[Q] Question re forum vs. subforum, subscribed vs. participated - About xda-developers.com

I am not sure if the android app (I am using the premium app) is taking a different path than the XDA website... but there are things that are different between them and it is making it very difficult and confusing to seamlessly move from the app to the website, or back.
On the app, there is a sidebar with, among other items, a line that says "Subscriptions" followed by number in parentheses. Above that line there is a line/option for "Participated" .
If you select "Subscriptions", and you will get a list of Forums and Subforums you have subscribed to. It is easy to "Subscribe" to a forum (or subforum), as the dropdown menu has an option to Subscribe.
Before continuing, this is how I see the logical breakdown of forums, subforums and threads:
Forum (example HTC ONE (or VERIZON HTC ONE if it exists)) ==>
Subforum(example: HTC ONE Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting) ==>​Thread(example: Help! I bricked my phone!!!).​
In the app, when you select "Participated" you are presented with every thread in which you have added a comment.
However, on the website, when I navigate to the forum (not a subforum) and I want to "Subscribe" to it, I cannot find any way to do so on that page (the main forum page). I notice however, that if you go to one a subforums (see example above), you have the option there to subscribe to that subforum. However, like the app, I would like to have quick access to all subforums for a particular device.
I have "subscribed" to them from the mobile app, but they are not showing up once I am at my laptop... the only subscriptions that appear anywhere (without having to go to a dedicated page with subscibed threads, etc.) is in the right sidebar under the three tabs entitled "MESSAGES THREADS FORUMS." Here (for me) it shows I am subscribed to one subforum that I accidentally subscribed to 3 years ago (from the app I believe). The app too, correctly shows I am subscribed to this subforum. But there is no where on the website that shows the Forums I am subscribed—which the app does (as described above).
With the number of forums for devices growing to several hundred why is there not just a way to create a bookmark to go directly to the forum that you have already added as a subscribed forum/a favorite??? I swear I think every time I have come to this webpage I have to navigate down past 90 devices to find the forum I want (google XDA XYZ Device works, but there should be a way on the forum landing page). A way to find "bookmarked' forums. I use the work bookmark" because using the word "subscribe" with "forum" is actually confusing. You already have an option to subscribe to a thread on the website (and the app). And further, a subscription to a thread will send you email updates when there have been new comments to that thread. However, you do not need email notifications to a forum, nor even a subforum... you just need a quick way to navigate to them.
Further confusing the "thread subscription" component of "subscribing" is that now the app has "Participated" (as mentioned above) which I find helpful as no action is required; it automatically allows you to quickly find a thread where you have contributed or asked a question. But this is not available (or easily locatable) on the website....
Can we get the ability to create a favorite or a bookmark to a Forum or Subforum?
I understand that subscribing to threads still makes sense as people may want to be notified or have quick access to a thread which is being updated, but in which they have not made a comment. I think we just need to add a new category to "favorite" or "bookmark" a forum or subforum, and then have threads subscribed to, and threads in which we have participated.
I think in the past few years (and you guys would know!) more people use the app than before... So I think by modifying things as set forth above, it will allow increased usability of XDA overall. XDA has always had to manage and structure/organize a huge amount of information... and I have always found it quite difficult.. Only recently with the options have I noticed more productivity (although I cannot say for certain how "recent" these changes are....
Either way, I hope you can make the app and the site consistent... and preferably let the app's above-mentioned features lead the way.
Thank you...

syntropic said:
[…]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that's a lot of questions!
I definitely won't be able to answer them all at once, so I will just answer the ones I can.
1. In answer to the question "Where are the Participated threads on the website?", just do [your_username's_profile] > Statistics > See all posts by [your_username]. It does essentially the same thing as Participated does in the app.
EDIT- More answers to come... when and if I have time!

