Develop Bugs

Something Needs to Change

All,
I've decided that rather than start attacking some of the forum users whose conduct I don't agree with, I'd write an opinion and a suggestion.
Let me start by saying, that I love XDA. Before I became a member, I spent countless hours reading through threads on these forums. Admittedly, prior to discovering the Nexus One I was an iPhone user, and apple fanboy. I can honestly say that XDA helped cure me of that.
I am not a developer. I use these forums as a method of learning how to enhance my phone; to build a working knowledge of Android; with a hope to one day I will be able to repay the Devs who helped me with original work of my own. Lately, as many people have already stated, I've noticed that the quality of discussion in many forum threads has gone down significantly. The mods do an excellent job of keeping threads on topic, and cleaning useless posts, however, I think its getting to be too much for them. This is my attempt to provide advice to new users, and to suggest a possible course of action to help correct the conduct that is a cancer on this great site.
I've seen threads where Dev's are threatened if they don't release ROMs, where people demand ETAs. Team Hacksung, who worked tirelessly to release CM7 for the SGS2 actually had to threaten to leave XDA to bring order to their development thread. I've also seen threads degrade into rascism and discrimination, threats of violence and bigotry. None of this is acceptable, and will serve no other goal than forcing developers to leave XDA.
People need to understand a few things:
[*] Dev's work is done on their own free-time
[*] Dev's work is done for no compensation other than the gratitude of their peers and the occasional donation.
[*] Dev's are under no obligation to release ANYTHING to the members of XDA - If they don't feel their work is ready, or they aren't ready to share it, you have no right to demand it released.
[*] Access to Dev work is a privilege that can easily be revoked; NOT A RIGHT.
In addition to the excellent and trying job that the moderators already undertake, I suggest the following apply to anyone not recognized as a developer:
[*] There is a 3 strike rule with regards to posting in each development section. Any posts deemed to be off-topic, not-relevant, hateful, malicious, rascist, etc should be deemed a strike. I would not include obvious jokes, sincere mistakes, attempts to be helpful, etc as a strike. My goal is not to discourage participation, but to discourage comments designed to be harmful.
[*]Strike 1 is a warning, Strike 2 is a one week ban from posting within the development forums, strike 3 is a permanent ban from posting within the development forums.
Moderators would be responsible for determining what is a strike based on a pre-determined criteria.
My 2c, take it or leave it..
C0mbe

"In a perfect world..."

github said:
"In a perfect world..."
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This is an internet forum, not the world... you can be as punitive as you like...
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App

I think your suggestions are too lenient. In the six years I've been here, the mods have only gotten more and more lax in the rules with the influx of Android users. It used to be that if you said something retarded or offensive, it was an automatic ban. Now, it seems as though it takes an act of congress to get an abusive user removed. Don't worry, though. Their are some changes coming soon that will help out tremendously.

Rule with an Iron Fist!!!
I agree and it's quite simple. Have respect and decency toward others and remember this is a "family oriented" site/community and that needs to be respected. I have stated my advice elsewhere in the forums that XDA needs to start ruling with an "IRON FIST" and keep this site enjoyabe and respectable as it should be. I stand behind that and always will. It is the best way to run the forums otherwise it will turn into a battleground of idiots envoking arguments, name calling, etc. I personally take offense to people who attack others in the forums and elsewhere on XDA. I have probably gotten a little out of line in the past a couple of times but that was due to others' attacks and flaming.
If you feel you should be allowed freedom of speech and explicit visual interpretation/expressionon on XDA, then this isn't the community for you. XDA holds the right to moderate it's site and forums as they see fit. In this case XDA chooses to run a family friendly site instead of a free-for-all slugfest site and I'm in favor of that. This is not directed to anyone in particular, nor do I pass judgement on anybody it's just my thoughts. Leave the hate/foul mouth comments in your world not here @XDA.
I think XDA is the best "go-to" site for all smartphone development needs and resources and that is how everybody should want to keep it. I bet most of you will agree. Do your part by helping and respecting others AT ALL TIMES. Please don't post hate comments, intentional troll provoking/explicit behavior/expressions, hateful/attitude remarks here at XDA.
Thanks for reading.

C0mbe said:
This is an internet forum, not the world... you can be as punitive as you like...
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App
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I didn't want to elaborate, but meh I'm bored. You are not the first to post about this, and won't be the last. It will get buried, and life will go on. I mean, there was already a thread about this in this very forum... and it's one of the top 5 right now.
It's a world wide forum. People will post stuff you don't like. PM a moderator and tell them about it and move on. Or use the ignore list. There are new users both new to phones AND the internet/computers. They will make mistakes and ask questions (ETAs and such). At the end of the day, it's the internet. Does it really bother you so much that someone "demanded" an ETA? Made a disrespectful comment?
An old saying works wonders here. If I had $1 for every "XDA is dying" post, I'd be very wealthy.
P.S. I also heard that the sky is falling.
cajunflavoredbob said:
I think your suggestions are too lenient. In the six years I've been here, the mods have only gotten more and more lax in the rules with the influx of Android users. It used to be that if you said something retarded or offensive, it was an automatic ban. Now, it seems as though it takes an act of congress to get an abusive user removed. Don't worry, though. Their are some changes coming soon that will help out tremendously.
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Yes, bans! bans! more bans! RAWR BANHAMMER. That's the way to encourage growth. Everyone knows that a police state is what is needed.

github said:
I didn't want to elaborate, but meh I'm bored. You are not the first to post about this, and won't be the last. It will get buried, and life will go on. I mean, there was already a thread about this in this very forum... and it's one of the top 5 right now.
It's a world wide forum. People will post stuff you don't like. PM a moderator and tell them about it and move on. Or use the ignore list. There are new users both new to phones AND the internet/computers. They will make mistakes and ask questions (ETAs and such). At the end of the day, it's the internet. Does it really bother you so much that someone "demanded" an ETA? Made a disrespectful comment?
An old saying works wonders here. If I had $1 for every "XDA is dying" post, I'd be very wealthy.
P.S. I also heard that the sky is falling.
Yes, bans! bans! more bans! RAWR BANHAMMER. That's the way to encourage growth. Everyone knows that a police state is what is needed.
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This has nothing to do with site growth. It never has. If you break the rules, you get punished. It's that simple. You can try ignoring useless or inflaming comments all you want, but all that does is allow the behavior to continue. Obviously, catering to the behavior and becoming more lenient didn't work. The result is that the mods are now beginning to crack down harder again. This is the direction the site is now going. This site is about developers, not troubleshooting.
Users should learn manners and respect or go somewhere else. That's the main point. It isn't our job here to teach people the manners their parents could not. That's why the site isn't named XDA-Babysittingservice.com.

It the world wide web there are bound to be idiots out there. If they start banning these people there be just me and the mods left!!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

github said:
At the end of the day, it's the internet. Does it really bother you so much that someone "demanded" an ETA? Made a disrespectful comment?
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No, each and every demand for an ETA or disrespectful comment does not bother me that much, and of course I understand that its the internet. Its very easy to behave like an idiot when you are hiding behind pixels. Its really the totality of the circumstances that I am referring to. The object of XDA is for individuals to share development information with the common goal of improving Android phones. If the purpose of the site is lost in all the ETAs and disrespectful comments, then what is the point? Certainly, the point is not to lose developers...
github said:
P.S. I also heard that the sky is falling.
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Call me whatever you like, your admission that there are multiple complaints like mine on each sub-forum is proof that there is a problem with member conduct on the site. And I did say that my OP was my own opinion, and my 2c.
github said:
Yes, bans! bans! more bans! RAWR BANHAMMER. That's the way to encourage growth. Everyone knows that a police state is what is needed.
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Who says you need a police state? I'm merely talking about adding rules to encourage and enforce order on the forums. And no one wants growth for the sake of growth. A small site that is efficient and has a high number of contributing members will always be better than a large site where the sheer volume of junk posts dilute the contributing members.
Plus, at the end of the day, all anyone really has on the internet is a voice. Thus, the ban remains the most effective method of controlling poor conduct.

