What is going on with the moderation in the Dream forums? I have been coming here for quite a few years now, though more reading than posting I grant. I have never seen such lock happy moderation before though.
In the past on the other subforums locking a thread was fairly rare and moderation more in tune with keeping it civil than anything. Moderators kept the peace but left topics and threads to being mostly self-governing. Occasionally a thread would get moved to off topic or the rebellious user warned but nothing like this. About a dozen threads in the last week, six in the last two days alone.
It seems any thread that the moderators feel is a repeat or not needed is locked. There is no warning or explanation by the moderators, just a lock. Instead of educating the user, search first with a link to what the user should have looked for as an example, the discussion is left in limbo. This is making the forum more of a moderated police state than a area for open conversation on topics. This detracts from the ability to have open discussions and the enjoyment of trying to help others.
So I am asking the moderators to please show restraint and give the posters more leeway. There is no need to lock every thread that is a repeat or could have been solved by a search. The threads will go off the front page in due time, locking them simply is not constructive more often than not. If you absolutely must lock it then at least put a post at the end with a reason.
I am not active in the Dream forum, but I will add my thoughts here.
Certain sections of XDA's forums are subject to stricter moderation then others due to the sheer volume of active members in them. For example, the Raphael has seen a US release on all three nationwide carriers, whereas the prior models only saw release on one carrier. This led to more people buying the Raphael, and a large influx of members in the related forums. Due to that influx, we moderators needed to step up our monitoring of those forums in order to keeping them as clean and concise as possible.
This same example applies to the Dream due to it being the first Android phone released.
While I agree with you that a moderator should always leave a quick note as the final post in a closed thread, I also support closing down redundant threads in order to help keep all relevant information in an existing thread; not spread across 5 or 6 different ones.
So I am asking the moderators to please show restraint and give the posters more leeway. There is no need to lock every thread that is a repeat or could have been solved by a search. The threads will go off the front page in due time, locking them simply is not constructive more often than not. If you absolutely must lock it then at least put a post at the end with a reason.
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NotATreoFan said:
While I agree with you that a moderator should always leave a quick note as the final post in a closed thread, I also support closing down redundant threads in order to help keep all relevant information in an existing thread; not spread across 5 or 6 different ones.
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Just thought I would add my two cents in here ( like anyone cares ) because I too have been irritated once or twice by over zealous moderation. Once by a moderator from the Dream forum who came over to the Kaiser forum to delete a whole conversation, because he " thought " we were getting too heated in our debate over M$ supposed actions . There was no flamebaiting, He just thought.
And several times by threads ( not mine ) that were closed without warning or stated reason. I know this is a huge site with a lot of heavy traffic and the Mods are " overworked and under paid " . I also realize that Mods are from around the world, and Moderation style is subject to differing personalities, social and interpersonal customs from different countries. But common courtesy is universal. While many people don't deserve it, please take the time to include a note on why, the thread requires moderation. If you don't have the time , then maybe you should pass the job on to someone who can take the time.
Also in my 1 1/2 years on this site, ( six mo lurking and 1 yr member ) I have PM'd three mods, asking them to please explain their actions in moderating a thread I was posting in, and in all three cases, received nothing, not even an acknowledgement.
This is not a criticism, just my two cents, should someone read this. I have my favorite mods, (natf is one ) Dave and Josh are excellent in the Kaiser forums, mostly because they adhere to the basic tenet, " Moderation in Moderation. "
mikechannon said:
I realise you are being modest there, and the truth is we do care what members think and voicing concern in a calm fashion is appreciated and this kind of feedback is what moderates the Moderators. This is what makes us a community and avoids an "us and them" situation developing.
I don't have anything of value to add to NotATreoFan's comments which match my own feelings on the matter and IMHO reflect the kind of balance we need between being tolerant, courteous and yet maintaining a degree of organisation.
Mike
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Thanks for taking that in the context that it was meant, I know that Admin and Mods do care what membership thinks.
denco7 said:
Thanks for taking that in the context that it was meant, I know that Admin and Mods do care what membership thinks.