Related

[Q] Viewing new posts in which you have participated

Hello, this is the only vBulletin forum that I browse(I'm more of a SMF guy, I use it and develop for it) and I can't find the place where I can see new topics in which I have participated(Tapatalk does this for this forum). Is there a link where I can see the new topics?
Dragooon123 said:
Hello, this is the only vBulletin forum that I browse(I'm more of a SMF guy, I use it and develop for it) and I can't find the place where I can see new topics in which I have participated(Tapatalk does this for this forum). Is there a link where I can see the new topics?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple of things you can do:
1
Subscribe to threads you are interested in and receive email notification of new posts being added.
2
Bookmark your profile page http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=1153710 and in there go to the statistics tab>Find all posts by. Then by clicking on your posts you can see if there have been any replies.
Not sure if these links might work also:
Find all posts by Dragooon123
Find all threads started by Dragooon123
Mike
im using subscription witout email, means i can go to my user cp and i see all threads i subscripted that have new posts
so i dont get too many emails but see all new replys..
The question is,
why does the XDA app offer this feature,
but the full version of the board does not?
I could theoretically run an emulator, run the XDA android app, and use this forum MORE efficiently than actually turning on a laptop. I use the 'participated' area every single day.
That seems backward. There has to be a way to pull this data to a web browser, if it can be pulled to an Android phone.
pkopalek said:
The question is,
why does the XDA app offer this feature,
but the full version of the board does not?
I could theoretically run an emulator, run the XDA android app, and use this forum MORE efficiently than actually turning on a laptop. I use the 'participated' area every single day.
That seems backward. There has to be a way to pull this data to a web browser, if it can be pulled to an Android phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should set your usercp so that it will automatically subscribe to threads you reply to (without notification)
Then go to http://forum.xda-developers.com/subscription.php?do=viewsubscription&folderid=all to view them.
MikeChannon said:
A couple of things you can do:
1
Subscribe to threads you are interested in and receive email notification of new posts being added.
2
Bookmark your profile page http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=1153710 and in there go to the statistics tab>Find all posts by. Then by clicking on your posts you can see if there have been any replies.
Not sure if these links might work also:
Find all posts by Dragooon123
Find all threads started by Dragooon123
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to dredge up an old topic, but I haven't found an answer to the same question, and this is the only time I have seen it have replies. Finding threads posted by a user will not do the same thing, the participated thread button in the tapatalk or xda app does. One should not have to subscribe to every thread either, that would be pointless considering that is for threads you REALLY want to follow.
The information is accessible to the app, which means ultimately it would be easy to implement on the website, and it is counter productive you can only find it in app. The best answer I have is find the posts in the app, but if I have to post something longer, or with links, I have to find the thread on the website.
As popular as this site is, this feature would improve quite a bit.. people(maybe more noobs) would actually follow threads they've posted questions on, so the replies aren't a waste of time. How many threads have multiple people asked for more details and the OP never replies.. Subscribing to threads would only work on any new posts, and some of my oldest ones I would still want to know activity for. This all seems obvious.

[IDEA] My Devices forum sorting

I don't know if it is possible or not, but I was thinking it would be super convenient if registered users could go through a list and check off all of the device forums they regularly use. Than when they visit the forums, they can choose a "My Devices" sorting mode and have a much shorter list of forums to look through. I'm sure anybody with one of the newest devices would be open to this idea.
I guess it's a similar idea to the "Favorites" tab on the XDA app, but it would be available on the main site's forums. Heck, just making it possible for our favorites from the app to be stored though the account would be a plus.
Anyway, if you have any thoughts on the idea, please post below.
I think the "find your device" search input is enough to find your device forum easily... and if you visit a forum more regularly than the others, just put it into your favourites (well it's my opinion )

Improvement suggestion: sorting of posts in participated section

Hi,
Got an improvement suggestion for the desktop site under Participated threads section:
This section shows 15 threads I participated in. It could have been OK, if not for the following:
1. Threads are sorted by their creation date. This means that if there are new posts in "veteran threads" (and there are lots of mega threads like these), they will soon be out of the list.
2. There's no way to see the next threads in the list (next 15 or so).
This means that if there are new posts in such threads in which I participated, I will not see them at all. Of course I can subscribe to all these threads, but why do so if there's a section for it?
Just to compare, if I browse the forum via the Tapatalk app, I'm able to see new posts in this section sorted by the date of the last post. I believe this should be the right way to go.
I think this is a small and necessary change that should be quite easy to implement.
Cheers.
Anybody home? Maybe this is not the right forum to raise such a suggestion?
Thanks for the suggestion, but we recommend subscribing to a thread if you want to be kept up to date on progress. The "Participated Threads" tab sorts in order of last update.
bitpushr said:
Thanks for the suggestion, but we recommend subscribing to a thread if you want to be kept up to date on progress. The "Participated Threads" tab sorts in order of last update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answer. However, it seems that at least on the desktop site, the "participated threads" section is not sorted by last update (as it should), but by thread creation order.
Kindly would like to bump this:
The participated section should have the exact effect as performing an advanced search with myself as the posting user. In this case, I'll get a list of the threads I have posted in, ordered by post date (threads with newer posts are shown first). If number of threads exceeds a page, then I can select the page for previous posts.
However, the participated section button shows only one page, where this page holds threads ordered by thread creation date.
What I think that should be done is that the participated button will simply imitate the search action described above. This is exactly what Tapatalk does, but unfortunately not what happens here. Of course I can always perform this advanced search to see what happens in the threads I participate in, but this is very cumbersome.