It appears you guys have not read the site admins latest announcement...I advice u do

TheRomMistress said:
It appears you guys have not read the site admins latest announcement...I advice u do
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That's fine and all. But does it address the time it takes to actually report problem posts (instead of just complain about them)? Having to PM forum mods that either gave up on your forum, or don't even visit that forum isn't exactly encouraging.
Or will the forums stop becoming void of moderators (like over in EVO 4G land, where I can't remember the last time we had moderator participation besides the banhammer here and there, or moved threads that I report). Will we start seeing more moderator participation?
Of course, my last posts here were worded to spark conversation (and that they did). I am happy to see this latest development, but still feel that it falls short of what is needed. Hopefully there is more in the works.

github said:
That's fine and all. But does it address the time it takes to actually report problem posts (instead of just complain about them)? Having to PM forum mods that either gave up on your forum, or don't even visit that forum isn't exactly encouraging.
Or will the forums stop becoming void of moderators (like over in EVO 4G land, where I can't remember the last time we had moderator participation besides the banhammer here and there, or moved threads that I report). Will we start seeing more moderator participation?
Of course, my last posts here were worded to spark conversation (and that they did). I am happy to see this latest development, but still feel that it falls short of what is needed. Hopefully there is more in the works.
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The report system is being reworked. The site improvements will take some time to roll out fully. Things are going back to the earlier days here. Everyone needs to learn how to act right or reap what they sow.

github said:
That's fine and all. But does it address the time it takes to actually report problem posts (instead of just complain about them)? Having to PM forum mods that either gave up on your forum, or don't even visit that forum isn't exactly encouraging.
Or will the forums stop becoming void of moderators (like over in EVO 4G land, where I can't remember the last time we had moderator participation besides the banhammer here and there, or moved threads that I report). Will we start seeing more moderator participation?
Of course, my last posts here were worded to spark conversation (and that they did). I am happy to see this latest development, but still feel that it falls short of what is needed. Hopefully there is more in the works.
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cajunflavoredbob said:
The report system is being reworked. The site improvements will take some time to roll out fully. Things are going back to the earlier days here. Everyone needs to learn how to act right or reap what they sow.
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What he said

Thanks. I actually moved this into it's own post/question, as it is kind of offtopic from what OP was discussing.

How to apply to become a Recognized Contributor/Themer on XDA

RC-RT Mission Statement
As Recognized Contributors/Themers, we are challenged with the purpose of aiding development, offering assistance and above all, embodying the Spirit of XDA.
Contributing to XDA-Developers is more than simply delivering ROMs, mods and themes and by posting and behaving in a modest and exemplary way, we aim to influence and encourage other users to conduct themselves with friendliness and co-operation. ​
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-------------------------------------------​
So over on the Recognized Contributors forum, it has become clear that most members of XDA don't know that you can apply for the title of Recognized Contributor (RC). I have also included the same for Recognized themer, as I am assuming that it's not well known that you can apply.
What is a Recognized Contributor?
Recognized Contributor is a role intended for members who produce some of the best original and helpful guides for users, as well as helping other users who have problems, in a friendly manner. Recognized Contributors will get a custom user title and the faster ad-free XDA template, as well as access to developer tools currently being created. Any Moderator and or Status-ed Holder on XDA can forward a Nomination to the Committee, should they feel the Individual is deserving of this Status.​​​What is a Recognized Themer?
Recognized Themers are those users who work (often tirelessly) on designing new theme graphics and user interface overhauls for ROMs. Users who aspire to be Recognized Themers should be creating original graphics work for their themes being released, demonstrate a commitment to crediting other users’ work when applicable, and seek the relevant permission in advance from the original creator. Recognized Themers will receive a custom user title and the faster ad-free XDA template, as well as access to developer tools currently being created. Any Moderator and or Status-ed Holder on XDA can forward a Nomination to the Committee, should they feel the Individual is deserving of this Status.​​​Pre-requisites
1. Be a member for at least 1 year (following the XDA rules) with consistent and acceptable activity, upon review with the discretion of the Committee of acceptable months. Usually, 6-8 activity is acceptable.
2. Posted good original threads:
a. Threads that are guides/index/collective information.
b. OP of ROM threads and have good support within the ROM thread or via a separate thread in the Q&A section, and some activity in the Q&A section or other threads besides their own.
c. Place holder threads (discussions of home screens/ wallpapers / Off-Topic, etc) are NOT accepted.
Exception: A proper place holder for a new phone with details and other important information and further maintaining the Q&A on the device.
3. In case of no independent threads, the following may be accepted:
a. An FAQ (or support post) within a ROM thread.
b. Generally moving around from thread to thread to help members – the "Post Count Vs Thanks" could be used as a means to measure this.
4. Good quality general know-how around XDA forums (not necessarily developer standard)
5. Thanks count broadly expected given the forums they are in.
6. Posted regularly enough (complementing point 1) to provide continuous support or less frequently but good high-value support
7. Contribute to a good overall general atmosphere.
8. You have read, understood, and already adhere to the Updated 11/19/2018 Recognized Contributor Code of Conduct: https://www.xda-developers.com/recognized-contributor-code-of-conduct/
How can I apply?
NOTE: Please do not bother to apply if you have created accounts purely to boost your "thanks" count, if you got your buddies to thank all your posts or any other method of boosting thanks! We will know! If you have done this and still wish to apply please note this in your application and your honesty will be taken into account. An RC sets the example for following the rules..one of which is do not make more than one account!
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You can apply by sending your application via PM to:
A member of the RC-RT Committee:
Az Biker​Mr. Clown​karandpr​orangekid ​TNSMANI ​Clark Joseph Kent Lead​​RC-RT Liaison PG101​
Any other Senior Moderator
Any FSM.
Any existing RC, who will pass on your application forward.
Choose whichever route you are more comfortable with, the end result is the same. All list of moderators can be found here.
The best way in which to apply through your PM
When you are writing your application, you will need to include:
A polite hello
Your username with a link to your username will want to check your history.
Why do you think you would make a good RC/RT, including a little about your time on XDA.
Links to your work including Guides, Ref, Roms, Projects, Apps(Themes for RT), etc
Do not forget to include 7/10 links of threads/posts which would be helpful in assessing your application.
A thank you for their time and goodbye (Manners are free)
Please note only apply once to one committee members, do not send 3 applications to 3 different committee members. Also be patient, the committee members are very busy people and have other work on XDA and in personal life. I would recommend a waiting time of upto a week; and if you receive no response within a week, then a reminder PM.
Please do not bombard the committee with PM's.
If you are having a problem with your application or you would like to appeal a decision made on your application, then you can contact the RC-RT Committee through PM.
If you do get accepted as an RC/RT then please come and visit the RC's forum and help contribute to our work and cause to make XDA a better place
If you have any questions then please ask, I or the other RC's/RT's will help in anyway we can.
PG101 said:
Hiya
...
(quote edited by Zatta)
...
The general criteria is that a member should have been helpful, courteous and active commensurate to the forum one is mostly in. You will need to be an active member of XDA for 12 months or more.
While applying, please include 7-10 links/threads/posts that you think will help us decide on your application, effectively.
Cheers and good luck
PG101
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WHAT THIS THREAD IS NOT: A PLACE FOR PRE-ASSESSMENTS.
PG101 said:
I am not liking all this speculation about "do I qualify..?" "what do I need.." and more so that the current RCs are feeding these with actual answers.
I urge all of you to refrain from asking this particular question, its almost becoming like asking for an ETA on a rom thread.. you know how that goes?
If you feel you are ready, apply.. that's all there is to it and if you donot get accepted, I am sure you will be given reasons. You may discuss here how you can improve your contributions to be accepted again.
Cheers!
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Fallen Spartan said:
Guys/Gals, I don't see this as a thread to evaluate others or to give hints and tips for others to achieve RC status. If a person is suitable , let the mods review them. They can read the OP and know the criteria required. I'm concerned that this thread has become a training ground and the RC pool is becoming diluted.
If a user cannot read or know what the criteria is, then, imho, they don't have the criteria required
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s/S-Mods/Senior Moderators/
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA

If you have questions, please ask here or ask one of the Recognized Contributors or Recognized Themers in your forum if you feel more comfortable with them.