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AND they are simply men and women They could make mistakes, they act differently in the same situation. Suggestions and opinions are always welcome!
i reckon there should be a new button next to the report post button that serves as an appeal button if someone thinks that a tread has been closed for no reason the the button should allow for appeal. a box is filled n explaining the thread and why there was no reason to delete it this is then pmd to the closer of the thread then negotaiations will start
Please do not take my original post too harshly. I do appreciate the mods here on XDA-developers and think that they do a great job. But at the same time when the mods get a little over zealous this seemed the best way to bring up my protest. (I could not PM the moderator in question because I do not know who was closing the threads.)
So thanks again for making this a great place to come back to over the years and keep up the good work.
JanetPanic said:
What is going on with the moderation in the Dream forums? I have been coming here for quite a few years now, though more reading than posting I grant. I have never seen such lock happy moderation before though.
In the past on the other subforums locking a thread was fairly rare and moderation more in tune with keeping it civil than anything. Moderators kept the peace but left topics and threads to being mostly self-governing. Occasionally a thread would get moved to off topic or the rebellious user warned but nothing like this. About a dozen threads in the last week, six in the last two days alone.
It seems any thread that the moderators feel is a repeat or not needed is locked. There is no warning or explanation by the moderators, just a lock. Instead of educating the user, search first with a link to what the user should have looked for as an example, the discussion is left in limbo. This is making the forum more of a moderated police state than a area for open conversation on topics. This detracts from the ability to have open discussions and the enjoyment of trying to help others.
So I am asking the moderators to please show restraint and give the posters more leeway. There is no need to lock every thread that is a repeat or could have been solved by a search. The threads will go off the front page in due time, locking them simply is not constructive more often than not. If you absolutely must lock it then at least put a post at the end with a reason.
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If you ask me there aren't enough locked threads in the dream section. There are over 80 different threads for the new haykuro build there, 80!!! Probably more because i stopped counting at page 20. I also might add that the main haykuro thread has over 6000 posts and counting. The dream section is out of control and needs serious moderator intervention. One moderator simply cannot do all this himself. I know the dream mod, or at least the only active mod there that i can see and he is excellent at not only helping people but moderating in general. Let a thread be self governed? That's a very scary though!!! I am a moderator at another site and i can say it is not a moderators job to be a friend, be respectful or give you an explaination as to why he or she did what they did. Yes i do give an explaination and most mods on here do as well but they are here to maintain the rules of the forum and the upkeep of the forum in general. If threads were locked its more than likely because you or others got off topic, double posted or started a new thread when another about the exact same thing already existed. Case in point, there is a section for members to post questions to mods about anything already and you opened a new thread on the subject.
Ha I couldn't agree MORE with Ryanmo. There should be tighter and more rigid controls there. In fact I don't think it's (currently) possible for there to be moderation there at the moment...too many new bodies added to the fray. And we all know most of them are not reading the Sticky posted at top saying "Must read before you post". I don't have any problem with xda mods enacting 1-3 day temp bans on some of the frequent offenders.
knight4linux said:
Ha I couldn't agree MORE with Ryanmo. There should be tighter and more rigid controls there. In fact I don't think it's (currently) possible for there to be moderation there at the moment...too many new bodies added to the fray. And we all know most of them are not reading the Sticky posted at top saying "Must read before you post". I don't have any problem with xda mods enacting 1-3 day temp bans on some of the frequent offenders.
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Haha yeah the sticky at the top about the rules says a little over 23,000 views. The hacking thread has been viewed over 300,000 times, go figure. I probably report 15 posts a day to try and help but your right its outta control.
Hello Friends,
Well i have seen these site and i am quite surprise here that though more reading than posting I grant. I have never seen such lock happy moderation before though.As i am not a active member but ya i will add my though if any and will discuss So I am asking the moderators to please show restraint and give the posters more leeway. There is no need to lock every thread that is a repeat or could have been solved by a search. The threads will go off the front page in due time, locking them simply is not constructive more often than not. If you absolutely must lock it then at least put a post at the end with a reason. Thanx
can someone please unlock this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=429808&page=22
It is not that rules and regulations are not in place in this site. They are posted all over the place. In fact, if you look at my sig, I have them there as a hyperlink (many other members do the same). Why do threads and posts get locked, moved, or otherwise deleted left and right? It is because lots of users (particularly new ones but seasoned users also) do not read these rules. They do not know that they should search before posting or opening new threads; they do not know that there are sections to ask questions that are not relevant to the section they posted at; they do not know that profanity shouldn't be used around here due to a large young crowd; they do not know that flaming (particularly for no apparent reason) is strictly prohibited....