Navigating forum

It has been a couple months since I've been on the site and quite often I am directed to what I want to find via a google search.
However when trying to access the forums today from the top banner bar, the options seem extremely limited.
It lists things like "Top Phones" "New Phones" "Root Tools" "Top Apps", etc. and each of these has a small sub menu of choices.
However I can't find a way to just access the General discussion forum...the one I'm posting in now.
In order to get here I needed to google "XDA general discussion" and then clumsily navigate to this "About XDA" sub section.
Am I missing something with how this site has been updated and how one is supposed to navigate it?
thanks.
TraderJack said:
It has been a couple months since I've been on the site and quite often I am directed to what I want to find via a google search.
However when trying to access the forums today from the top banner bar, the options seem extremely limited.
It lists things like "Top Phones" "New Phones" "Root Tools" "Top Apps", etc. and each of these has a small sub menu of choices.
However I can't find a way to just access the General discussion forum...the one I'm posting in now.
In order to get here I needed to google "XDA general discussion" and then clumsily navigate to this "About XDA" sub section.
Am I missing something with how this site has been updated and how one is supposed to navigate it?
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72689104&postcount=2
sd_shadow said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72689104&postcount=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that does give me a little bit more control.
However (to anyone listening who cares) - this still has problems. In order to search for a forum to jump to, I must first know its name to search.
In my case, since I've been here a while I know/knew there were general forums, so I typed "general" and I was able to pull some of them up.
But for new users, or anyone unsure of where to post a topic that doesn't have to do with a specific device it still obscures the entire forum structure from them.
Also, unless I was referred to the link above, there is really no way for me to know that typing in that box is how I find a forum, since it says "Type device...& more"....that "more" is pretty broad.
Wouldn't/couldn't it be a good idea to both write somewhere up there that the box is how you are meant to navigate to a specific forum rather than just search? Also couldn't there be a link within the list of results that always shows that allows one to view an entire structured list of the forums?
Part of the issue as I see it is that while many thinks are device based, there are certain issues that have the same solutions across a wide array of devices. For instance I just had an issue with APN settings being grayed out (non editable) on my wife's Galaxy S5, but I saw similar posts and partial solutions scattered throughout device forums for dozens of devices. I know that there will never be full consolidation into one "general" topic for these, but I think having a "general" forum (or forums) as the first landing page for these types of questions is more beneficial than forcing users (simply by the current design) to post in their specific device.
Anyway, I might be late to the party and these discussions may have already beat the horse dead, I still love the site for the wealth of information it provides but IMHO the redesign in this aspect borked functionality/ease of use when it comes to "finding" the right place to go to post a new thread.
/
TraderJack said:
Thanks, that does give me a little bit more control.
However (to anyone listening who cares) - this still has problems. In order to search for a forum to jump to, I must first know its name to search.
In my case, since I've been here a while I know/knew there were general forums, so I typed "general" and I was able to pull some of them up.
But for new users, or anyone unsure of where to post a topic that doesn't have to do with a specific device it still obscures the entire forum structure from them.
Also, unless I was referred to the link above, there is really no way for me to know that typing in that box is how I find a forum, since it says "Type device...& more"....that "more" is pretty broad.
Wouldn't/couldn't it be a good idea to both write somewhere up there that the box is how you are meant to navigate to a specific forum rather than just search? Also couldn't there be a link within the list of results that always shows that allows one to view an entire structured list of the forums?
Part of the issue as I see it is that while many thinks are device based, there are certain issues that have the same solutions across a wide array of devices. For instance I just had an issue with APN settings being grayed out (non editable) on my wife's Galaxy S5, but I saw similar posts and partial solutions scattered throughout device forums for dozens of devices. I know that there will never be full consolidation into one "general" topic for these, but I think having a "general" forum (or forums) as the first landing page for these types of questions is more beneficial than forcing users (simply by the current design) to post in their specific device.
Anyway, I might be late to the party and these discussions may have already beat the horse dead, I still love the site for the wealth of information it provides but IMHO the redesign in this aspect borked functionality/ease of use when it comes to "finding" the right place to go to post a new thread.
/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try the Search Plus feature?
Wood Man said:
Did you try the Search Plus feature?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've looked at it, but it doesn't really remediate the issues I mention above.
While it can help you "find" answers to questions, google is just as capable in most cases of directing you to the relevant threads on XDA.
The problem is not really where to go to find answers, as much as it is to ask a question.
It seems the way the site is now structured as far as indexing/lookup is concerned is more of a "knowledgebase" then a forum.
I'm not sure if that is necessarily a bad thing - but it is different from how things used to be and for long time users it makes things a bit more difficult to adapt.