Do we have to have guides and such to be eligible?

I Am Marino said:
Do we have to have guides and such to be eligible?
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Not always, some RC's have been given the title for their work on roms, kernels e.t.c, and some for being very nice to other members, helping out on their device specific forum.

Thanks for this!!! I'm going to apply now
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Hmm maybe I should apply, although I'm not sure if I am considered good enough xD
Sent from my ice cream powered Nexus S

DarkhShadow said:
Hmm maybe I should apply, although I'm not sure if I am considered good enough xD
Sent from my ice cream powered Nexus S
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Unfortunately search is still down so I can't look to see if you have started any guide threads or your other activity, but if you feel like you contribute more than the average user, then go ahead and apply and the mods will check and let you know if they feel like you qualify, or they will suggest other things to do to get there.

mf2112 said:
Unfortunately search is still down so I can't look to see if you have started any guide threads or your other activity, but if you feel like you contribute more than the average user, then go ahead and apply and the mods will check and let you know if they feel like you qualify, or they will suggest other things to do to get there.
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Well I sent a message to Chainfire and no I haven't done guides but I have helped a fair bit more than most members I see.
I haven't done any guides because any of the things I could do one about already have stickies/threads
Sent from my ice cream powered Nexus S

DarkhShadow said:
Well I sent a message to Chainfire and no I haven't done guides but I have helped a fair bit more than most members I see.
I haven't done any guides because any of the things I could do one about already have stickies/threads
Sent from my ice cream powered Nexus S
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Yeah, I know what you mean, my phone is the HTC Sensation and it is reaching a point of maturity where most ideas for guides and threads and such have been done. Several friends have asked for ideas and it is really hard to find new niches to fill in that forum.
Sometimes it is possible to find abandoned threads and then do a new thread to replace it, but that takes time to get the links to that thread replaced with your own so people stop going to that old thread.
Another possibility is to find a guide or thread where the original poster has moved on to a new phone, and then contact the forum admin to request that the thread ownership be transferred. If the OP is willing then that is an easy process. You don't get to keep their thanks from that thread however. :-/
Another possibility is to do the guide in a different format. If there is a text guide on how to install a firmware+ROM, then do a video guide, or do a better text guide with screenshots.

Well its worse for the Nexus S as pretty much anything is easy to do, ie unlocking bootloader and install a custom recovery, from there its 90% flashing things
Sent from my ice cream powered Nexus S

Thanks for this. I think I am going to apply not sure if I have done enough by helping out as much as I have.

tazfanatic said:
Thanks for this. I think I am going to apply not sure if I have done enough by helping out as much as I have.
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Good Luck!

Howdy!
May I ask if some members can be suggested to be attributed a RC status? Obviously, I can not summarize for them, only point the deciders to them/their posts.
TIA! Have a nice one all!

Lucky Thirteen said:
Howdy!
May I ask if some members can be suggested to be attributed a RC status? Obviously, I can not summarize for them, only point the deciders to them/their posts.
TIA! Have a nice one all!
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Sure, you can suggest, but the best way is to give them the link to this thread, or this article, and tell them to write to one of the senior mods and list their qualifications and why they believe they should be recognized.

Great thread! Applied.

geko95gek said:
Great thread! Applied.
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Congrats you got it, come and visit these to HERE and HERE, who did you apply to. Also i would imagine if you made another theme, you could applyto become a Recognized themer also.

s.d.oconnor said:
Congrats you got it, come and visit these to HERE and HERE, who did you apply to. Also i would imagine if you made another theme, you could applyto become a Recognized themer also.
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Done and done!
It was my good ol'buddy pulser_g2 that added me, he was surprised why I haven't been added already lol
If I do come up with another theme then I shall definitely apply for Recognized themer. I have worked on a few themes already with others.

I hope I had read this one before...(I.e. thank you, op)
Though, I asked my device's fsm, and he assured me that he'll forward my application to senior mods...
Hope I can make it
Typed using a small touchscreen

Ha I just found this thread, good idea to explain how to apply for RC status. I imagine I am the reason s.d.oconnor got the idea for this thread cause it is clear by my post in the RC Chat forum that I had no idea you could apply for RC status. I even mention it in the PM I sent to apply for RC.
If s.d.oconnor would like I still have a copy of that PM if he would like to post it as a example PM for others to view. I also think we might want to get authorization from the higher ups too before posting it just to make sure that is ok.
One last thing, it says in tthe OP to place a link to your profile in you PM. This is not needed as your user name above your avatar in the PM, just as in forum posts, is a link to your profile page. So it is already a link to your profile in the PM.

My issue with the 10-post rule

Hi all,
This will probably get deleted, but I'm just trying to contribute to discussion and get around what I consider a poor thought-out rule at the same time.
I am a long time reader, particularly of the [ROM] ICS 4.0.4 BCM RC3.4U0 GSM/CDMA <2012-05-19> (Bravo CM9 HWA) thread, but first time poster.
I consider myself to know more about the topic than a large number of the posters in that thread, though I certainly don't have knowledge on the subject anywhere near that than the experts in the thread. However, there have been many times when I have had the answer to someone's question, but have not been able to post.
The reason I cannot post is because the thread is limited to users who have made 10 or more posts. I can understand the need to filter out people who are asking the same question over and over again, but in doing so you filter out those who can genuinely contribute to the discussion. Just because I am not an active member in other forums of XDA, does not mean I am not able contribute to this thread.
So now, I have what I consider a reasonable question for the author of the thread, or another expert who may come across it. This question hasn't been asked before, and it bothers me that I cannot ask it. Other people may also benefit from me asking and receiving an answer to this question.
I thought about just creating 10 pointless posts in the general forum, but decided that would benefit no one. So here is my contribution to these forums, followed my 9 pointless posts. Kidding, I'll see whether I get responses to this and respond accordingly myself.
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Shaun
P.S. I have to wait 5 minutes between editing posts as a new user to prevent spam? I've been here 5 months and not once posted anything, let alone spam.

shaunblyde said:
Hi all,
This will no doubt get deleted, but I'm just trying to contribute to discussion and get around what I consider a poor thought-out rule at the same time.
I am a long time reader, particularly of the [ROM] ICS 4.0.4 BCM RC3.4U0 GSM/CDMA <2012-05-19> (Bravo CM9 HWA) thread, but first time poster.
I consider myself to know more about the topic than a large number of the posters in that thread, though I certainly don't have knowledge on the subject anywhere near that than the experts in the thread. However, there have been many times when I have had the answer to someone's question, but have not been able to post.
The reason I cannot post is because the thread is limited to users who have made 10 or more posts. I can understand the need to filter out people who are asking the same question over and over again, but in doing so you filter out those who can genuinely contribute to the discussion. Just because I am not an active member in other forums of XDA, does not mean I am not able contribute to this thread.
So now, I have what I consider a reasonable question for the author of the thread, or another expert who may come across it. This question hasn't been asked before, and it bothers me that I cannot ask it. Other people may also benefit from me asking and receiving an answer to this question.
I thought about just creating 10 pointless posts in the general forum, but decided that would benefit no one. So here is my contribution to these forums, followed my 9 pointless posts. Kidding, I'll see whether I get responses to this and respond accordingly myself
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Shaun
P.S. I have to wait 5 minutes between editing posts as a new user to prevent spam? I've been here 5 months and not once posted anything, let alone spam.
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If you know more about that topic, then you could have been sharing it all those months, by just making a few posts in your device's General thread. Or in it's Q&A thread. Or in a thread in the General Forum here. Or in the Off Topic forum. Pity.
Here is excellent advice on how to achieve 10 (and more) QUALITY posts.
Welcome to XDA.
One other thing, Dev threads are for development. If you want to help more people, start a thread like this one in your device Q&A area. You will be amazed at how many people you can help there.

