Personally I don't know what the solution is to this. But one thing I've found a number of times elsewhere and on XDA-developers is that if someone starts a thread that breaks online etiquette by either:
1) Not searching before hand
2) starting a thread that has already been started
3) posted in the wrong forum.
Moderators jump on it with posts about why the thread was bad. Maybe this is not an issue with the last point but sometimes you get people responding with "use the search". Problem with that is, I do use search, and when I do I get lots of threads telling me to use the search! Its actually quite difficult to know what to search for some times to even if people provided terms to search for that would help.
I don't have any present examples of this behaviour (apart from the third, which was annoying but there were genuine answers after the first page of arguments) so maybe xda-developers is better then most sites, but I thought I'd raise this issue... if it hasn't been raised already...
A quick point in addition to Mike's wonderful comments.
Most of the time I've seen people been told (and yes I do tell people too ) to use the search is when the answer is either well known to the current user base or it's easily available in the stickies or has been answered a 100 times before.
When you first come to xda the forums seem very daunting (there are still some forums I get lost / confused in i.e. the Dream) but taking your time to read throgh the stickies and wiki pages can get you setup.
Dave
i tend to read more than id like to anyay due to no social life
so i dont really tend to search
in fact ill read forums for devices i have no imntemtion of buying just out of curiosity
I USE the search function! Promise. I recall my first time here. It took me 3 different visits just to figure what phone I purchased!!
Those that have used this forum for years don't understand the sheer volume of information that is presented here. It is daunting, to say the least.
In all actuality we understand the amount of info here. Since the Kaiser the amount of phones and users on this board has grown exponentially. There are 4 regular Touch phones, the Touch Pro, Touch Hd, Dream, Diamond and however many smartphones that have hit the market in 2 years and all are supported here. The fact this place isn't a chaotic mess is due to Flar, the mods, the Wikis and THE SEARCH ENGINE. Had to do it.
Peace.
I'm wondering if it would be helpful to put the search field top-front and center and put the cursor there by default in the forums. I think Google might have something, here.
It seems as though there are all too many posts telling people to search for their answers. Rightly so. It's been happening since I became a member a couple of years ago. Particularly with more new gadgets, and more new users, I imagine a tweak in site design might steer the site in a better direction. After all, there's more reading for most people to do than writing now, hopefully. It's easier, visually, to crete a new thread than it is to search the way it is.
Please feel free to delete the post/thread if this has been brought up before.
I have been a member since March 2011 sometime - can't remember the exact date. I bought an Optimus P500 to replace my ageing Palm Treo 680. As soon as I started using the phone I was sucked into the who gamut of ROMs and improving the performance of the stock OS. Obviously, it was through the Development Forums. I am likely one of the older members using these forums - 65 years. I have now been going through the forums for things of my interest for over 2 months on a daily basis. Some of the practices and behaviour in the development forums are causes for concern as they reduce the productivity of the people who work on the developments. I am listing some and hope that the administrators of XDA will take some steps which can help in rectifying the situation.
1. People are unwilling to spend even 2 mins to search for what has been answered a hundred times - exaggeration perhaps but definitely tens of times.
2. People are unwilling, or to be less charitable unable, to read anything carefully and are just rushing to implement something new.
3. They will ask a question even when the answer is in plain words ad nauseum.
4. They will try things which are dangerous without learning enough and then flood the forums in several threads about how they have run into a problem and can someone help them. I have run into some problems but have been able to search the forums for solutions and it did not take more than 10-15 mins of time. In the bargain I learnt a lot more.
5. People are writing merely to express their satisfaction at something happening or about to happen or to praise a developer. There is a system of expressing your thanks/satisfaction. Why not use that instead of saying two words which add nothing to the development forum?
6. It is easy to identify those who are at fault and are reducing the effectiveness of the people on the development forums. Why not have a series of measures setup to gradually weed them out and let them vent their sentiments on the General Section?
7. The criteria of having someone post 10 times to the General or Q & A sections getting eligible to post in the Development Forums needs review. In one of the forums on automobiles which I use they are much more strict in enforcing posting etiquette and in weeding out totally useless members who are only looking to see their own comments on the web. I am sure we are ingenious enough to work out a more effective criteria/system.
