Related
I'm sure all of you are getting sick of the flood of questions that come in and the single question and answer thread is just too long to go through to find questions let alone answer them. Hopefully we can get enough people on board to let the moderators know that this is a welcome addition. Seeing as how many phones have highest number of threads in the Q&A section, I think it is a worthy addition.
Problems:
1) Lack of moderation - the volume of posts, especially from new users is higher than the what can reasonably be moderated by the current number of moderators.
2) Relevant threads containing real information are buried by new threads (many which are off topic or not posted in the correct forum)
3) The forum is disorganized, which exacerbates the issue of new users asking duplicate, off topic, poor, misinformed questions.
4) There is an incredible lack of information for new users on usage, which creates a contentious atmosphere between new users and senior members who re-answer the same questions over and over, most of the time about HOW to use the forum and search features.
5) User modifiable resources like the wiki are unknown or obfuscated from new and long time members alike, thus rarely used. (On a side note....we should all be using the wiki to push pertinent information, valueable posts, references and guides up so that noobs (and experienced users also) can find them easier.)
Proposed Solutions:
1) Create additional subforums to help organize posts into relevant categories. (I vote for at least Q&A. MOST popular forums on XDA have this, so there is certainly precedent.)
2) Better sticky posts, with clearer titles. "Hello from your moderator." is not as clear to a new user as "[MANDATORY README]-[FORUM RULES][QUESTIONS][INSTRUCTIONS][If you don't read this you will be flamed, harrassed, possibly shanked in your sleep!]" You are reading this thread because of the title...that or you saw the DVDA postfix...you sick sick bastard...either way I win.
3) More moderators. It is far too hard for Whosdaman to constantly update sticky posts with relevant info. It is up to everyone here to get that info out so we aren't bombarded with questions that have been answered a hundred times. Wiki anyone?
4) We have a great resource in user editable wiki. There is a lot of stuff that can be done BETTER on a wiki than in a 1000 post thread, like reference material, guides, and instructions. We need to make it obvious to ALL users that the wiki exists and get people on board with updating it. Threads are a great way to hash out possible solutions and have a group discussion, but a lot of times what people need is a reference or guide and they shouldn't have to search a 1000 post thread to pull the relevant information.
5) Original posters need to update their OP when new information is revealed or when there is misinformation in a post. Having a post that's title says your flash cell is about to explode only to have to read 600 posts to find out that this information is untrue helps no one. Discussion is GREAT. Misinformation is NOT, and only fuels the confusion and duplicate thread issues.
From The Front Line:
Thanks for the outpouring of support and ideas to help get the ball rolling. Several of our ideas have been recently implemented so I am really hoping for some good news next war update.
20110109: Woot! We now have Q&A. Thanks mods and supporters!
20110109: My social experiment of double entendre "sticky posts" has 2000 views in only a couple of days. I'm not going to call this one confirmed, but if it stopped even 1 bad thread it was worth it.
20110109: We have sticky wiki in all the subforums. Now we need to add content to the wiki before people stop using it.
One Last Thing:
There are very few things we can change with regard to how many new users visit this forum, or the knowledge level of these users. The only thing we CAN do is make what they need to do as obvious as possible to these users, so that we can spend more time coding and writing relevant posts, instead of redirecting people to the search button, or frustration flaming newbies.
+1 agreed. This is ridiculous, it's a clusterf**k in these forums. Q & A is exactly what we need.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
I will say yes to the q&a it will cause less clutter.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
No, Q&A IS the general forum. What is needed is a sticky in the general forum with a CLEAR and concise description of how to:
root
use Odin
use clockwork
flash themes
flash roms
battery saving methods
airplane mode trick
DRM services and how to stop them
and ANYTHING else that gets asked multiple times a day. I dont know if some sort of limited moderator status can be granted, but if so it would be nice for noobnl, Daemon and a bunch of others to have said status and be able to update this sticky at any time. I am sure there are a ton of people who would be glad to do it.
Then, what is needed is a sticky called FROYO SPECULATION, where EVERY thread that deals with speculation of the coming Froyo release is moved, and all discussion of that topic is directed.
muyoso said:
No, Q&A IS the general forum. What is needed is a sticky in the general forum with a CLEAR and concise description of how to:
root
use Odin
use clockwork
flash themes
flash roms
battery saving methods
airplane mode trick
DRM services and how to stop them
and ANYTHING else that gets asked multiple times a day. I dont know if some sort of limited moderator status can be granted, but if so it would be nice for noobnl, Daemon and a bunch of others to have said status and be able to update this sticky at any time. I am sure there are a ton of people who would be glad to do it.