Thanks for your response, the link you gave was interesting and I should have looked for such information prior to posting. Considering I was quite blunt, I appreciate your helpful explanation.
Personally I still feel the rule is limiting many people from contributing from discussion that would otherwise get involved. I know there aren't exactly any other solutions to reduce the number of repeat questions, but my opinion is that more discussion is better than less, provided it is on-topic (even if it may be a "stupid" question).
I'll admit I'm not here explicitly to share my knowledge, I am here to gain knowledge for myself. I think most users here would be the same, although obviously there is a great community here that are not just in it for themselves. But if I see someone struggling with something that I know the answer to, I would be pleased to have the opportunity to give them a hand and give back in that manner, rather than lurk in silence.
I also do not consider myself an expert in any area XDA relates to. However having read the entire thread, referenced in the first post, over the months it has been contributed to, I consider myself able to help out there more than anywhere else on XDA. The Q&A type thread you mentioned is not specific to the knowledge I have gained from following the thread and it seems to more sensible to me to give my knowledge back to people where they will be looking for it.
As an aside, I'm not sure how much I would even consider the thread a development thread. For the most part it is one person developing (combined with his using work from other developers etc). What he does is excellent, no doubt about that, but it is basically him alone developing. The thread itself is mainly substantiated of feedback to improve to ROM or questions on any issues or the like. It is not used for collaboration as such. Any additional discussion would not hinder development collaboration, rather it would allow for more feedback for the developer and more knowledge for users of the ROM.
Thanks again for your reponse mf2112.
To be honest, I'm not sure what I thought I may achieve by posting here, as I'm sure you've seen it all before. So that said, if you wish to finish the discussion here that's fine by me, but if you do have more to add, I'd be happy to hear it.
Thanks.

I'm just like you, struggling to get something more in this forum. Just never give up.

The first few post restrictions are mostly for spam control. Otherwise new accounts would be opened and we would be flooded with spam posts advertising stuff in every forum.
Your device appears to be the HTC Desire from the ROM link. If you want to learn more, check out the other Desire subforums. Knowledge is everywhere on XDA.
BandenX said:
I'm just like you, struggling to get something more in this forum. Just never give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent advice.

im not gonna lie i dont even know what the 10 post rule is?
yeah o course im thinking the obvious but im normally checking stuff before i do any actions anyway?

chisme said:
im not gonna lie i dont even know what the 10 post rule is?
yeah o course im thinking the obvious but im normally checking stuff before i do any actions anyway?
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Click to collapse
The 10 post rule is for dev forums. If you have less than 10 then it is supposed to stop you from posting there, however it seems not to be enforced sometimes in some dev threads.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium

Similar situation here, but the rule is pretty standard at a lot of forums. Nothing to do about it but try to make 10 productive posts. Here's my first one. I noticed that the introduction threads are in each device forum, so an intro for each device will put me pretty close.
I'm a huge fan of the XDA community, and like the OP, I've been reading different threads for months. Looking forward to learning with you guys and hopefully contributing eventually. My experience in the field is limited, I learned basic web development in the early 2000s and have barely kept those skills up in the last decade.
Rooted EVO 4G - off contract, used mostly by 4 year old
Wife has stock EVO 3D - had S-ON root but got it put back to stock for her
I have an unlocked and rooted Motorola Photon, running CW7
Asus Transformer running stock ICS
Samsung Galaxy 10.1" running stock HC
I'll be getting an EVO View in a few days, will update at that time.

i too am a long time member here in XDA, since i got the XDA II hmmmm or was it the casiopia
anyways i recently became active just this 2012 when i got my hands on the HD2 - what a magnificent phone & there are alot of magnificent devs & chef here in XDA.
just by asking a lot of "meaningful" question i got through the hurdles of flashing & upgrading & even made my own tutorial for the ultra noob's
whatever Rule or Restriction that is in placed now is for the good of the site & it's user after all this is a FREE Forum/ site & at the same time you get to learn from some of the greatest.

now this is something else lol
fastest way to reach 10 post in just a few hours ot minutes
test (thread 1 2)
Originally Posted By: anserinae
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1666667

mengfei said:
now this is something else lol
fastest way to reach 10 post in just a few hours ot minutes
test (thread 1 2)
Originally Posted By: anserinae
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1666667
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Click to collapse
That's a pretty quick way of finding yourself unable to post anywhere ever again.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....

this 10 post rule has infuriated me. All it does is force people to spam so they can voice their concerns about a rom in a thread only allowing 10+ posters

jeromejones said:
this 10 post rule has infuriated me. All it does is force people to spam so they can voice their concerns about a rom in a thread only allowing 10+ posters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forced to spam???
Forced?
If people feel the need to spam to reach ten posts then I dare say that they have nothing worth contributing to a development forum.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....

mf2112 said:
The 10 post rule is for dev forums. If you have less than 10 then it is supposed to stop you from posting there, however it seems not to be enforced sometimes in some dev threads.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you happen to have joined XDA prior to 2007 then the 10 post rule doesn't apply... I believe....

jeromejones said:
this 10 post rule has infuriated me. All it does is force people to spam so they can voice their concerns about a rom in a thread only allowing 10+ posters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, let's look at it this way. What happens when you start to look for threads you can contribute to? You start to post and be a contributing member of XDA instead of a leech. No one likes leeches - they suck the life from XDA. So why don't you take that fury that you evidently are feeling and turn that into a force to be reckoned with? Become someone who is known for contributing.

I understand being frustrated by the limit. However, once I decided I wanted to post in the dev forums, it took me less than two days to make 10 good posts. Two days sounds like a lot, but I would take that anyday to keep these forums as clean and awesome as they are.
The moderators already take on a huge responsibility - look at how many threads end up getting locked because someone gets on here and asks the experts to draw up a 20-step program for their own personal use instead of taking a few hours to read and process the large amount of content that is already here. Imagine how much worse this would be is such posts were also mucking up the dev forums.

jerdog said:
Well, let's look at it this way. What happens when you start to look for threads you can contribute to? You start to post and be a contributing member of XDA instead of a leech. No one likes leeches - they suck the life from XDA. So why don't you take that fury that you evidently are feeling and turn that into a force to be reckoned with? Become someone who is known for contributing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is exactly what happened to me when I started here a few months ago. I wanted to post a question in a Sensation dev thread, ran into the limit, and now just a few months later, I am on here for hours every day in my "jobby" helping people in various threads in multiple forums.

It's really easy to get 10 posts in less than an hour. Just answer some questions in q&a and general and yes, if can't easily answer any questions on this entire forum, then you really shouldn't be posting anything. Ever.
Sent from my htcLeo using xda vip edition

jerdog said:
If you happen to have joined XDA prior to 2007 then the 10 post rule doesn't apply... I believe....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must be later than that, here is someone's very first post and it is in a dev thread and he joined XDA in Feb 2010.

mf2112 said:
Must be later than that, here is someone's very first post and it is in a dev thread and he joined XDA in Feb 2010.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe he was using tapatalk/xda app

[All XDA Members] Feedback/Recommendations for XDA

After reading a few threads and comments from our members I thought it may be worthwhile to create a Feedback, Recommendations or Idea's thread for XDA. We want to improve our forum for developers and the normal users.
So, rather than sending a PM to a Moderator, please feel free to leave any feedback or idea's you may have to improve XDA, so we can discuss them properly, openly, with the plan to hopefully implement the ideas which are good.
It's sole purpose is to improve XDA and collect your thoughts and idea's.
We will all be monitoring this thread, and someone will hopefully reply without much delay.
Thanks
Rick
Moderator/Developer Committee
Edits done by Clark Joseph Kent to better support XDA.