I am not against contribution to development forums but i am against wasting time and space by writing 'Aha what fun we are going to get an update tomorrow'!
Cliff notes?
have ppl interested in the topics posted read the threads - at least the highlights. In fact the answer to the question how the forum usage and user experience could be improved might be an option that allows readers to look at a summary of the thread first showing the most helpful / informative responses... of course someone by some means needs to select the topics which will be added to the summaries.
On certain threads questions are repeated cause there are over 1000 pages of responses so i'd much rather repeat a question than spend countless hours looking through pages
I agree that people need to do some research instead of asking questions that have been answered a bunch of times before.
I'm not on the same page when it comes to people posting gratitude or excitement. Yes there is a thanks button, but sometimes you want to go the extra mile and tell them how you feel. After all, this is a community. We aren't robots and humans like to interact with each other. It's easy to skim past these types of post because it's always obvious what they are about. It also adds more posts to the threads and moves them to the top and there is nothing wrong with that.
I like the thanks button as well, because it will be obvious to people who see your name that you are helpful and someone that will probably help them with questions they might have and not be a total **** if they get a PM.
omjhd said:
On certain threads questions are repeated cause there are over 1000 pages of responses so i'd much rather repeat a question than spend countless hours looking through pages
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree completely. 1000, hey even 100 pages in a thread can be daunting! That's why there is a search tool (and a very good one at that).
Example: I just installed a new ROM on my Incredible S. The thread for the ROM contains 50 pages. In real life, I'd sit there and read it. That's just me. Put aside half an hour, get to know the issues people are having, the issues that have been covered, and what's still in progress. Your chances of running into issues during the install are quite often significantly lessened by reading the whole thread through. There are also some awesome hidden gems in amongst some of the posts which are worth looking for (extra themes, battery indicators, patched programs and launchers, etc.)
I understand that not everyone has the time to read an entire thread, and that's quite okay. But if you have enough time to look for a new ROM, check some screenshots, download it, install it, then run into issues and post a quesion - you have enough time to search a thread. All you have to do is hit the 'search thread' button, give the tool a couple of keywords ('launcher force close', 'bluetooth headset no sound' etc.) and see what it throws back. If it throws you an answer, all well and good. If it doesn't try a few more keywords, then post your question. At least you've done your research!
In the end, what you do is up to you. Know, however, that you stand a much better chance of getting the answer you are looking for (not just a rude single sentence - an actual answer that will help you) if you put in a little bit of effort before you ask the question.
Welcome to the largest smartphone development forum on the internet
Try being a moderator! Trust me, some of those things you listed are something we have tried to reduce for a long time, but when you have a forum with almost 4 million members, keeping everyone under control is not something we can always do 100%.
Feel free to make any suggestions as to how things can be improved. We are always welcome to hear ideas.
omjhd said:
On certain threads questions are repeated cause there are over 1000 pages of responses so i'd much rather repeat a question than spend countless hours looking through pages
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why we have a "search" function.
the_scotsman said:
Welcome to the largest smartphone development forum on the internet
Try being a moderator! Trust me, some of those things you listed are something we have tried to reduce for a long time, but when you have a forum with almost 4 million members, keeping everyone under control is not something we can always do 100%.
Feel free to make any suggestions as to how things can be improved. We are always welcome to hear ideas.
That's why we have a "search" function.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen.
/10char
To answer my question; yes, I do. I always feel lost when I come here, so for this time, I want to try something new.
1) The main issue. I recognized (unlike all other forums on the Internet), it has three, distinct "layers" with a different visual appearance depending how deep you go into levels.
Level 1: https://forum.xda-developers.com/
Take note of the distinct visual appearance.
Level 2: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android
Take note of the distinct visual appearance. Remember that one level up (https://forum.xda-developers.com/) you had actual descriptions of what each category is about. At this level the descriptions have disappeared (for some reason), so you always have to go a level up to figure out which category you want to enter.
Level 3: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games
Take note of the distinct visual appearance. Now this looks like your regular Internet forum. I wonder why can't Level 1. and 2. look just like Level 3. for an easy overview of navigation.
Am I the only person all these levels are not intuitive for or you as well? What forum engine XDA Forums runs on? I noted that Level 3. is fine, it looks like just any other Internet forum, but I'm puzzled and perplexed as ever about the distinct designs of Levels 1. and 2.