Then, what is needed is a sticky called FROYO SPECULATION, where EVERY thread that deals with speculation of the coming Froyo release is moved, and all discussion of that topic is directed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what you are saying isn't wrong but i want one
muyoso said:
No, Q&A IS the general forum. What is needed is a sticky in the general forum with a CLEAR and concise description of how to:
root
use Odin
use clockwork
flash themes
flash roms
battery saving methods
airplane mode trick
DRM services and how to stop them
and ANYTHING else that gets asked multiple times a day. I dont know if some sort of limited moderator status can be granted, but if so it would be nice for noobnl, Daemon and a bunch of others to have said status and be able to update this sticky at any time. I am sure there are a ton of people who would be glad to do it.
Then, what is needed is a sticky called FROYO SPECULATION, where EVERY thread that deals with speculation of the coming Froyo release is moved, and all discussion of that topic is directed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is EXACTLY what the Wiki is for. But people either don't know about it, use it, or update it. Anyone can update the wiki. Leaving all of the cleanup to moderators isn't fair, or effective at getting stuff up quickly. There should be better indication to go to the wiki and more people need to start using it.
plapczyn said:
That is EXACTLY what the Wiki is for. But people either don't know about it, use it, or update it. Anyone can update the wiki. Leaving all of the cleanup to moderators isn't fair, or effective at getting stuff up quickly. There should be better indication to go to the wiki and more people need to start using it.
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Click to collapse
Thats fine, but where the eff is the wiki? A person who just bought their epic and signed up would NEVER find it. There needs to be like a flashing light and have the font in size 4.2 million saying "Epic 4g XDA User Manual" or something like that.
muyoso said:
Thats fine, but where the eff is the wiki? A person who just bought their epic and signed up would NEVER find it. There needs to be like a flashing light and have the font in size 4.2 million saying "Epic 4g XDA User Manual" or something like that.
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Click to collapse
I agree. Or a sticky at the top of ALL of the subforums linking to the wiki. There used to be a STICKYWIKI post, but the title got changed.
I agree the wiki needs serious editing and updating, and we should all be somewhat responsible. Maybe if you flame a newbie, you have to add a paragraph, like a swear jar smoothone, get typing hahaha.. sorry... had to... but I get the feeling you dont mind.
Honestly, I wish sprint would just say screw you, no froyo. This way, people would move on, keep developing, not thinking to wait on that elusive source code... and stop *****ing. The repeat questions, etc werent that bad until that stupid 26th thing brought a bunch of new people at once, so everyone here who was already waiting and annoyed, then get bombarded with new people who heard about XDA from engadget.
BTW... wheres those two who had those super secret sources?????? Kinda quiet....
Bloggers: do not cite an XDA member, or their word they have a good source unless they show you the goods! Somehow, everyone thinks XDA really knows more than the average joe... and dont trust Sprint sales info or personnel!!!!
Sure, let's create yet ANOTHER ignored forum that the mod(s) get to monitor and spend more time on while every single new user here ignores it and the search button just to post the question anyway.
Instead of making a new forum, we need another moderator added to help manage the forum.
And make a post count minimum to START a new thread!! Too many ppl coming over straight from google and, not knowing how to use xda (or their effen owners manual) to its fullest.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
othan1 said:
Sure, let's create yet ANOTHER ignored forum that the mod(s) get to monitor and spend more time on while every single new user here ignores it and the search button just to post the question anyway.
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Click to collapse
Dumping questions to a Q&A forum creates less clutter for the other forums, thus relevant threads will more likely be in the first two pages.
lazydazed said:
And make a post count minimum to START a new thread!! Too many ppl coming over straight from google and, not knowing how to use xda (or their effen owners manual) to its fullest.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
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I love that idea, but there are occasionally relevant posts from new users. I would like to think that not EVERYONE that initially comes to XDA is a moron. But I guess I'm a glass half full kind of guy.
It looks like a lot of people are in favor of it.
The Q&A forum will just be full of people asking the SAME QUESTIONS over and over and over again. Why not just create a sticky that either links to an updated wiki or better yet that lays out nicely how to do basic things with the Epic4g?
muyoso said:
The Q&A forum will just be full of people asking the SAME QUESTIONS over and over and over again. Why not just create a sticky that either links to an updated wiki or better yet that lays out nicely how to do basic things with the Epic4g?
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That's ok, as long as the questions aren't in the other forums. But I agree, sticky to the wiki should be on all subforums.