Moderators have little time to be messing around with people who simply do not understand that there are rules that must be followed (or read for that matter). Hence, they close the threads with no previous notice and at times, leave no excuse behind. They don't do it out of the content of their hearts, and they are definitely not watching over every single thread at all times. If you see a thread being closed, it is normally due to someone complaining about it, and more often than not, mods will analyze the trend of the thread and if necessary either warn users to stop, or just flat out close it (normally they warn unless the thread itself is breaking the rules... think of posting warez for instance).
I have yet to see abuse of power by a mod in this forum. And I am pretty sure that if there happens to be a mod that does abuse his/her God-given powers.... let's just say that they will be judged by a higher power
My 2 cents!
Although some moderators try and go out of their way to leave a message as to why they lock a thread, that is not their job. Our job is to make sure people are following the rules.
Here is a little scenario, i log on at night and jump over to the D&H section.... there i find 10 new threads asking questions.
A) I can delete the threads
B) I can close the threads by simply going through and checking every thread and then closing.
C) i can individually open each thread and leave a message for each person
D) i can wait for another moderator to do it
E) move the thread for them
Well i cant delete them or people will think their thread never got posted and just post it AGAIN. If you move peoples threads for them they think they can post anywhere and it will just be moved where it needs to go. I dont have time to open every thread and leave a message for every person everytime, and if i leave it for another moderator, it might not get done.
Really i am only left with checking all of the threads and closing them. if you have a question you can READ the rules, as it is your resonsibilty as a member, and find the answer. (Or of course you can pm a mod)
You guys have to remember that there are over 1,537,526 members on this site and around 66 mods and admin. We do our best to help you guys but we dont always have the time to write a personal letter for everyone of your and put it in you lunch box.
I agree (not that it matters). Mods have absolutely NO responsibility to post why they closed a thread...Why? Because they already are posted...in the rules up top. Its you, the new users that have the resposibility. That responsibility to read the rules before you post (RTFM). It even says at the bottom (of the rules) what will happen if they are not followed.
And by allowing multiple threads of the SAME simple questions (Especially in a phones development section) this completely ruins development and progress, not to mention this is a free and public forum. That means its hosted on servers, and these duplicate threads/posts start to add up.
Trust me. Frequent the forums for more than a few months and it'll start to wear on you too, almost as much as it does to the mods.
UPDATE:
As of late, there seems to be a lot of issues with the dream section, many many topics on bricked phones, new OS releases, old releases, random topics, and other posts. The title of the forum is Dream android 'development', and its actually hard now to find 'development' scattered in many of the different types of topics in there.
SUGGESTION/RECOMMENDATION:
Make a sub-forum of the development forum (or of the whole dream forum like the current 5 main sub-forums), named something like troubleshooting, or repair, or something like that. That way, anyone with a broken phone can post in there maybe. It might be a bad suggestion simply because the 'helpers' may not check there...but I cant think of a better way to keep the 5 different topics a day saying "I have a different brick problem" organized so actual development [important] topics can stay up top, where they should be.
Anyone with a better idea, express it so something can be done, its quite a mess right now.
[Oh and maybe a description under the android dev. forum something in capital letters saying: be careful, and read everything before taking action!!!, because I think some people end up with bricks because of anticipation and possibly dont read. Just as a [duh] advisory, ya know?]
/rant
Thanks [btw not bashing the mods, its just a bit hectic it seems right now, many things going on there]
theslam08 said:
UPDATE:
As of late, there seems to be a lot of issues with the dream section, many many topics on bricked phones, new OS releases, old releases, random topics, and other posts. The title of the forum is Dream android 'development', and its actually hard now to find 'development' scattered in many of the different types of topics in there.
