussions related to theming and applications (self made and others) for this phone
Not allowed in ANY section (and also not in signatures):
everything prohibited by above linked forum rules
specified or implied off-topic threads
Discussion of / Linking to work of developers that are banned from xda. If they are banned, so is their work.
political/religious statements of any kind
Where can I post things that are not allowed in Device Forum ?
You might want to have a look in General forums like:
General Discussion
Off-Topic Section
Android Development and Hacking
What do I do when I do not understand a moderators decision?
Please feel free to contact the moderator via PM to get his decision explained. If that does not satisfy you, contact the team-leader.
DO NOT, however, discuss any moderating issues in forum. This will always be regarded off-topic (which it actually is).
Now let's all have fun on this forum and help together to make xda a place where users can gather useful information instead of sipping through knee deep piles of unorganized rubbish
regards
your moderating team for HTC International devices
In this thread we will provide a short Q&A for your stay on this forum. Please read thoroughly and act accordingly.
While most that is needed to know is pointed out in the forum rules, history shows that some points of these rules are not clearly understood by some users and others leave room for interpretation. With these Q&A we give you some additional guidelines how the forum for this device is moderated.
Who are the moderators for this forum?
The team leaders for HTC International team are Judge Joseph Dredd and O_G
Moderators are: Andy, ceesheim, coal686, KidCarter93, LenAsh, pandaball, Stephen, wildstang83
How do I contact the moderating crew?
While you are free to contact all of us via PM, for moderating purposes it is much more advisable to use report system. If you do that, your request reaches ALL moderators thus multiplying the chance for fast reaction to your request. If you PM a moderator, he does not know whether you have contacted others also and therefore it is possible that your request is handled by different moderators, overruling the others. In report system the ticket system avoids that. Therefore please always use report system.
Where do I post my thread/issue/question?
This is a very important decision and decides not only whether you achieve the goal you intend with your thread/post, but also whether it might be regarded off-topic/not allowed and therefore be removed. So here is a list to help you decide where to put your thread (or maybe to not post it at all).General section
What goes here
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in Q&A)
General information about the device
Tips and Tricks
Every general discussion about technical aspects of device
What does not go here (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not tolerated)
Everything prohibited by above linked forum rules.
"Whis is the best rom for this device", "Is this rom better than that" (always subjective, prone to fanboy wars)
[*]Device comparison threads "Which is better: iphone or this phone" (see above) In regards to best ROM threads and device comparison threads, we will be allowing these kinds of discussions from now on. As always, the forum rules apply so that means no trolling/arguing etc. will be accepted.
"What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-Topic to this phone, post that in OT-Forum)
"Hello"/"Goodbye"/"Merry Christmas,Easter,Hannukkah, whatever" (Obviously OT, just imagine every user posts that)
"I'll never buy HTC again", "Why HTC/Samsung/whoever sucks" and all other "hate"-threads (Tell that those guys, not us)
"Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other Questions (belong in Q&A)
Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
What goes here:
All device/rom/kernel/mods/themes related questions and the corresponding answers
Guides, Collections, Tutorials (can also be posted in General)
What does not go here
see General section
Accessories
What goes here:
All discussions related to hardware accessories to this phone
Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN development (roms, kernels, recoveries and flashable mods, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Original Android Development
What goes here:
All discussions related to YOUR OWN original development (self compiled roms, kernels and recoveries, exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Any Questions!!!
Developer Discussion [Developers Only] (only on devices where available)
What goes here:
ONLY high level discussions between developers. (Exact rules for creating a thread there see in stickies of that section)
What does not go here:
Absolutely everything else!!
Themes and Apps
What goes here:
All discussions related to theming and applications (self made and others) for this phone
Not allowed in ANY section (and also not in signatures):
everything prohibited by above linked forum rules
specified or implied off-topic threads
Discussion of / Linking to work of developers that are banned from xda. If they are banned, so is their work.
political/religious statements of any kind
Where can I post things that are not allowed in Device Forum ?
You might want to have a look in General forums like:
General Discussion
Off-Topic Section
Android Development and Hacking
What do I do when I do not understand a moderators decision?
Please feel free to contact the moderator via PM to get his decision explained. If that does not satisfy you, contact the team-leader.
DO NOT, however, discuss any moderating issues in forum. This will always be regarded off-topic (which it actually is).
Now let's all have fun on this forum and help together to make xda a place where users can gather useful information instead of sipping through knee deep piles of unorganized rubbish
regards
your moderating team for HTC International devices