Hello all,
I came to this forum because I purchased a surface tablet and want to share my experience with other people about this device. However, it's quick for me to realize that the surface section is under windows 8 development and hacking, which new users cannot post in unless he got over 10 posts. For any other device, there is usually a dedicated forum with general, Q&A, development and hacking sections. This allows new users to post in general and Q&A. For example, the nexus 10 which is also a tablet has it owns dedicated forum. So why do we have this biased treatment to the surface tablet?
Thank you.
I would add this request under the device request section. Actual development for the Surface (as a tablet device, not for Windows 8 RT applications in general) hasn't really picked up all that much which is why it is in a sub-forum. If/when it picks up, we'll be sure to add a forum.
I'm somewhat frustrated by this too. I'd like to add to discussions in the surface subforum, but I'm still a noob here. I don't have pedantic questions to ask, so I can't rev my post count in meaningless ways in other forums.
Perhaps someone could drop the minimum post count in that forum?
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 Anyway the forums are hard to navigate anyway (too many sub-sections, outdated stickies, too many "READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST"-threads etc..).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 It has, by and large, the same layout as all other sections.regarding outdated stickies, contact the mod for the relevant section by pm and point it out.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.
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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)
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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.
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Answers inline.
P
Hello!
First off, allow me to welcome both new and existing members to the Forums. These look to be exciting products, and I am really hoping to see a great community spring up here. As we like to do with a new forum, we like to introduce ourselves. Of course, as noted, the moderating team assigned to the forum include:
Team Leader/Senior Moderator @Moscow Desire
Forum Moderators @Siberian Tiger, @stamatis, @chrisd1a1, @Divine_Madcat @zacthespack
Personally, i am an avid tablet user, and am currently using both an HP Touchpad and Nexus 7 (2013), as well as a Samsung S4. Please make no mistake, while we all may not be owners of this specific device, it is our goal to be a strong part of the community, and i hope you will allow us this opportunity. I, like the other moderators, have an open door policy, and i welcome anyone to contact myself (or other staff members) to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the forums (but please direct device specific questions to the Q&A forum).
With that said, i would like to take a moment to reiterate the overall guidelines of the forum, in the hope to prevent issues down the line...
1. Posting in the Development Forum. Creating new threads in the Dev Forum is restricted to development work; this may include Kernels, Root tools, ROMS, and other device developments. If you have a question about a ROM or the device, please post in the Q&A forum, so that the question may be answered correctly.
2. Arguments and Flaming.This really speaks for itself, but bears saying again. Be respectful, and be a community; work together and make this a place that is welcoming to everyone, new and old. If an argument starts, DO NOT participate in it. You have a "Report Post" button. Use it. Let the Mod's take care of it. You are not moderators, so please don't act like it. You don't make anything better by participating, and you may find yourself in trouble as well.
3. Please take a moment to search before posting; forums for popular devices can get hectic, and it is only made worse by having 5 different threads on the same topic. While mistakes happen, we need everyone's help to make sure that the boards are readable and usable for everyone. Odds are, if you have a problem, you are not the first person to have had the issue; you may very well find the solution already discussed. If a thread covering your topic is already there, please keep the discussion in that thread.
4. We are all here to help the users, and to mainly help continue the development of the devices. This is a Development site, not Facebook or other social networking sites. While some off topic banter is to be expected, please keep off topic conversations in the appropriate area; this is especially true for development threads. Too much OT makes threads hard to use for people with real issues/suggestions/questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also have a read of our Forum Rules
If you have any issues or questions, please feel free to contact us via PM. You will find the moderator links at the top of each main forum.
Have fun, and lets make a great community!
Hello!
First off, allow me to welcome both new and existing members to the Forums. These look to be exciting products, and I am really hoping to see a great community spring up here. As we like to do with a new forum, we like to introduce ourselves. Of course, as noted, the moderating team assigned to the forum include:
Team Leader/Senior Moderator @Moscow Desire
Forum Moderators @Siberian Tiger, @stamatis, @chrisd1a1, @Divine_Madcat @zacthespack
Personally, i am an avid tablet user, and am currently using both an HP Touchpad and Nexus 7 (2013), as well as a Samsung S4. Please make no mistake, while we all may not be owners of this specific device, it is our goal to be a strong part of the community, and i hope you will allow us this opportunity. I, like the other moderators, have an open door policy, and i welcome anyone to contact myself (or other staff members) to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the forums (but please direct device specific questions to the Q&A forum).
With that said, i would like to take a moment to reiterate the overall guidelines of the forum, in the hope to prevent issues down the line...