SUGGESTION/RECOMMENDATION:
Make a sub-forum of the development forum (or of the whole dream forum like the current 5 main sub-forums), named something like troubleshooting, or repair, or something like that. That way, anyone with a broken phone can post in there maybe. It might be a bad suggestion simply because the 'helpers' may not check there...but I cant think of a better way to keep the 5 different topics a day saying "I have a different brick problem" organized so actual development [important] topics can stay up top, where they should be.
Anyone with a better idea, express it so something can be done, its quite a mess right now.
[Oh and maybe a description under the android dev. forum something in capital letters saying: be careful, and read everything before taking action!!!, because I think some people end up with bricks because of anticipation and possibly dont read. Just as a [duh] advisory, ya know?]
/rant
Thanks [btw not bashing the mods, its just a bit hectic it seems right now, many things going on there]
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That has been added as a suggestion and I will push for it again in the mod section.
BTW I am a Dream mod and I am usually the one that closes threads or deletes them. I don't always leave a message because it is more time consuming. I can have an unclean section with everyone getting a response and therefore getting their locked post bumped. Or I can have a cleaner (it will never be clean) section with angry users who didn't search in the first place.
I chose the later by the way.
neoobs said:
That has been added as a suggestion and I will push for it again in the mod section.
BTW I am a Dream mod and I am usually the one that closes threads or deletes them. I don't always leave a message because it is more time consuming. I can have an unclean section with everyone getting a response and therefore getting their locked post bumped. Or I can have a cleaner (it will never be clean) section with angry users who didn't search in the first place.
I chose the later by the way.
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Mhm, and you do what you can, I notice somethings being done by you, which is good that something is being done. I used to mod/administrate big places so I know what its like, its a pain when people cant search, or arent sure of where to post so they post anywhere (sometimes in the effort of 'just getting an answer').
This causes the clutter, especially when there are multiple 'different but very similar' type topics being created, and its tricky to know which to close and which not to close. Thats why I think maybe a separate forum 'might' be the best solution, because as of right now, bricks are happening pretty quickly and thats not good (no one to blame, just the anticipation again).
I appreciate the backing, hope 'something' can be done, its just really crowded right now (making the 'new' browsers get lost [causing the multiple similar topic issue], and your job harder).
One problem is the sticky's need to be updated by the people who started them. Many are older and with 5 different roms available to flash now they simply don't meet the demand for all these different roms. The rom developers need to do a better job of explaining how to flash their roms. The newest one tried to get a little too cute and force a new apps2sd method on users and the result was a lot of looped (not bricked) g1's. The sub forum could consist of how to's and guide's. I'm not sure a sub forum is the best way to go though, There are already 5 and most phones on here don't even have 4. Xda simply need more help with this section, neoobs has been cleaning house and i thank you but you can't do it all lol. I am a moderator on another site, not here but will do what i can to report posts as much as possible to help the mods.
Ryanmo5 said:
One problem is the sticky's need to be updated by the people who started them. Many are older and with 5 different roms available to flash now they simply don't meet the demand for all these different roms. The rom developers need to do a better job of explaining how to flash their roms. The newest one tried to get a little too cute and force a new apps2sd method on users and the result was a lot of looped (not bricked) g1's. The sub forum could consist of how to's and guide's. I'm not sure a sub forum is the best way to go though, There are already 5 and most phones on here don't even have 4. Xda simply need more help with this section, neoobs has been cleaning house and i thank you but you can't do it all lol. I am a moderator on another site, not here but will do what i can to report posts as much as possible to help the mods.
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Agreed 100%, it seems there are alot of stickies there, maybe redundant on some, but are necessary on others. There should be a way to make it distinguishable between information/guides, developments, and problems. They do need to be updated as well.
I agree, a forum might not be the best way because there might be 'lost' posts which would not work either (like the new magic thread that showed up, though I dont dissagree with that simply because the OP is correct, android is android, and the magic needs some help, maybe because we stole quite a bit from it too? lol. but still posting to 'get help' anywhere).