XDA-Developers needs to be more about developers
While I see that time and users have made XDA less about development and more about user support, I think XDA has gone too far in that direction.
Developers need a place to DISCUSS development.
The "General" subforums are too overwhelmed with threads like "Post pictures of your phone", "list of threads linked from other places" and other random "general user" stuff.
The "Q&A" subforums are now a place where moderators chase newbies to. The most technical question you might find in the Q&A section these days is "I just bricked my phone, what do I do?" (Usually, the answers are either making fun of the OP or telling him/her to search.)
The "Development" subforums, which seems like a logical place to discuss development, is now reserved for people to post finish products only and beg for donations - It's the XDA version of the "app store." There's no actual "development" discussion allowed.
Here's what we don't have anymore (but desperately need):
A place where a kernel developer could start a thread discussing the pitfalls of turning off processor cores on a particular device when the device is idle. That would likely lead into a discussion on possible ways to optimize the IN/OUT code for the cores, which would actually *gasp* promote development.
A place where a person might post a "HOW TO" document describing how to modify a stock firmware for a specific device to override carrier controlled lock downs. (For example, editing the CSC for a samsung device.)
A place for development related DISCUSSION - not just a subform for "I cobbled together mods I copied from other people into a so-called ROM and will now beg you to donate to me and press my "thanks" button."
XDA promotes itself as a DEVELOPERS FORUM. The definition of "forum" is "A meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged." Doesn't that seem to indicate that development related discussion would be encouraged here?
(continued...)
---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------
So, the obvious question about my post above is how do you moderate a "developers discussion" subforum?
I honestly don't see a problem with that. You make posting access to that subforum by request only. The access should be granted pretty freely but with a note reminding the user that any non-development discussions will result in loss of access to those subforums. Plain and simple. Any RD's or ERD's would automatically be given access without the need to post a request.
Only developers should moderate those subforums, as the fact is that XDA has some moderators that have no clue whatsoever what "development" is.
I'd even go so far as to suggest that XDA's ERDs would be given final say in moderating those subforums. Actually, it might be a good idea to give ERDs final say in moderating all the development related forums - including the existing so-called "development" and "original development" subforums.
...
I'll have one more post to discuss the current vagueness of the rules and the random enforcement of them...

Gary, while I agree with many of your key points one I disagree with is that only elite developers (who don't have the time) are the ones who should have the 'final say' with regards to moderation, and that they are the best qualified to do so. Given a good set of rules to use as guidelines, any level headed person who is committed to helping XDA move along smoothly is qualified to be a moderator. I am not a developer, however, I've been moderating forums for years now. People are people no matter what the subject. You and I have discussed the rules, which are being worked on. I like the idea of a 'developer only', invite only forum. I think it's time to make that happen. Given that I am so not a developer, I know when I'm over my head - and we have people on the team who moderators like me can turn to. Moderators are here to help, not hinder - I think we can work this all out so the developers are happier, users learn, and moderators moderate

garyd9 said:
I'd even go so far as to suggest that XDA's ERDs would be given final say in moderating those subforums. Actually, it might be a good idea to give ERDs final say in moderating all the development related forums - including the existing so-called "development" and "original development" subforums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some interesting points you've listed, which I can honestly say are being looked at, however your point above, I'm gonna have to disagree with. The ERD's are extremely busy with actual development, as are most, if not all the developers. If we where to also ask the ERDs to moderate all the development related forums, they'd have no time to develop

I didn't suggest that ERD's would be constantly moderating them - only that they'd have the opportunity (if they chose it) to be the final say. Who do you trust more to make an informed decision about what is development and what isnt':
Entropy512 or ModJohnCanBarelyRoot?
I think the ERD's are more involved (at least in reading) than many people think, and XDA should respect their knowledge and ability by giving them the option of stepping in saying that, despite what a non-developer moderator might think, this is or isn't dev related.
Anyway, it's just a suggestion.

garyd9 said:
I didn't suggest that ERD's would be constantly moderating them - only that they'd have the opportunity (if they chose it) to be the final say. Who do you trust more to make an informed decision about what is development and what isnt':
Entropy512 or ModJohnCanBarelyRoot?
I think the ERD's are more involved (at least in reading) than many people think, and XDA should respect their knowledge and ability by giving them the option of stepping in saying that, despite what a non-developer moderator might think, this is or isn't dev related.
Anyway, it's just a suggestion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I have the utmost respect for ERD's, and RD's. I'm not a developer myself, would never claim to be, but I do try and read up on things to understand them so I can make informed decisions. But likewise, I do ask developers for advice on specific things, then learn from what I'm told. In an ideal world, we'd let ERD's have the final say, maybe even RD's, but with so many in house fights amongst so called dev's, there is the potential for abuse which is what concerns me. I cannot see ERD's doing this mind you.
Again, interesting ideas which I welcome

So on to what I'm sure will be a sore subject: Rules and moderation...
I realize that XDA has grown by leaps and bounds since I first joined. Back then, there were only a handful of people geeky enough to have smartphones. Today, they are the norm. With more users there are more devices, more forums and XDA needed more moderators. That's perfectly understandable. It's also understandable that XDA has reached into the "non-developer" pool of people for moderation help.
However, the forum rules which the moderators supposedly moderate by are too vague and really don't guide users (or moderators) in the proper way to do things. It only makes matters worse then the moderators enforce those rules in seemingly random ways. Finally, when a bad decision is made by a moderator (or a decision that a user thinks is bad), there's no documented way for a user to ask for help. "Report to moderator" is pretty useless when you're only reporting to the same person you are complaining about.
If there's a guideline, it should be shared by ALL the moderators and documented so that users can understand it. The primary location to find these rules and guidelines is a post that is stickied in every single forum/subforum here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81 If it's not in that post, then it's fairly safe to assume that users don't know about it.
So what's wrong with those rules? Well, they are pretty vague in too many cases. Vague rules lead to different people interpreting them differently (or interpreting them selectively for different people.) Here's some examples:
"Don’t use XDA to advertise your product or service. " "Commercial advertising, advertising referral links, pay per click links and other income generating methods are forbidden. Do not use xda-developers as a means to make money." -- Yet, how many people have seen a developer clearly post (or get someone else to post on their behalf) that if people don't "donate" enough money for them to buy a device, they don't development for that device. To me, that sounds like "I'll sell my development for the cost of the device."
"Off-site downloads are permitted if the site is non-commercial and does not require registration.... but may be permitted if ... the site is a relatively small personal website without commercial advertising/links (i.e. not a competitor forum-based site with purposes and aims similar to those of XDA-Developers.com.)" -- There are literally thousands of links on this website for downloads on sammobile.com or samfirmware.com. That site requires registration, advertises, and has forums that "compete" with XDA. Yet, the links are still there.
"If you are developing something that is based on the work of another Member, you MUST first seek their permission, and you must give credit to the member whose work you used." -- I think this one depends on who is violating the rule. Apparently, if its a 15 (now 16) year old kid, it's okay. Yes, I'm bitter about this one as I have had my work used (without my permission), had reported it to moderators, was told someone would look into it, and then had the report disappear into a black hole. It only made matters worse when that same person accepted "donations" given as a result of the code stolen from me. Being I ask people to donate to a children's hospital (not to me) for my work, I feel as if my work was stolen from me, and money was stolen from a child who desperately needed medical care. There's no question as to who developed the code, as gerrit/github timedate stamps don't lie. In truth, I wouldn't have minded about this so much if the little thief forwarded the donations to a real charity. I do share my work freely, but I VERY seriously resented (and still resent) my work was used for a thief's profit. To my way of thinking, there's nothing vague about the rule here - only the lack of enforcement.
Then there's the whole thing with that types of threads go into which subforums. There's simply NO consistency with this. A perfect (and recent) example is that I posted a thread in a dev subforum containing modifications for a single stock samsung package, SecLauncher2.apk. That was pushed to apps&themes by a moderator. That same moderator, however, has permitted threads for modifying only "SystemUI.apk" and only "android.policy.jar." He's also permitted completely non-development related things such as "post modem dumps here" and "stock deodex firmware."
So, not only are the rules vague, but the moderation of the rules is so inconsistent that a user can't even look to precedent to decide what is and isn't allowed.
....
I'm going to stop here. I feel like I've started ranting, and that isn't productive. The points are valid, but discussing them has brought up things I'm (obviously) very bitter about.