Personally I don't care if the Q&A forum is filled with spam repost topics. All I, and others, want is for the it to be quarantined.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
muyoso said:
The Q&A forum will just be full of people asking the SAME QUESTIONS over and over and over again. Why not just create a sticky that either links to an updated wiki or better yet that lays out nicely how to do basic things with the Epic4g?
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Click to collapse
That will happen in any forum. We do need a sticky, but don't expect that to stop the noobs from asking before reading.
I see that some of the other Galaxy phones here on xda have a Q&A in addition to a general section. General is used for general discussion and Q&A is for all questions. It seems like it would be more obvious for noobs to wander into the Q&A section to ask questions and hopefully save the mods some effort while also cleaning up our little corner of this website.
DiGi760 said:
That will happen in any forum. We do need a sticky, but don't expect that to stop the noobs from asking before reading.
I see that some of the other Galaxy phones here on xda have a Q&A in addition to a general section. General is used for general discussion and Q&A is for all questions. It seems like it would be more obvious for noobs to wander into the Q&A section to ask questions and hopefully save the mods some effort while also cleaning up our little corner of this website.
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Click to collapse
Exactly my point. Also, as someone mentioned...the cycle of useless questions that cant be prevented will at least be quarantined.
This is for discussion about the recent news that we'll soon be disallowing posts to development forums for new users with 10 posts or less in an attempt to cut down on junk posts.
I believe is a good new way of lowering down the crap-posts
What else a normal member can do to help?
- Report any problematic post by using the "report" button
- Help to improve and maintain a friendly ambiance
Thanks!
>25 would be better.
It sounds very very good. I'd like to suggest a little thing:
is it possible to ban thread with "HELP me please" title?
This type of title is common and doesn't help to focus the problem.
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Daniel, I totally agree with you. These are very valid points. Many people lurk here, mainly because they don't want to look stupid when they ask questions - and then, when they get serious after gaining knowledge here, they try something and they can't post? That isn't right.
The biggest issue here at XDA is what I mentioned above - people are hesitant to post because of the reaction they frequently get - on the flip side, those that do post in the proper areas for questions and answers are lucky if they get answers sometimes, I've had questions go unanswered, when I posted in what I thought was the proper forum (never in the ROM development forums). So what I think you really need to do is to come up with a good support forum for custom ROMs, and have knowledgable people read and help out in there - no matter how 'dumb' the question is in their eyes. From my experience, the only 'dumb' question is the one you don't ask. Will that 'cut down' on the 'dumb' questions? Yes, in the ROM development forums it will - only if they're answered elsewhere, however.
You have to remember, Android doesn't come naturally to everyone, some come from other 'worlds' where they know what they're doing, then they're tossed into the thick of it when they try to make the switch (been there, done that). Are there people who really shouldn't be messing with their phones? Of course there are. Is it XDA's job to let them know they're too dumb to be messing? Or is it a better plan to help those people learn? I've always found the latter to be a better plan.
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that is kind of the idea. If you have questions or are not sure about something, you are supposed to try and find the answers by using the search engine. If you must ask questions, most device forums have a Q&A section where you can post. Keep in mind that the announcement says that you will still be able to read, just not post.
As for the "no real development" comment... these forums are not just guides to teach others how to flash custom stuff. It is called development because the roms, kernels, themes, apps don't just magically appear from thin air. There is a lot of work done to get a custom rom to even boot in a device (let alone get it to work properly). You need to tweak drivers, apps, test, test, and test some more before you can even consider releasing something. And don't even get me started in porting and kernel development.
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
All I can say is about friken time! I have been discussing this rule with a number of mods for a long long time now and frankly I still think 10 is too low, but its a great start and should cut a lot of the rubbish or at least make some people think twice about where they are posting their questions.
spock2097 said:
Sorry but I think is not a good move.
I am massively effected by this move. My only posts and reads are in the development forums because I installed a "custom rom" the moment I purchased my new phone. There is no posting from me in the "other" forums.
How can I answer the maker of the custom rom?
Should i spam 10 meaningless posts in other forums just to get my right?
The term "development" in XDA is funny anyway because these forums have very little todo with development but with installing custom roms and other patches. They are not discussing "development" stuff in these forums.