Is there a modification for vb that makes stickies different color than the regular topics? I never administrated vb only ipb and smf so I dont know. But that would be a big help there, then the new comers can instantly see which are informal.
Im trying to report, to help you so you dont need to spend as much time 'looking' as doing the task. Its not 'too' bad right now, when I first posted though omg it was disaster. Once the new rom comes out though....thennn its gonna be biig trouble again.
Update: I was looking at something...the first forum, named Dream. That I was actually looking at for the first time, it seems pretty useless really. A lot of the topics in there could definitely go into the development thread...OR that forum could get changed to something else and cleaned up. There arent many 'general' topics for the phone I dont think, whats general for the phone? What is the g1? Maybe but useless indeed. So maybe instead of MAKING a new forum, just change that one and clean it up. Make it a troubleshooting forum, or a tutorial section, or just updates, or something I dont know. But maybe just better use of it I think.
In a few places that I mod, I know that it is actually easier to move a thread and leave a place holder if I think that a thread is in the wrong forum than it does to type an explanation and then lock a thread.
But I am not moving it simply because it is easier. It is the better thing to do. But then again, I don't get the satisfaction of locking the thread then beating my chest when I get home to my woman proclaiming..."Me HE man. Close thread today. Me want sex NOW"!!!!
I posted a thread, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1904115 and it was locked. What is so hard about moving it and leaving a place holder referring to the new location if you think it is in the wrong forum? It clearly applies to the general forum as it applies to all phones with the recent lawsuits that have been flying around. Not only just apple lawsuits, but many others involving cell phone manufacturers including Apple and six other mfgs getting sued by another company.
Sure there may be another forum that it may fit into. But that can be said about many posts here. Just move it if it is questionable.
Hell, I have even had a post where the mods didn't even know where it went. One mod moved it to another forum, and the FSM in that forum said it was in the wrong forum and locked it. LOL A mod moved it to where he thought it went and then another mod thought it was in the wrong place!!
All I am asking is move the darn thing instead of locking it if it is questionable. It is not like I posted the thread in Near Field Communications Forum or the Job Board. Sheez... Use a little common sense. If it is clearly in the WRONG place, then by all means close it. But if it is a subjective call, use a little common sense.
Takes 5 seconds to do either one.
Just a few clicks to move. But you have to type words to close and provide an explanation. Besides it was a rhetorical thread title I posted. Everybody knows the answer. I was making a point for mods to use some common sense.
Sent from my Kindle Fire running CM10 Jelly Bean
It's up to the individual mod what they'd like to do with it.
A lot of the time, a mod will close the thread rather than move it because people should read the rules and stickies before posting and therefore know that it's in the wrong section.
Whereas, sometimes it will be moved rather than locked because either it's easier for them, or they just don't want to lock it, for whatever reason.
In regards to the mod moving it to OT and it then getting locked whilst in OT, it's not very often that happens anyway.
If a mod of a certain forum sees a thread which shouldn't be there, they probably haven't got enough time to be thinking whether or not it would get locked in OT. So the best thing to do is just to move it there and leave it down to the off-topic mods to do what they wish with it.
''Evil corrupts the mind of the weak but fails to feed off the mind of the strong''
KidCarter93 said:
It's up to the individual mod what they'd like to do with it.
A lot of the time, a mod will close the thread rather than move it because people should read the rules and stickies before posting and therefore know that it's in the wrong section.
Whereas, sometimes it will be moved rather than locked because either it's easier for them, or they just don't want to lock it, for whatever reason.
In regards to the mod moving it to OT and it then getting locked whilst in OT, it's not very often that happens anyway.
If a mod of a certain forum sees a thread which shouldn't be there, they probably haven't got enough time to be thinking whether or not it would get locked in OT. So the best thing to do is just to move it there and leave it down to the off-topic mods to do what they wish with it.
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Point taken Kid. I can see locking the thread if I went into the Kindle Fire forum and was talking about the headphone output on my RAZR MAXX. Lock the thread for me being a dumbass and posting in the wrong section.
But it was a thread about patents and prior art, which has had SPECIFICALLY had a huge impact on the people/developers here at this site as of late.