Really appreciate this feedback, guys. We're going to bring it forth in our monthly call with the admins and site owner. :highfive:

What about doing a forum named like "other devices root development". There are a lot of potential devices that don't get root because they don't call the devs atraction (and some of the have locked bootloaders).
I also think that there are forums from brand new "high-tech" devices that don't get development because well, there is no development for unlocking bootloaders or doing something like root for locked bootloaders, which happens on some devices. So, again, othere devices could have their chance.
mfsr98

@garyd9, no need to be bitter, I'm actually glad to hear you views, so rant away. I created this thread for this very purpose, to hear the views of the users, to better XDA
...........................
You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think! XDA, mobile wisdom, not a n00b feeding ground!!

-gary
While I agree with some of what you have said I feel if you want strictly 100% development talk then that is reserved for the RD forum for RDs to have amongst themselves... Yes there are developers that are not RDs and to that I say they should apply to become RDs. There needs to be a place to allow users to provide feedback and suggestions on things that are developed.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

sgt. slaughter said:
-gary
While I agree with some of what you have said I feel if you want strictly 100% development talk then that is reserved for the RD forum for RDs to have amongst themselves... Yes there are developers that are not RDs and to that I say they should apply to become RDs. There needs to be a place to allow users to provide feedback and suggestions on things that are developed.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a place for that. The problem is there isn't a place for real development talk. Any real discussions get drowned out by inanity. I think with the influx of new people that noise to real development ratio has finally reached a tipping point. Then again, just how much input can Jon Q. Public have in development other than saying "I want this" or "How do I do that"? Those are user issues. We need to develop better developer solutions.

reinbeau said:
There is a place for that. The problem is there isn't a place for real development talk. Any real discussions get drowned out by inanity. I think with the influx of new people that noise to real development ratio has finally reached a tipping point. Then again, just how much input can Jon Q. Public have in development other than saying "I want this" or "How do I do that"? Those are user issues. We need to develop better developer solutions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hence my initial suggestion, that if you want 100% dev talk take up and use the RD forum and discuss in there...
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

sgt. slaughter said:
Hence my initial suggestion, that if you want 100% dev talk take up and use the RD forum and discuss in there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xda DEVELOPERS. Why would a site called xda DEVELOPERS push development talk off into a corner, while non development talk reigns free?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

garyd9 said:
Xda DEVELOPERS. Why would a site called xda DEVELOPERS push development talk off into a corner, while non development talk reigns free?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adapt with the times as things change.... Change and adjusting is tough at times but if done so correctly its for the better of all those involved...
It is absolutely impossible to have purely 100% code talk in the dev sections. The size of the userbase is way too large for the mod team to regulate that.
Hence the RDs section will be best if you want no nonsense dev talk.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

sgt. slaughter said:
Adapt with the times as things change.... Change and adjusting is tough at times but if done so correctly its for the better of all those involved...
...
Hence the RDs section will be best if you want no nonsense dev talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be right, but I don't want to consider the possibility that XDA-Developers might become a non-developers forums. If your suggestion is carried out, I'd predict that it'd slowly (but surely) lose it's developer core and become more and more another "android central" or other generic handheld forum.
My reasoning is simple: XDA doesn't give birth to developers - they are born and bred before they get here. However, you're suggesting that they won't have a place to "talk shop" here unless and until they achieve RD status, which I'm assuming involves a certain application and requires that some projects have already been hawked here on XDA. I'm making some assumptions about RD here, but I think it'd be fairly safe to assume that a person can't submit a professional non-XDA resume to get it. As well, you are also always going to have some devs that simply refuse to "apply" for what they consider a "silly title." More especially those that see "ROM cooks" called RD and look the other way.
What is a real developer going to do in that case? Simple: find someplace else to talk shop.
(It's almost comical the way I talk about RD here. I've been doing professional dev for a very long, have given back to the android and ppc communities, and been an XDA member for a long time - but never bothered with RD status here when the program started. So, I honestly don't know what it might involve. I might be wrong about any type of requirements.)
I guess this question moves beyond my suggestions. I've been basing things on a developer-centric forum. That's what XDA-Developers was when I joined, and quite a few FAQ's we point users to indicate that it's still intended to be. If XDA is going to move away from that, then please disregard my suggestions.
Take care
Gary

sgt. slaughter said:
Hence my initial suggestion, that if you want 100% dev talk take up and use the RD forum and discuss in there...
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not everyone who develops is an RD - and why would you remove the ability for people to learn and share?
garyd9 said:
Xda DEVELOPERS. Why would a site called xda DEVELOPERS push development talk off into a corner, while non development talk reigns free?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.

It seems obvious that one specific issue that everyone agrees on is that *something* needs to be done to handle "developer discussion." While there are different opinions on the best way to do that, I haven't seen anyone post anything implying that dev's talking shop is a bad thing.
Fallen Spartan, perhaps this thread can branch that particular conversation to a separate thread? That would allow this thread to deal with the other issues without confusion.
Thanks
Gary

garyd9 said:
It seems obvious that one specific issue that everyone agrees on is that *something* needs to be done to handle "developer discussion." While there are different opinions on the best way to do that, I haven't seen anyone post anything implying that dev's talking shop is a bad thing.
Fallen Spartan, perhaps this thread can branch that particular conversation to a separate thread? That would allow this thread to deal with the other issues without confusion.
Thanks
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the time being I'm inclined to let the discussion continue in this thread as there isn't much else being discussed here atm. If more idea's/recommendations appear, we can then create a new thread....if needed. Also, if a set way has been agreed on a particular idea/recommendation, I can create a second post updating users so its not lost within the thread

Making room for real developers again
reinbeau said:
Not everyone who develops is an RD - and why would you remove the ability for people to learn and share?
Exactly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I am one of those professional developers in real life, who don't have the time to play silly points games just to get access to the developer part of a forum. So my "XDA status" is stuck at "noob", but I am really here to look for a place to share technical discussion with other developers.
Looking around (I have been lurking for years now), I think the following improved structure would be a good idea:
In each area (General, OS, device) there should be 4 development subforums rather than the current 1 or 2:
1. Firmware and theme releases.
One thread for each firmware/theme series, hosting download links in the top 3 posts, and support discussions in the rest of the thread.
For instance the Android Samsung Galaxy III "Firmware and theme releases" forum would have exactly one "Cyanogenmod" thread and at most one "Cyanogenmod kang by temasek" thread.
Real cooks can post new threads and create the first two replies in their own thread. Non-noob users can post in existing threads after the 3. post in the thread.
2. Free App releases.
One thread for each free app, hosting download links in the top 3 ports, and support discussions in the rest of the thread.
For instance the Android Free App releases forum would have exactly one "ROM Manager" thread.
Real developers can post new threads and create the first two replies in their own thread. Non-noob users can post in existing threads after the 3. post in the thread.
3. Unreleased experiments
One thread for each unreleased firmware/theme/free app, hosting only discussion of what should go into it, difficulties in making it etc. When released the thread is moved to 1 or 2 as appropriate, at the thread OPs command.
Only real cooks and real developers can post here, there is a limit on new threads per user per month depending on the posters general standing.
4. Developer to Developer
This hosts regular forum style discussion threads where developers for that target (OS/phone) can ask each other questions about technical details for the target, one thread per subject matter, no threads about specific projects. This is the place to discuss stuff like ("Which wceload variants are in which upstream firmwares" in a WM forum or "How are the GPIO pins on the SoC connected to other parts of the phone (in a phone specific forum) or "How does the foo() API work" (in an OS forum)).
Only real cooks and real developers can post here.
Determining access:
Now as to determining the "real cook" and "real developer" status of a user, there could be a quiz and a number of extrinsic tests for each OS. Quiz questions would be multiple choice that a real cook/devel would answer easily, but a poser would get wrong. Other tests could be "prove that you have a developer account on Market/AppStore/OVI/Marketplace" "Show that you can sign an empty sis/cab/etc. with a valid developer certificate" Because getting a new certificate/account for some of the platforms may no longer be possible or may be otherwise restricted, such
tests would just count as N correct quiz answers in determining the pass/fail.