Anyhow I would suggest to:
1. Have grace period of at least 1 day between registration and posting.
2. Have REAL development forums and separate ones for "custom kernels/roms" for the maker and their users.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with spock ("Live long and prosper"). For newbies, which I may still be considered, searching the forums is daunting. For example, I have an HD2. I was running Android off of SD for a few months, then just last week took the plunge to NAND. You guys are really making progress on cleaning up the forum structure, because at least now in the HD2 section there are different "development" sections for NAND and SD, etc. BUT, when you are searching for the perfect ROM, it is very confusing with all of the codes in the ROM names. It took me 5 different tries between NAND roms and CWR roms (using clockwork recovery, I'm not THAT DUMB) to finally get one to boot up. I was sweating for a bit!!!
Plus, when you use the search function in the forums, the results very rarely seem to match my search. I understand the experts' frustrations when a newb asks a question or needs help with something that's already been covered, but I have searched numerous times looking for help with bluetooth on a rom, or music skipping, or whatever. Sometimes, I'll take 45 minutes reading through the search results and will realize that none of them are even touching on the subject I was searching for.
Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for all that the XDA team does. I visit this site daily, and follow the news with RSS on the Google Reader. I love it. But, since you're asking for suggestions, there you are.
;-)
It's a shame that you guys need to enforce this kind of rule but we really do need something to keep this forum in control.
Good job.
As i am mech engg and i dont about Rom and other things so i have to post stupid posts
and also some stupid post might help someone
if you can help "If some dev posts some information make sure that he posts his post well informed. by this unnecessary posts can be avoided"
Fair play on attempting something. This is one of a few large community sites I frequent and they all suffer from the problems you describe. Unfortunately no-one has the answer and it is a case of trail and error to find what works.
egzthunder1 said:
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
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Click to collapse
See, I didn't even know that. I think this is a smart move, since it will all but force n00bs like myself to direct their comments to the appropriate forum. In terms of other recommendations, I would say having a ROM support forum, as somebody else mentioned would be a good idea.
egzthunder1 said:
Well, that is kind of the idea. If you have questions or are not sure about something, you are supposed to try and find the answers by using the search engine. If you must ask questions, most device forums have a Q&A section where you can post. Keep in mind that the announcement says that you will still be able to read, just not post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Post<>opening a new thread.
Let me phrase this:
1. I have been reading the forum for 1-2 weeks.
2. Then I couldn't find the answer and I have opened an account.
3. I want to post a question to the maker of the custom rom.
4. I can't do this!
5. I will post 10 idiotic comments somewhere else to get my right.
Is this what you want? I (you can see all my posts) have never spammed or asked stupid stuff anywhere but a number of posts should be a sign of my maturity? Posting 10 Post gives you little to no sign if the user has and knows how to use search and stay still untill he has read at least 1000 posts!
This is what you should be aiming for.
Just because you can't measure it better doesn't make it valid. It is like giving you no mortgage loan because in your neighbourhood there were 5% not paying it back in time.
egzthunder1 said:
As for the "no real development" comment... these forums are not just guides to teach others how to flash custom stuff. It is called development because the roms, kernels, themes, apps don't just magically appear from thin air. There is a lot of work done to get a custom rom to even boot in a device (let alone get it to work properly). You need to tweak drivers, apps, test, test, and test some more before you can even consider releasing something. And don't even get me started in porting and kernel development.
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Click to collapse
What does this have to do with my remarks concerning the XDA developer forums?
I do agree with everything you said but "testing" especially means getting feedback from users that can't tell you anymore if "it worked".
egzthunder1 said:
The reason why you don't see the discussions about development is because they are heavily diluted by posts not related to the devving process (which include questions in the wrong place, flaming, thank you posts etc). Hence, the reason for this move. This is to ensure that the development sections stay that way.... as development.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then make inexperienced users stop "opening new threads" instead of "posting answers/making remarks to current threads".
Naren Raj said:
As i am mech engg and i dont about Rom and other things so i have to post stupid posts
and also some stupid post might help someone
if you can help "If some dev posts some information make sure that he posts his post well informed. by this unnecessary posts can be avoided"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the thing, and probably where lots of people are missing the point here. It isn't a matter of stupid posts. It is a matter of stupid posts in the wrong places. No one is telling you that you cannot ask for help. What we are saying is that, if all search efforts fail, please post in the right place....
seroaddict said:
See, I didn't even know that. I think this is a smart move, since it will all but force n00bs like myself to direct their comments to the appropriate forum. In terms of other recommendations, I would say having a ROM support forum, as somebody else mentioned would be a good idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well...
My advice to all ROM devs would be to make their own thread in Q&A or general, called [SUPPORT] ROM NAME HERE Support Thread - Latest Version 1.2.3
In there, all users could post, regardless of number of posts. The first post would link to the main ROM, and perhaps contain a FAQ.