"Anything that involves all of the phones and doesn't fit in any of the other fora." hmmmm. It could "fit" into a couple of "fora". If it is questionable then move it. Use some common sense. That is all I ask.
At least I can say one thing for the mod that locked it. He left an explanation. That is an vast improvement from the way things have been in the past.
As for the really old topic that I referred to getting moved then locked..... It wasn't moved to OT. One mod thought it belonged in another forum because I used a question mark somewhere in the post. The mod that is "Guardian of the Question Mark" moved it to Q&A because there was an interrogative in the post. Then a mod in Q&A thought it was in the wrong forum and locked it IIRC. LOL
85gallon said:
Point taken Kid. I can see locking the thread if I went into the Kindle Fire forum and was talking about the headphone output on my RAZR MAXX. Lock the thread for me being a dumbass and posting in the wrong section.
But it was a thread about patents and prior art, which has had SPECIFICALLY had a huge impact on the people/developers here at this site as of late.
"Anything that involves all of the phones and doesn't fit in any of the other fora." hmmmm. It could "fit" into a couple of "fora". If it is questionable then move it. Use some common sense. That is all I ask.
At least I can say one thing for the mod that locked it. He left an explanation. That is an vast improvement from the way things have been in the past.
As for the really old topic that I referred to getting moved then locked..... It wasn't moved to OT. One mod thought it belonged in another forum because I used a question mark somewhere in the post. The mod that is "Guardian of the Question Mark" moved it to Q&A because there was an interrogative in the post. Then a mod in Q&A thought it was in the wrong forum and locked it IIRC. LOL
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But there's already threads that exist which are about the patent war between Apple & Samsung and even if a thread gets created which speaks of patents regarding other companies aswell, it's still similar in its content, so naturally it could be placed in an existing thread.
But your threads been reopened now anyway, I believe.
And if your think a mod could deal with a particular thread differently, then the best option would be to PM them and speak to them about it.
''Evil corrupts the mind of the weak but fails to feed off the mind of the strong''
KidCarter93 said:
But there's already threads that exist which are about the patent war between Apple & Samsung and even if a thread gets created which speaks of patents regarding other companies aswell, it's still similar in its content, so naturally it could be placed in an existing thread.
But your threads been reopened now anyway, I believe.
And if your think a mod could deal with a particular thread differently, then the best option would be to PM them and speak to them about it.
''Evil corrupts the mind of the weak but fails to feed off the mind of the strong''
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I understand your point about PM'ing a mod. To a point.
I don't fault the mod. I fault the system here.
If I feel something is going on too much here that I disagree with by several mods, I like to make a post in here so users can read it and also put in their feedback. That is why I did so. It is not attributable to a single mod, but the way things are done a lot as a policy. (Hence the argument that my post could really apply to a few forums) In that case err in the case of caution. I did the same a while back when I thought it was wrong to simply close threads without any explanation. (and that was rampant for a while) It is right to close if it is posted obviously in the wrong forum, and the rules were not read. But explain why it was closed so other readers can head the warning to make sure they post in the correct forum. I am not saying I corrected that policy, but I would like to thing I was instrumental.
If I report the thread, I am not sure how many mods read it before it is acted upon. If the problem involves a policy, it may just be the mod on duty that sees the report and takes action either way. No other mods see the complaint to take it into consideration and think, "maybe he has a point".
If I PM the mod directly, I will only do that if I think that particular mod was wrong in his actions. Like it was an action the HE took that other mods have not taken in similar situations. That way, I KNOW that only that mod I disagree with reads it and I can air my disagreement with them personally.
I have only found that necessary a few times and I accept the answer. I don't always agree with the answer. But if I don't, I may escalate to report post in hopes that other mods may see it and voice their opinions in the mod forums. (One case comes to mind on removing a picture in the OT images thread. God it was a funny pic. It may have been offensive to a select few, but funnier than hell. The thread was taking a turn towards memes on the Grand Theft Auto game. I posted a pic of an advertisement for GTA Somolia. It had a Somli with a gun in a wheel barrow with another Somali pushing the wheel barrow through battle ridden streets. LOL)
The mod chose to remove it and I accepted his answer. (Didn't like it.) GRIN. But I accepted it.