[CLOSED] Welcome to XDA 2021!

KNOWN ISSUES as of 12/3 (we're working on these!):
Some threads/posts may be missing. We imported missing threads, some first posts missing still.
Need to launch new XDA app asap. All current apps are broken like Tapatalk and XDA app. Use the browser instead for now plz (update: 12/7-8/20 target launch)
In-thread search not working (update: 12/4/20 should be fixed)
More stuff (we're reading every post!)
======================
For login issues... use the "Forgot password" to reset your password. If you do not know your email address or it is no longer active, we will work on a way of getting access restored.
If Google login does not work, you can reset your password and reassociate (called "Connect Account") your Google account to allow login.
======================
We're excited to welcome you to the new version of the XDA Forums, which is now based on XenForo software instead of vBulletin. If you're not familiar, XenForo is a modern forum platform with a focus on speed, sharing, and overall fluidity. TLDR: we long ago outgrew vBulletin and we wanted to make a huge upgrade.
Things are different! We know it will take some time for everyone to adjust to the new forums, and we ask for your patience as we work out bugs and issues to make the XDA 2021 forums as familiar as possible. One fun thing to try: change templates in the bottom left corner. We have a few to choose from and might add more. Whether you like a dark or light look, or if you want to see classic XDA colors from a decade ago , we have you covered.
Use this thread to report bugs or ask questions. Our partner firm, Audentio, which designed the forums, might respond on our behalf within this thread.
Thank you for your continued support of XDA, and we hope you enjoy XDA 2021! ✌
Updated lists moved to XDA XenForo 2.2 Upgrade thread here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/xenforo-2-2-upgrade-post-bugs-issues-and-comments-here.4245677
Known Bugs/Regressions:
Some posts (former DevDB OPs, at least) can't be edited unless user disables the WYSIWYG editor and uses BBCODE instead. Fixed 12/09 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-115#post-84076621
All users have enforced signature length and link limits, which should be higher/removed, at least for advanced forum users. Fixed 12/20 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-135#post-84140273 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-135#post-84141915
Advanced forum user max title length is too short, truncating them (e.g. "Senior Recognized Developer / Recognized Contribut").
Long forum names are truncated (e.g. "Android Software and Hacking General [Developers O").
Thanks/Likes counts are reduced for most users, sometimes dramatically, seemingly from Aug 29 - Dec 2; possibly related to (7).
Various old forum emojis aren't mapped to new unicode ones, and ones in old posts that do exist (e.g. :cowboy:) don't display.
Some users have reported their OPs and/or attachments reverting to older versions; possibly related to (1). Fixed 12/09 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-115#post-84076621
Broken redirects from old links for many threads/posts.
Disabling Alert in Preferences forces Mobile App Push enabled, one should be able to disable both.
Users who were Senior Members are now only Members, as though the threshold is different. Fixed 12/09 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-115#post-84076615
"Unfurl"ed URL links to posts sometimes show a preview of the OP instead of the correct post (e.g. [URL unfurl="true"]https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/post-84073623[/URL]
==
Welcome to XDA 2021!
KNOWN ISSUES as of 12/3 (we're working on these!): Some threads/posts may be missing. We imported missing threads, some first posts missing still. Need to launch new XDA app asap. All current apps are broken like Tapatalk and XDA app. Use the...
forum.xda-developers.com
)
Missing colored/underlined user names to denote advanced forum users (e.g. Recognized Contributors).
Posts containing only quotes and no new text shouldn't be allowed.
Ability to subscribe to an entire forum is missing for some forums.
XDA Wiki pages are missing.
CAPTCHA from editing posts triggers an Oops error; disabling the WYSIWYG editor as in (1) apparently works around it some of the time. Fixed 01/12 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-144#post-84276155
Attachment file extensions need to be restored (e.g. jar missing). Fixed 12/15 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-130#post-84113793
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] functionality is broken and pics lost.
Attachments per post are limited to 10, far lower than the former site. Fixed 12/20 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-135#post-84141915
Shell scripts are detected and rejected as attachments, even if renamed as .txt files.
Attempting to enable/disable the WYSIWYG editor while editing certain posts triggers an Oops error; possibly related to (16). Fixed 01/14 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-145#post-84284035
Former DevDB downloads are inaccessible. Fixed 02/19 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-145#post-84284015 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/devdb-archives.4226791/#post-84521543
Search "this category" option never shows any results when used.