1. Posting in the Development Forum. Creating new threads in the Dev Forum is restricted to development work; this may include Kernels, Root tools, ROMS, and other device developments. If you have a question about a ROM or the device, please post in the Q&A forum, so that the question may be answered correctly.
2. Arguments and Flaming.This really speaks for itself, but bears saying again. Be respectful, and be a community; work together and make this a place that is welcoming to everyone, new and old. If an argument starts, DO NOT participate in it. You have a "Report Post" button. Use it. Let the Mod's take care of it. You are not moderators, so please don't act like it. You don't make anything better by participating, and you may find yourself in trouble as well.
3. Please take a moment to search before posting; forums for popular devices can get hectic, and it is only made worse by having 5 different threads on the same topic. While mistakes happen, we need everyone's help to make sure that the boards are readable and usable for everyone. Odds are, if you have a problem, you are not the first person to have had the issue; you may very well find the solution already discussed. If a thread covering your topic is already there, please keep the discussion in that thread.
4. We are all here to help the users, and to mainly help continue the development of the devices. This is a Development site, not Facebook or other social networking sites. While some off topic banter is to be expected, please keep off topic conversations in the appropriate area; this is especially true for development threads. Too much OT makes threads hard to use for people with real issues/suggestions/questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also have a read of our Forum Rules
If you have any issues or questions, please feel free to contact us via PM. You will find the moderator links at the top of each main forum.
Have fun, and lets make a great community!
Hello!
First off, allow me to welcome both new and existing members to the Forums. These look to be exciting products, and I am really hoping to see a great community spring up here. As we like to do with a new forum, we like to introduce ourselves. Of course, as noted, the moderating team assigned to the forum include:
Team Leader/Senior Moderator @Moscow Desire
Forum Moderators @Siberian Tiger, @stamatis, @chrisd1a1, @Divine_Madcat @zacthespack
Personally, i am an avid tablet user, and am currently using both an HP Touchpad and Nexus 7 (2013), as well as a Samsung S4. Please make no mistake, while we all may not be owners of this specific device, it is our goal to be a strong part of the community, and i hope you will allow us this opportunity. I, like the other moderators, have an open door policy, and i welcome anyone to contact myself (or other staff members) to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the forums (but please direct device specific questions to the Q&A forum).
With that said, i would like to take a moment to reiterate the overall guidelines of the forum, in the hope to prevent issues down the line...
1. Posting in the Development Forum. Creating new threads in the Dev Forum is restricted to development work; this may include Kernels, Root tools, ROMS, and other device developments. If you have a question about a ROM or the device, please post in the Q&A forum, so that the question may be answered correctly.
2. Arguments and Flaming.This really speaks for itself, but bears saying again. Be respectful, and be a community; work together and make this a place that is welcoming to everyone, new and old. If an argument starts, DO NOT participate in it. You have a "Report Post" button. Use it. Let the Mod's take care of it. You are not moderators, so please don't act like it. You don't make anything better by participating, and you may find yourself in trouble as well.
3. Please take a moment to search before posting; forums for popular devices can get hectic, and it is only made worse by having 5 different threads on the same topic. While mistakes happen, we need everyone's help to make sure that the boards are readable and usable for everyone. Odds are, if you have a problem, you are not the first person to have had the issue; you may very well find the solution already discussed. If a thread covering your topic is already there, please keep the discussion in that thread.
4. We are all here to help the users, and to mainly help continue the development of the devices. This is a Development site, not Facebook or other social networking sites. While some off topic banter is to be expected, please keep off topic conversations in the appropriate area; this is especially true for development threads. Too much OT makes threads hard to use for people with real issues/suggestions/questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also have a read of our Forum Rules
If you have any issues or questions, please feel free to contact us via PM. You will find the moderator links at the top of each main forum.
Have fun, and lets make a great community!
Why is it that Q&A is listed first? Also how come it doesn't say "Discussion,Blank,Blank." instead of "Guides,News, oh and discussions! we can't forget discussions"
Browsing the Galaxy S7 forum it felt like the Q&A section is the new General discussions sub.
I feel like there should be a poll on this. Am i the only one who thinks so?
We changed these only recently. The forum owners made this decision in order to simplify things, as well as ensure the Q&A forum is listed first, as that's where most activity takes place.
A lot of thought went into it, and it won't be changed again soon I'm afraid. To be honest, we've never had any other complaint or issue with it.
Why did it feel like the Q&A forum is the new discussion forum? I'm curious why you say this.