In the ROM release in development, have a large link to the Q&A thread at the start and end of the post. That way, those reporting bugs and helping with patches/fixes can post in the development thread, and those needing help can post in the Q&A thread.
Just encourage devs to do something like this
One of the things XDA added recently to cut down on posts was a "Thank You" button. It's a great idea! Where the heck is it? I would love to thank the devs that help me out with my HD2, but I CANT FIND THE BUTTON!
Can somebody draw me a picture or something?
I mean something has to be done. But being new to all this rooting, S-OFF etc kind of thing I do consider myself at least somewhat of a greenhorn . I do however try to keep my questions relevant to the topic and try finding the proper topic before placing a question.
But I am also struggling with actually get a proper answer, or an answer at all to some of my questions, making it hard for a new guy (or girl) to transend from being a greenie to actually become more and more knowledgeable over time. I mean if people dont share their knowledge and or their solutions then how are we all to benifit from them.
I do however admit that some form of moderation needs to find place, considering that some of the guides are actually more or less straight forward and quite frankly. If people can't follow a single straight forward guide then perhaps rooting, modding etc is not for them
thefinancemaster said:
One of the things XDA added recently to cut down on posts was a "Thank You" button. It's a great idea! Where the heck is it? I would love to thank the devs that help me out with my HD2, but I CANT FIND THE BUTTON!
Can somebody draw me a picture or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears to the left of the Quote button.
But IIRC it appears only after 5 posts, as we would have issues with new accounts being made solely to thank their "owner".
You're not far off the thanks button appearing.
I would screenie it, but there's little point. It's to the left of "Edit" for me ("Quote" for you I think as you won't see edit buttons everywhere)
This is your site and your rules. The only question is, that a person like me who has been a member for a short time, but been runing modded rom's for about 5 months (thanks to this site) can't post a question if I did have one. This is my second post, and the first one was to answer a question, I have found everything I needed and every question I had answered by way of reading posts. But if I do have a question I can't ask it because I have not posted alot of BS to get my post count up.
All I want is to post my questions and answers in the rom forum of my choice
ya, i thought that was dumb too. i dont really care about the rest, just trying to figure out this rom
What rom would the be
The ten post limit is because alot of new members post questions in the dev section. If you are a general user of xda then a ten post limit is nothing.
Maybe try a different heading thay describes your problem in a nutshell. By the way what is your problem, you never said.
Sent from my Incredible using Tapatalk
Answer in this thread ten times and you will get your ten post
I agree with the ten post rule and actually believe it should be a higher number
Or even better if you had to be approved by a mod to be able to.post in the Dev section
Sent from my Incredible using XDA Premium App
Yeah, it is not that hard to get ten posts. Besides all you really need to do is read for a while. The development section is for the pros not for the questions that have been asked a thousand times
That is what this section is for!
i8qbert said:
Yeah, it is not that hard to get ten posts. Besides all you really need to do is read for a while. The development section is for the pros not for the questions that have been asked a thousand times
That is what this section is for!
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EXACTLY...
I
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Need
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
You could at least post your "10" in different threads....
If they want the development section to be developers, than I can understand that but it seems strange to ask a question about say, Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo here rather than on a thread about it.
srvxda said:
If they want the development section to be developers, than I can understand that but it seems strange to ask a question about say, Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo here rather than on a thread about it.
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Not at all, actually. While myself and others are also guilty of posting such banter in ROM threads, that isn't where it actually belongs. Questions posted in the ROM threads should be posted only if they're concerning the actual development of the ROM rather than the usual "how do I...?" or "wow, this Rom is great, thanks dev!".
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713251
It appears a reminder may be in order, about the purpose of the development fora on XDA.
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
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Ten posts?
I tend to read and only contribute if I have something to say. Not in this case! Now I have to post just to post. Gee this is kinda fun. I think I will start posting meaningless drivel on more topics. Thanks ten post rule!
Ya post Hi in the introduction thread then Thank everyone who welcomed you. Hell, there's at least 2 or 3 post. Then check out the development (apps/games) and find something you want there and thank them for their hard work.
10 posts shouldn't take you more than a few days if you're active. Don't need them anyway as the question you're wanting to ask has already been asked.
10 post is annoying, but I understand the reason. Post.
This is the reason for the 10 post rule.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1121527
I realize that this post had over 100 post, but not the place for their post.
My question is why our devs dont have a dev title instead of Senior Member I mean that why some devs leave XDA and get their own website because they don't get the credit or place that they deserve....??