XDA needs a Facelift to stay future-proof. Any suggestions and ideas are very welcome

Hi All Dear XDA Members,
As most of you will know, I'm XDA addict and active member who started a lot of threads in order to try to keep XDA as organized as possible (see: the Q&A/T thread template: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=46281795&postcount=4, which also contains the links to the Index project and the Ask Away help thread). Yet, I noticed that XDA has become so huge that it's grown out of it's "jacket". It became a forum which looks like a "forest which can not been seen because of all the trees". Newcomers can hardly find their way in this forest, ( They still keep registering to our forum but hardly post anything, let alone that they will start a thread) even more experienced users have difficulties or stop develeloping new ROM's and/or Threads. The layout of XDA is, speaking in modern terms, old fashioned at this very moment and if there will be no facelift within a short while, XDA is IMHO doomed to follow certain social media, who are loosing a lot of followers at this very moment. If you are familiar with social media, you know exactly which media I'm referring too. So, that's the reason I started this thread: How can we resuscitate XDA, cause that's what's needed, to be and stay future proof? IMHO, XDA is one of the, if not the, most important Smartphone forum and it should stay that forever, but changes are needed to achieve this. One of the changes could be a chat function, but most of all there needs to become a new a structure of how XDA is build up untill now. I'm convinced that the XDA staff is aware of this and working very hard to keep XDA future-proof. As it is now, it will be very hard to compete with the modern social media applications. I'm a diehard fan of XDA and that's why I started this thread. Making XDA future proof will be a hell of a job and therefore the staff of XDA can use IMO input from members, like you and me. Just plain and simple: I ask you all to come with information, suggestions and ideas how to make XDA future proof. Help the staff of XDA in this huge project of keeping it alive , kicking and well. Vbulletin is not the most ideal platform anymore, we need something else (see Reddit, etc).
kindest reards, kuzibri
BTW1: I do not suggest that XDA should use the Reddit platform or something the like
BTW2: A more social media approach would and could benefit XDA in the near future.
BTW3: I'm a great fan of the XDA Labs app for Android. Maybe an idea as a starting point?

Can you give some ideas on what can be done in terms of the layout?

This forum has grown MASSIVELY since it was first started back in 2002. I think we now have over 6.6 million members. The vbulletin forum platform was never really intended to handle such a large amount of content or userbase.
We've been on the vbulletin forum platform for a long time now. We've made a large amount of custom modifications, plugins, and tweaks, in order to add a lot of what you see in the forums today. A lot of it is the things you don't see behind the scenes. The massive amounts of custom coding that has been done, that cannot be easily transferred to other systems.
Of course we are aware that the forums are at breaking point in terms of capacity of both content and users. And of course other platform configurations are becoming more popular, with sites such as Reddit. But making a switch to another platform would be a massive massive undertaking. It's not like we can just copy and paste the database.
We are aware that this type of platform is aging, and needs to be kept a little more up to date. And I know the owners are well aware of all of this. It's not that they don't care. They do, more than anything. XDA is their baby, they are heavily invested in it, and they want it to keep growing and to remain the world's premier Smartphone development forums.
I don't know much personally, but I do know there are long term plans to look at updating or switching platforms, to better accommodate the sheer amount of users, and the large amount of valuable content. it will come, but due to the sheer scale of the task, it's going to be a very long term project for the owners I'd say.

MishaalRahman said:
Can you give some ideas on what can be done in terms of the layout?
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I have some ideas which are not ready yet to be posted/published, that's why I started this thread, hoping to get some usefull information and ideas.
BTW, it's not only the layout that needs an update, but the entire structure of XDA in order to stay future proof.
kindest regards, kuzibri

We already have a design for the 2018 template completed. We begun the implementation earlier this year but had to pause because we had to work on other things, such as XDA Feed and yes a new chat product we're working on. We're trying to hire a new full-time developer to help us on the 2018 template, which we expect to take about six months (it's pretty involved).

svetius said:
We already have a design for the 2018 template completed. We begun the implementation earlier this year but had to pause because we had to work on other things, such as XDA Feed and yes a new chat product we're working on. We're trying to hire a new full-time developer to help us on the 2018 template, which we expect to take about six months (it's pretty involved).
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yes a chat product is needed
The messaging part is very complicted for me till now

Search could be better. It's hard to find stuff. The way forums are arranged is a mess too; one for questions, and one with a sticky marked "no questions" right above all the questions! Note: nobody reads stickies, and policing of questions is poor so they stick around long enough to make it look like perhaps questions are welcome after all! On a thread the navigation choices are bizarre to say the least: a button for page 1,2,3,11,> (whatever that is) and last. Well...it's going to be last every time, isn't it? So you can get to the latest posts on a thread you're interested in. Really, this is a pre-Stack Exchange site; possibly learn from them in terms of allowing users to vote threads/comments up/down to give moderators less work (ie they can just skim the worst offenders).
(Apologies if you were just talking about tweaking a css file to change hover colours or something)

Webern said:
Search could be better. It's hard to find stuff. The way forums are arranged is a mess too; one for questions, and one with a sticky marked "no questions" right above all the questions! Note: nobody reads stickies, and policing of questions is poor so they stick around long enough to make it look like perhaps questions are welcome after all! On a thread the navigation choices are bizarre to say the least: a button for page 1,2,3,11,> (whatever that is) and last. Well...it's going to be last every time, isn't it? So you can get to the latest posts on a thread you're interested in. Really, this is a pre-Stack Exchange site; possibly learn from them in terms of allowing users to vote threads/comments up/down to give moderators less work (ie they can just skim the worst offenders).
(Apologies if you were just talking about tweaking a css file to change hover colours or something)
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We welcome reports about anything violating rules, but also threads out of place. You don't even need to report every question in a general thread, if there's a lot, you can report one and make a note in the report that the whole subsection needs some cleaning. Or, report them all, up to you. :good:
We really rely on members to point stuff out to us, cause we do have a limited sized volunteer mod staff, so we can't see everything out there.
Cheers! :highfive:

Darth said:
We welcome reports about anything violating rules, but also threads out of place. You don't even need to report every question in a general thread, if there's a lot, you can report one and make a note in the report that the whole subsection needs some cleaning. Or, report them all, up to you. :good:
We really rely on members to point stuff out to us, cause we do have a limited sized volunteer mod staff, so we can't see everything out there.
Cheers! :highfive:
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Hi my dear friend,
You're absolutely right. There is a lot of mess going around on XDA and I can understand that you cannot see everything due to limited mod staff. A suggestion might be to make the process to become a Mod easier than it is now. Active and good RC's can become a Mod, IMHO, without the process they have to go through now, which in a lot of cases leads to RC's not appointing for the Mod's status. Instead of going to the Mod's process, I would suggest that you give and explain to RC's what they have to do what a Mod needs to do to become a Mod, just my 2 cents. Of course there is a limitation in this suggestion: the minimum time for an RC to become a Mod more or less automatically should be, IMO, at least two years in which he/she proved his/hers additional value to XDA judged by the Mod's staff. In this way, you will get far more Mod's and XDA will be cleaner than ever.
kindest regards, kuzibri
BTW, It's obvious IMO that the Mod's staff decides which RC is fit to become a Mod without going to the whole process or not, let that be clear.
BTW2, I'm personally do not have the intention to become a Mod in this way (unless your Mod's staff decides so), but I have two suggestions/recommandation regarding two persons of whom I think they are very capable of doing this: @Robbie P and @sd_shadow. They are both very critical and XDA adepts.