Recognized Developers can't moderate their own threads anymore.
Recognized Developer application process is gone. Addressed 01/19 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/status-of-recognized-developer-program.4220403
Some posts have lost their attachments in the migration. Addressed 02/26 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/welcome-to-xda-2021.4197018/page-152#post-84563135
Updated lists moved to XDA XenForo 2.2 Upgrade thread here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/xenforo-2-2-upgrade-post-bugs-issues-and-comments-here.4245677
Nice-to-Haves/Requests:
Jump to Last Unread link icon in Watched threads page.
Attachments management page.
Folders to organize Watched threads.
Folders to organize saved PMs/Conversations.
Most Thanked/Liked Posts widget in thread sidebar. Added 03/11 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/xenforo-2-2-upgrade-post-bugs-issues-and-comments-here.4245677
Search This Thread widget in thread sidebar. Added 03/11 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...nd-comments-here.4245677/page-2#post-84640119
Edit Reason for edited posts.
Add strikeout to the WYSIWYG editor on mobile layout. Added 03/11 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/xenforo-2-2-upgrade-post-bugs-issues-and-comments-here.4245677
Threads Started by User search shortcut in user info popup.
Thanked/Liked Posts by User search shortcut in user info popup.
The ability to use the post editor buttons to insert BBCODE even when the WYSIWYG functionality is disabled.
Country flags below user images/info in threads (could replace trophy and post counts in expandable area)
Telegram account linking.
Make the forum search default to in-thread.
Thread Ratings.
My Devices list in profile. Added 03/11 https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/xenforo-2-2-upgrade-post-bugs-issues-and-comments-here.4245677
Donate To Me links.
Add thread page number to HTML title.
Excited to be on a new platform!
What's your favorite theme? Mine is kind of Classic!
Site is very slow.
What is the equivalent of usercp now?
So SLOW it is unusable. Worthless. Seriously, worthless.
Maverick_TN said:
Site is very slow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you guys are probably still working out the bugs, but so far the forum is super slow. It take 20 to 30 seconds to load a page. And yes, my Internet works fine with all other sites at the same time so I know it's not my computer, browser or Internet connection.
Also, for some reason, I can't load page 2 of threads and it seems like some recent posts were not migrated over?
Question. What's this mean for the XDA Android app? Not able to login at the moment. Plans for updating it I take it?
Where is the Search Thread box? I used it all the time! Edit: When using the top of page Search box here is a drop-down menu option to search this thread but it's no working. Edit 2: It has been fixed!
How can you add a title to a post since Advanced is gone?
No option to not include your signature in some posts & in others not like in Advanced before the migration?
Most Thanked posts in the thread (liked) in the right sidebar is gone?
***
Hopefully the site is still settling in after the migration. I know this can take time. Looking forward to continue here on the new platform and hope all the great experiences of old times remain the same and new ones are added.
I would second the earlier comment about the site being slow but again i probably answered my own question in the first sentence i typed.
it's slow, but the cost of change need some time, imagine you are merge years to a new platform..
it's not easy for sure, and can't be done in one day.
I assume that everyone can already tell but it really is very slow. I hope that it can be fixed!
This is dreadfully slow, 20-30+ seconds to load a single page.
Trying to go to the *last* page of a thread causes it to continuously go to the first page of the thread, and "jump to new" is even more broken, listing "recent" posts but labeling each one as "#1" and then mixing in "first page" posts as well.
Evident for me on this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...oid-auto-use-torque-with-androidauto.3657805/
Update: while we're back online, we know the forums are slow. We're actively working to fix some database issues that are causing the slowness. Thanks for your patience.
The site looks great! Thank you for all your hard work on this! I am sure you will get all the bugs worked out soon
Small bug: It seems I can no longer moderate my XDA Community App forum. Is this on the list of things to fix?
curiousrom said:
Where is the Search Thread box? I used it all the time!
How can you add a title to a post since Advanced is gone?
No option to not include your signature in some posts like in Advanced?
Most liked posts in the thread box on the right side is gone?
***
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try the UI before asking, on top right of OP you will see few dots, click that to expand menu and tap edit thread and then you will be able to edit the title. I am finding my way around too.
Oops! We ran into some problems.
I can't log in to xda's Android app, which prompts me for the wrong password, but I can log in to the web, although it's very slow.

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