1107963 said:
My question is why our devs dont have a dev title instead of Senior Member I mean that why some devs leave XDA and get their own website because they don't get the credit or place that they deserve....??
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You need to apply for the dev title only some get it i just found out about it like 2 days ago
JoelZ9614 said:
You need to apply for the dev title only some get it i just found out about it like 2 days ago
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I think that makes sense. That way not just anyone can say I am a dev. I think that with the work your guys do it should have some prestige to it.
Dumb
The only reason I use XDA is as a root resource; this is just irritating that I have to post these ten msgs.
Any Idea why??
myonlyst4r, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:
Please Read: New members (those with fewer than 10 posts) are not permitted to post to development-related forums. The developer forums are intended for experienced users and developers to discuss ways to improve technical aspects related to ROMs and Software. While you may be an expert, we ask ALL users to avoid posting questions about using or installing ROMs and software in the Development Forums. To encourage this new Users can read but not post in these forums.
To ask Questions about developing your device, installing ROMs, software and themes you must go to the Q&A or General Forum.
Remember, your question has very likely been asked already, so please search before posting.
Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.
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You have few posts.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Loll u need 10 posts!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
myonlyst4r said:
Any Idea why??
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A little reading goes a long way, especially in the dev section. You quoted the answer to your question in the OP
aeakin said:
A little reading goes a long way, especially in the dev section. You quoted the answer to your question in the OP
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Hence the reason for the restrictions ....lol
I already have > 10 posts....
how am i supposed to post 10 posts? it will just be spam then..
i mean all i wanted to post was a thank u for my rom developer (krarvind, slim bean rocks) and ask about new features etc
zeddicus0 said:
how am i supposed to post 10 posts? it will just be spam then..
i mean all i wanted to post was a thank u for my rom developer (krarvind, slim bean rocks) and ask about new features etc
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Spamming ten posts isn't a great idea. Try and post something meaningful and maybe try and help some others in the Q&A threads.
Rom development threads aren't really the place to post a thank you, that's why there is a thanks button. Also feature requests probably would be better suited in the Q&A thread for that rom. If it doesn't have one already maybe one can be started.
Same problem.
I am also having a problem posting on development related threads. I am having a problem and cannot let anyone know. I already have 11 posts, why am I still getting the same message that I cannot post? Any help?
I agree that the ten posts thing is ridiculous. I have been pulling my hair out trying to solve a problem, and I found a thread which discussed a possible solution to that problem, but was having some difficulty with it working, and wanted to post the specifics of my problem and how they related to the solution presented to see if it was reasonable to think the solution might work. Instead, I am treated to a condescending message telling me, in effect to take a hike (to put it politely). I don't have time to come up with ten meaningful contributions before I get help solving the problem I am having - heck, I wasn't even sure from the message where I was even supposed to post such messages, since it said I can't post to "development-related forums" - what else is there on a site called xda-developers, anyway? I only found this thread using google to search for this whole ten posts nonsense.
And then, some of the responses by certain moderators seemed down-right rude, for instance one post complaining about how they wanted to thank the author for a post and report some minor issues was countered by a moderator who apparently didn't even read that part and closed the thread, declaring that their post had proved the need for the rule, as the person obviously hadn't learned "how to search" which doesn't even make sense consider the original poster already implied they HAD since otherwise how would you thank someone for something they found helpful and contribute findings on it?
Anyway, the best I could do was to send a private message to the most recent poster who appeared to be knowledgeable about the topic and hope for a reply. They were not the original poster, nor were they one of several other people knowledgable who had previously posted; this is thus a sub-optimal solution. Furthermore, any replies directly to me won't be shared with the world, meaning it won't help anyone with the same problem as me.
And you expect me to contribute in the future after treating me this way?
Thread closed
The ten post rule is to fight spammers and people who don't search cluttering up development threads with support questions. It's not hard to get ten meaningful posts. I understand frustrations when you're trying to figure out a problem, you've done the best which is ask someone knowledgeable for help, but the rule is in place for a reason.
This thread is aimed at teaching new users the way to be able to post in a development thread WITHOUT spamming or posting rubbish and help you get along better in the development threads.
I know that this thread will probably be ignored by most users who this is aimed at, BUT if it helps teach even a few users then this has been worth it.
**As of January 2016, you no longer need to have 10 posts to be able to post in development threads. To be able to create your own thread in the development forums you will need to have 50 posts though.