@kuzibri
as always you are too kind
a couple of years ago I would have liked to have been a moderator, but right now I don't know I have time right now
Sent from my sailfish using XDA Labs

sd_shadow said:
@kuzibri
as always you are too kind
a couple of years ago I would have liked to have been a moderator, but right now I don't know I have time right now
Sent from my sailfish using XDA Labs
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Hi my dearest friend,
I realy think that you are perfectly fit to be a moderator, but it's of course up to you. I just suggested a new way of appointing Mod's and recommended you and Robbie'for the job. I really think that good and active RC's can become a Mod without going to the whole XDA process that's needed to become one. They are very short of Mod's, so make the process easier for active RC's.
BTW, I have all the time in the world since I retired a few months ago!!
kindest regards, kuzibri

Hi kuzibri, great to see you are still around. Are you suggesting that certain RCs should be given minor moderating powers?
With respect to me, I have not been very active at all lately on XDA, been sort of expecting a PM from JJD every time I log on

kuzibri said:
Hi my dear friend,
You're absolutely right. There is a lot of mess going around on XDA and I can understand that you cannot see everything due to limited mod staff. A suggestion might be to make the process to become a Mod easier than it is now. Active and good RC's can become a Mod, IMHO, without the process they have to go through now, which in a lot of cases leads to RC's not appointing for the Mod's status. Instead of going to the Mod's process, I would suggest that you give and explain to RC's what they have to do what a Mod needs to do to become a Mod, just my 2 cents. Of course there is a limitation in this suggestion: the minimum time for an RC to become a Mod more or less automatically should be, IMO, at least two years in which he/she proved his/hers additional value to XDA judged by the Mod's staff. In this way, you will get far more Mod's and XDA will be cleaner than ever.
kindest regards, kuzibri
BTW, It's obvious IMO that the Mod's staff decides which RC is fit to become a Mod without going to the whole process or not, let that be clear.
BTW2, I'm personally do not have the intention to become a Mod in this way (unless your Mod's staff decides so), but I have two suggestions/recommandation regarding two persons of whom I think they are very capable of doing this: @Robbie P and @sd_shadow. They are both very critical and XDA adepts.
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Hi!
I'll respond to a couple things you've mentioned.
- There's no such thing as a fast track to becoming a mod. There's multiple rounds of questionnaires for a very good reason. We need to get a feel for a person's instincts based on how they answer. And it doesn't matter a person's title on xda, or history here, everyone goes through the same process. Of course history matters with the decision though, we obviously only look at upstanding members who are a definite asset to the site.
- No one becomes a Moderator based on length on Xda alone, there's many factors looked at. And not everyone will become a mod, based on many possible factors too.
- If there are messes out there, hopefully they get reported, because that's the best way to get it addressed. It's a massive site, and yes we do patrol and try to keep things tidy, but we don't see all. We really rely on members reporting issues.
- And the gentlemen you mention need to apply like everyone else. Cause again, no, we don't just appoint anyone. All members interested need to apply and go through the same process.
We encourage anyone interested to apply of course. And best of luck to anyone who does. :highfive:
Hope that helps clear some things up. :good:
Cheers,
Darth

Darth said:
Hi!
I'll respond to a couple things you've mentioned.
- There's no such thing as a fast track to becoming a mod. There's multiple rounds of questionnaires for a very good reason. We need to get a feel for a person's instincts based on how they answer. And it doesn't matter a person's title on xda, or history here, everyone goes through the same process. Of course history matters with the decision though, we obviously only look at upstanding members who are a definite asset to the site.
- No one becomes a Moderator based on length on Xda alone, there's many factors looked at. And not everyone will become a mod, based on many possible factors too.
- If there are messes out there, hopefully they get reported, because that's the best way to get it addressed. It's a massive site, and yes we do patrol and try to keep things tidy, but we don't see all. We really rely on members reporting issues.
- And the gentlemen you mention need to apply like everyone else. Cause again, no, we don't just appoint anyone. All members interested need to apply and go through the same process.
We encourage anyone interested to apply of course. And best of luck to anyone who does. :highfive:
Hope that helps clear some things up. :good:
Cheers,
Darth
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Hi,
thanks for the lenghty explanation, all clear. Was just a suggestion to solve the shortage of Mod's in an easy and fast way.
kindest regards, kuzibri

Robbie P said:
Hi kuzibri, great to see you are still around. Are you suggesting that certain RCs should be given minor moderating powers?
With respect to me, I have not been very active at all lately on XDA, been sort of expecting a PM from JJD every time I log on
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Yes my very dear friend, I'm still around. Due to the shortage of Mod's @Darth mentioned, I proposed to make the most active and valuable RC's a Mod without going to the entire XDA process that's needed for that. But as you can read by the answer of @Darth this is no possibility at all. IMHO, they missed the "train" in that by staying to their rules (which of course I can understand fully), cause, also IMHO, very good RC's (they are not appointed as Recognized Contributors for nothing and this title is closely related to and in line with the work of Mod's, e.g. helping people to find the right way or reacting on wrong posts by reporting them, only Mod's have much more power) are also capable of becoming good Mod's with a newly developed guidance/manual from the Mod's committee what are the demands for an RC to become a Mod in this new way. Maybe this idea is too revolutenary at this very moment, but the saying is: "when you do not shoot, you can also not miss". Of course, when this suggestion would be accepted, the Mod's committee should keep a close eye on these RC's and look if they are fit to be a Mod or not, if not, they will be an RC again. Seems logical to me,
kindest regards, kuzibri

Suggestions
Hi all,
any other suggestions to make XDA future proof?? Cause at this very moment XDA is, certainly for new members, a labyrinth. In general, even despite the introduction of XDA Assist, they cannot find their way to what they are looking for, so XDA needs to become more accessible and easier to navigate. In fact the entire site should be redesigned, but due to the massiveness of this site, this is an unrealistic task, unfortunately.
kindest regards, kuzibri

I personally think making more social is a mistake. Well at least on the devs side. Most don't like dealing with users to begin with and already block pms and mentions. So adding a chat function I see is just wasting resources. I recall the last time it was brought up with a resounding no.
As for staying sutures proof that will be hard. With the push for tighter security on our devices it is only a matter of time before the majority of devices can't be unlocked and leaves users only looking for apps.

zelendel said:
I personally think making more social is a mistake. Well at least on the devs side. Most don't like dealing with users to begin with and already block pms and mentions. So adding a chat function I see is just wasting resources. I recall the last time it was brought up with a resounding no.
As for staying sutures proof that will be hard. With the push for tighter security on our devices it is only a matter of time before the majority of devices can't be unlocked and leaves users only looking for apps.
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Hi,
many thanks for your valuable feedback. With this thread I tried to stir up some things to see whatever is possible. What do you mean with "Dev's do not like dealing with users", cause that's what XDA stands for? This amazes me a bit. Regarding the future proof remark, you may be right in the near future.
kindest regards, kuzibri

kuzibri said:
Hi,
many thanks for your valuable feedback. With this thread I tried to stir up some things to see whatever is possible. What do you mean with "Dev's do not like dealing with users", cause that's what XDA stands for? This amazes me a bit. Regarding the future proof remark, you may be right in the near future.
kindest regards, kuzibri
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Really? How many devs do you see having conversations that mean anything with users? One of the biggest complaints from devs are the users. Mostly due to the fact that they won't do anything for themselves. Why do you think most teams use things like slack, or telegram (the devs don't really even talk much there in the public rooms, they have private ones set up in the side to talk shop) when I say dev I mean the real devs. Not script kiddies and compile jockies.
That is what xda stood for. It is no longer that way.
Nothing is future proof. Never has been never will be. It will end just like the days of freely modding your device. It all ends.

Hi my very dear friends,
no more new ideas or suggestions how to keep XDA future proof? It's my personal idea that the interest in posting on XDA is rapidly diminishing. If true, this would be a very disappointing way to handle XDA. It meant and still means IMHO a lot for members and newbies to be informed about the latest innovations regarding smartphones and giving them details about it. Also for helping people to get out of trouble with their device or solve other problems, XDA is the place to be. Whenever there are no reactions to this post within two weeks, I will ask a friendly Mod to close this thread. The reason for this is the presumable lack of interest in this subject and thereby there exists no need anymore to continue it nor to keep monitoring it.
kindest regards, kuzibri