But in this case, the closing of a thread that "might" fit better in another forum happens a lot here by several mods. Like it is a systemic policy. If it is clearly in the wrong forum, close it and explain why so others will learn. But it was a thread that could fit in more than one forum. Just move it with an explanation if that is the case.
And after I made this post, I did report the thread to see if other mods might review when no other mods commented. The luck of the draw was that bigjoe was on duty and got the report. He took into consideration my thoughts and re-opened it. I truly wouldn't have minded if he moved it to OT. And he provided an explanation in the thread why he did what he did when he closed it. My disagreement was just simply closing it because he thought it "might" better fit somewhere else.
Kudos to bigjoe. 1. He did provide an explanation when he closed it. and 2. he listened to me and considered my argument. A few months ago that would have never happened here. There was a short period here when threads were simply closed with no explanation. Thankfully that period seems to be over.
Again kudos to bigjoe and to XDA for relaxing the policy of simply slamming down the hammer and not allowing discussion.
And posting it in another patent thread would have been useless and would be buried. They are usually specific flame wars posted by fanboys from both sides. That is why I chose start a new thread in the General Forum. That is where I fell it would reach the biggest target audience.
Again to kudos to bigjoe for having an open mind. the topic of the new site is going to make a big difference (hopefully) and nip the frivolous IP phone patents in the bud for the betterment of the cell phone/tablet community which is where many of the BIG patents wars have been as of late. And those affect US specifically even though the site will help in other areas as well.
Generally speaking we will endeavour to move all threads to the correct location, unless of course a similar thread already exists there. We also try to leave and explanation upon closing a thread.
Obviously this doesn't happen every time but feel free to PM a mod if you would like an explanation. We don't bite.... That costs extra.
What are you doing outside of OT anyway?
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
conantroutman said:
What are you doing outside of OT anyway?
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
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Somebody left the door open and I escaped!! LOL I guess I need to get back to the basement.
Sorry, I'm not so sure if I should post here or the Q/A section.
From the Q&A (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916775), only the moderators can delete threads. But since my thread hasn't been followed by anyone, I think I deserve the right to modify or delete it. Especially the article isn't finished yet and I'm not satisfied with that article.
Now that the moderator clearly refused to delete that post, I'm kind of disappointed.
XDA is a top-notch technology forum, and at the same time I hope a moderator should be educated more than a tech student. XDA should pay attention to author's right, especially not to do something against author's will. I'm not asking for deleting all my posts, which may cause troubles for the forum, I'm asking deleting ONE article.
Anyone can help me or support this issue?
Did you actually ask the moderator to delete the thread after it was closed OR are you just assuming that it won't be deleted?
A little context would help here.
Regarding deletion of posts/threads, we only generally delete them if it's spam (either commercial or a member spamming rubbish posts in order to get posting access to a development thread). The only other possible exception would be if the post/thread served no purpose whatsoever. That isn't the case with your thread though.
A member may be browsing through that forum at some point and stumble across your thread. Although your post isn't completed, they may still have some thoughts on something you've written and may choose to discuss it with others in the relevant thread (the one which was linked to in the closing message).
If you wish for other members to see your completed post, I'd suggest posting it in the relevant thread so that even if a member finds your current closed thread, they'll be able to click the link and find your full post there anyway.
You're, of course, free to ask that moderator if they'll reconsider deleting your post but I doubt it due to the reasoning above.
I hope this helps
I asked the moderator for real. His answer is like yours. But I don't think you answered anything.
You missed the point. I prefer to discuss this issue from aspects apart from what you (moderators) will do.
The point is: if your method (what you're doing) is proper or legitimate?
You should consider to open the deleting privilege for all users limitedly. Or to inform all users that 'we moderator' have the right to deprive your right of editing your articles, and then get their agreement. Please have a serious conversation with whom ever really runs this forum and the users in this forum.
At least now, I can't find a dedicated rule, so you should 'always' allow people to delete their articles.