If you have a thread you'd like to post into the development forum but you don't have enough posts, you can create your thread in the General section for your device and then ask a Moderator of that forum to move it into the Development forum for you.**
First, let's look at why new users generally want to be able to post in a development thread ;
*They think it's the cool place to hangout.
*They think their question will be answered quicker.
*They want to say thanks to a developer for the work that they've done.
*They think their question is important and should be posted in development.
Now, let's explain the truth about the 4 points above ;
*Development threads are NOT the cool place to hangout. As this is a development forum there's no need to hangout but if you really feel the need to relax and hangout with other members, then participate in some discussions in the General section of your device.
*Your question will NOT be answered any quicker by posting it in a development thread. If you take a look at every single device forum on XDA, you'll see that the Q&A forum will always have more posts and threads than development forums will.
*While it's nice that you want to thank the developer for their hard work, making a post saying "Thanks" will only fill up the thread with useless posts. To stop this, XDA admins added a Thanks button which you will see at the bottom of every post on this forum (as long as you have made 1 post). If you're using the XDA app, just click on the relevant post and you'll see a few options appear. One of those options is "Thanks".
If you think that clicking the Thanks button is not enough then you could always donate to the developer to help them carry on development.
*While your question may well be important, it still doesn't belong in the development section. You may get flamed if you post your question there as all questions should be posted in the Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting forum. Development is only intended for development.
What's the best way for me to make 50 posts?
*As is mentioned a lot when talking about new users, the best way to make your first 50 posts is to go to your device forum and see if you can help some people in the Q&A forum. This is a great thing to do because it means you can help others learn more from you helping them with their questions. You may also gain some Thanks along the way.
*If you can't answer the questions, either because they're too hard OR others answer them too quickly, you go into your devices General forum and get involved in some discussions about your phone. This is a great thing to do because it can teach you some things which you didn't know about your device + you may be able to share what you've learnt which others may not know about. It also gives you a good introduction to your forum and the people you will see there.
*If you can't contribute towards any of the discussions either then you can also have a look around the following forums and see if you can help people in the forums aswell - General, Questions & Answers, Android General and Android Q&A.
How can I get involved with the development community?
Well, being active is the simple answer.
As you'll notice across XDA, the type of posts allowed in development threads are decided by the developer. Some developers want dev talk only. The won't want any kind of questions or general comments. Most, however, don't really mind what kind of posts go into their thread. Most will allow questions and a small amount of off topic chatter to happen within their thread. This allows a small community to grow - one who uses this certain piece of development and can help out others along the way. Getting involved in such small communities is great because you can learn a lot, help people a lot and even make your way towards those 50 posts needed to create your own thread in the development forums.
Now that you've read through this thread, you will know the best and easiest way to make your first 50 posts. If you see any other members who are not following this guidance, feel free to link them to this thread so that they can learn from it aswell. Now you're good to go!
Good job, I added a link from the new user guide. :good:
This is definitely the thing that was needed.
@KidCarter93,you have done a good job
:good: :good:
d'oh said:
Seriosly, the rule annoys me, having 10 posts does not mean you have any idea about developement...
Half of the posts in the dev threads i follow are exactly the kind of posts that are tried to prevent with this rule... The authors of the posts often have 100+ posts but show they do not have any idea...
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You are right.. if the rule wasn't there.. think what might have happened.. it prevents users from creating account and jump to development section.. it lets you understand how the site works when you are gaining 10 posts..
You can always report such posts you mentioned or you can suggest better alternative if you have one in alternative to 10 post rule thread here..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2115765
mikef said:
Good job, I added a link from the new user guide. :good:
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Well done mate !
Just added a link from the New members friendly Q&A thread.
Nice write up you always do a good job with these things.
sent from my T.A.R.T.I.S
(Time And Relative Tarts In Space)
Thx for the advice
Being one of the users this thread is aimed at, I say thank you.
Your tone is friendly and not arrogant, the advice seems helpful and reasonable.
And I say this although I'm one of the users who's reason to post is not listed in your first argument about "why new users generally want to be able to post in a development thread".
I actually wanted to post, to report on a currently discussed issue, that seemed to be not clear yet and help another user by linking to a thread about Link2SD to help him resolve his issue.
But I understand and accept the rules - that's why I'm off now to the Q&A for the SGA. Maybe I can share my experiences with flashing my device there
McFex said:
Being one of the users this thread is aimed at, I say thank you.
Your tone is friendly and not arrogant, the advice seems helpful and reasonable.
And I say this although I'm one of the users who's reason to post is not listed in your first argument about "why new users generally want to be able to post in a development thread".
I actually wanted to post, to report on a currently discussed issue, that seemed to be not clear yet and help another user by linking to a thread about Link2SD to help him resolve his issue.
But I understand and accept the rules - that's why I'm off now to the Q&A for the SGA. Maybe I can share my experiences with flashing my device there
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I'd just like to say thanks for doing things "properly". When you first posted the above comment, I kept an eye on your posts to see what you were posting. I was actually pleasently surprised to see you were posting the way this thread asks for it to be done.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
KidCarter93 said:
I'd just like to say thanks for doing things "properly". When you first posted the above comment, I kept an eye on your posts to see what you were posting. I was actually pleasently surprised to see you were posting the way this thread asks for it to be done.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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Even if I run the risk of posting the occasional "useless" post here, let me say thanks for saying thanks .
Feels good to be appreciated.
This forum is wonderful, just like most of the regulars here.
It's a pity, that for many noobs the substance of the first post is not common sense, but I guess most noobs are also noobs to life itself (unlike me ), and still have to learn the meaning of "If you wish for potatoes, you better grab a hoe!".
But you know how it is, haters gonna hate and noobs will be noobs
What about experienced devs who happen to be new to xda?
Thanks for the post, those are good points about how to make your 10 posts, but I can't help but feel a little frustrated as a long time software developer but new xda user:
KidCarter93 said:
First, let's look at why new users generally want to be able to post in a development thread ;
*They think it's the cool place to hangout.
*They think their question will be answered quicker.
*They want to say thanks to a developer for the work that they've done.
*They think their question is important and should be posted in development.
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The ROM I use uses XDA as their main bug reporting platform, I have a legitimate bug report to make but it's a bit annoying having to jump through hoops to report it
brainflakes said:
Thanks for the post, those are good points about how to make your 10 posts, but I can't help but feel a little frustrated as a long time software developer but new xda user:
The ROM I use uses XDA as their main bug reporting platform, I have a legitimate bug report to make but it's a bit annoying having to jump through hoops to report it
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Well, you can pm the dev or any active user in that thread to post it in behalf of you. Or just make 10 posts as xda is more than just a single rom and you would surely like to get involved sooner or later
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[APP][2.3+] SpecCheck - Compare Devices Side By Side
Deadly said:
Well, you can pm the dev or any active user in that thread to post it in behalf of you. Or just make 10 posts as xda is more than just a single rom and you would surely like to get involved sooner or later
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Well, I wouldn't know who was best to hassle with a PM Anyway yeah I'm just bringing my post number up by answering Q&A questions, I suppose helping a few users out is "payment" for being able to use the dev forum
brainflakes said:
Thanks for the post, those are good points about how to make your 10 posts, but I can't help but feel a little frustrated as a long time software developer but new xda user:
The ROM I use uses XDA as their main bug reporting platform, I have a legitimate bug report to make but it's a bit annoying having to jump through hoops to report it
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Experienced devs could always write to a moderator and ask for the restriction to be lifted for their account. Surprisingly few do this however, but generally just start helping people and get to 10 pretty quickly.
Thank you,
mikef
XDA Senior Moderator
thanks for information
going to dhd forum to help other guys......
Notes taken :good:
I already have more than 10 posts, how come I still cant post in development?
MilkEven said:
I already have more than 10 posts, how come I still cant post in development?
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Sometimes it can take up to an hour before your able to post in development because of the system refreshing itself.
If it becomes over an hour since your tenth post, your best option would be to contact a moderator who could then get it sorted for you
Your question shouldn't have been asked in here though.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
hey guys, i got now 10 posts, but still cannot post in developer forum :/
*edit* ... already answered... im stupid
eloquent said:
hey guys, i got now 10 posts, but still cannot post in developer forum :/
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KidCarter93 said:
Sometimes it can take up to an hour before your able to post in development because of the system refreshing itself.
If it becomes over an hour since your tenth post, your best option would be to contact a moderator who could then get it sorted for you
Your question shouldn't have been asked in here though.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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^ This ^
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One can change their name, but not attitude -Rahul
Developer frustration
I totally see the point... BUT: As a developer wanting to help by sharing modules/code on a development thread I was thwarted by the ten post rule.
Sure, I can take the time to "help" in other threads so that I can ultimately help in the thread that I originally intended but it makes me wonder how many skilled developers are refraining from helping simply because they don't have the time or inclination to get to the ten post count.
In the spirit of helping people that are having the same problem as I had (that drove me to develop the module I'm planning on posting) I will persevere.