It's odd for me that I have to ask moderator's permission for deleting my own work. especially it is not going to effect the running of the forum.
KidCarter93 said:
Did you actually ask the moderator to delete the thread after it was closed OR are you just assuming that it won't be deleted?
A little context would help here.
Regarding deletion of posts/threads, we only generally delete them if it's spam (either commercial or a member spamming rubbish posts in order to get posting access to a development thread). The only other possible exception would be if the post/thread served no purpose whatsoever. That isn't the case with your thread though.
A member may be browsing through that forum at some point and stumble across your thread. Although your post isn't completed, they may still have some thoughts on something you've written and may choose to discuss it with others in the relevant thread (the one which was linked to in the closing message).
If you wish for other members to see your completed post, I'd suggest posting it in the relevant thread so that even if a member finds your current closed thread, they'll be able to click the link and find your full post there anyway.
You're, of course, free to ask that moderator if they'll reconsider deleting your post but I doubt it due to the reasoning above.
I hope this helps
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You may not think I answered anything but I did the best I could given the information you provided in the first post.
You stated that a moderator wouldn't delete your post and then said that you'd like to be able to do so by yourself.
I then explained why we hardly ever delete posts and gave examples of when we do delete posts and a possible exception to deletions.
Post deletion is moderation, therefore only moderators are able to do so.
There's probably quite a few reasons (which I can't think of, off the top of my head) as to why members can't simply delete their own posts.
One main reason I can think of has already been mentioned by yourself. "I'm not asking for deleting all my posts, which may cause troubles for the forum..."
If the admins were to change the permissions to allow anyone to delete their own posts, it could very easily cause trouble for the forum, not to mention a huge nonsensical mess.
I know you did your best. If it sounds any rude to you I got to say sorry. I didn' t mean it. I was trying to point out that we have to discuss reasonably. You have to think further.
If your main reason is 'very easily cause trouble for the forum', then I have to say some sites do support post deletion, and it doesn't cause trouble at all. Any as I said, I recommend enable this function limitedly, at least allowing people to delete their article if that article isn't followed. Besides, the moderators are not robots, you can tell if the deletion is dangerous. If it is not, you moderators shouldn't refuse to do so, because it is against author's right. In other words, it is wrong you moderators refuse such requests if you moderators have no good reason.
You see, I refute your argument. That is discussion I'm talking about.
KidCarter93 said:
You may not think I answered anything but I did the best I could given the information you provided in the first post.
You stated that a moderator wouldn't delete your post and then said that you'd like to be able to do so by yourself.
I then explained why we hardly ever delete posts and gave examples of when we do delete posts and a possible exception to deletions.
Post deletion is moderation, therefore only moderators are able to do so.
There's probably quite a few reasons (which I can't think of, off the top of my head) as to why members can't simply delete their own posts.
One main reason I can think of has already been mentioned by yourself. "I'm not asking for deleting all my posts, which may cause troubles for the forum..."
If the admins were to change the permissions to allow anyone to delete their own posts, it could very easily cause trouble for the forum, not to mention a huge nonsensical mess.
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abnoob said:
I know you did your best. If it sounds any rude to you I got to say sorry. I didn' t mean it. I was trying to point out that we have to discuss reasonably. You have to think further.
If your main reason is 'very easily cause trouble for the forum', then I have to say some sites do support post deletion, and it doesn't cause trouble at all. Any as I said, I recommend enable this function limitedly, at least allowing people to delete their article if that article isn't followed. Besides, the moderators are not robots, you can tell if the deletion is dangerous. If it is not, you moderators shouldn't refuse to do so, because it is against author's right. In other words, it is wrong you moderators refuse such requests if you moderators have no good reason.
You see, I refute your argument. That is discussion I'm talking about.
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I am not sure what rights you are talking about as you are posting thing on a privately owned forum. What is posted here us at the moderators discretion. If it is not harmful then we close it and let it be. You can edit your post after it is closed and say remove any links in said post if I remember right. Or you can ask a mod to do it for you. Users will not be allowed any deletion powers at all. This is for many reasons including keeping issues down with post count requirements and thanks meters.