For a comparison of some neat and friendly forum interfaces, I encourage you to check out:
https://forums.anandtech.com/
https://arstechnica.com/civis/
+1: https://forum.f-droid.org/
Nothing special, really: just time tested, old forum interfaces that "just works" as they say. I'm not even saying they are perfect. For example, the AnandTech Forum doesn't have the descriptions the Ars Technica forum has, but due to the self-explanatory nature of the categories, I'm not lost while there. I understand XDA Forums have more complex topics, so descriptions are preferred.
+1: As opposed to the Ars Technica and AnandTech Forums, The F-Droid Forum uses a new school interface called Discourse. I find it effective as it has powerful features. If you ever want to upgrade XDA Forums, you might want to consider going with a next generation forum engine like Discourse.
Example: https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/help/budget-phones-eur-usd100-worth-buying-t3433115
I simply can't believe I'm the single person on this forum interested in this question. (It's timely as ever, by the way.) I just feel other people interested in the same topic somehow never found their way to my question because they also find XDA Forums overall just too complex to get a grasp on everything happening here.
2) Has anyone ever found checking the "Q&A Thread" was useful for their thread, and didn't regret checking that box in the end? Back then when I was without a clue, I checked the box. I learned never to check it again. See my cautionary tale here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/viewing-internal-storage-generic-phone-t3429852
I never got a proper answer there, and totally by accident (by external Google search after gave up I will ever find my answer on XDA Forums), I have found what I was looking for in a 5-year old Samsung Galaxy Nexus thread which turned out to be completely device-independent stuff: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...nlock-root-t1420351/post69913460#post69913460
Now why would the author of this completely device-independent guide put the guide in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus forum section where it lied for 5 years unnoticed, but being still useful today? Probably he has never figured out where the proper place for device-independent guides on the forum is. (Where is the proper place for device independent guides on the forum really, where contributors and users alike will find it equally easily?)
My related observation to this point is that I noticed many of the juicy activity on this forum in general takes place in [insert this year's hot Android phone] categories. Hot Android phone of the day or year changes at least yearly, most users change their devices at least once in two years, so even though many device-independent advice might have been accumulated in the topics for previous year's hot phones, this knowledge seems to be lost. It's still here on the forum, just no one looks at threads of old phones popular years ago looking for device-independent advice, people can only stumble upon information from this (actually huge) section of the forum by accident.
3) Idea: how about a distinctive indicator for a project is being active, still actively maintained or developed? It can be a green sign for active projects. Projects no longer being maintained and developed on the other hand could be distinctively marked with a red sign.
Example for I mistakenly thought of an active and alive project that it was no longer maintained and developed... or not? But something like this:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71988461&postcount=17847
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72580936&postcount=17958
(Poor developer @M66B, I have no idea what negative experiences he may refer to: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=69284003)
Example for me being lost here 1.: This project has been abandoned for sure: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=888181
The thread has been closed for 5 years. I have no idea whatsoever in which section should I ask about a similar project which is alive and well. (And expect for answers, which is equally important! A few paragraphs above you can see examples that even I asked the right question in the right place according to moderator, I never received any answer whatsoever, or any meaningful answer.)
Example for me being lost here 2.: I really want to ask somewhere
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/135711/is-apkmirror-com-safe
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74618/how-safe-is-it-to-use-aptoide
Example 2, for not finding my way around XDA Forums. I noticed there are many worthy, distinctive projects that seem to be abandoned by their developers: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=888181
It seems to be pretty abandoned; the thread has been closed for 5 years.
Aren't just too many separate categories? I just never was able to figure out the "overview" of XDA Forums the way I had no problem to overview AnandTech Forums and the Ars Technica forums. Even if you say there are exactly as many forum categories as needed, I can accept that. But sure, you could do more to make it visually intuitive - just like most other forums on the Internet are. Thanks!
Update. Another case in point: https://www.xda-developers.com/goog...-with-root-and-android-pay-in-the-xda-forums/
Poor Google engineer @jasondclinton_google has some good, general info on rooting vs. Android Pay (Google Pay?) security but why he had to post it in an obscured thread under xda-developers > Google Nexus 5 > Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting > Android Pay and Custom ROM instead of a forum topic of more general interest is beyond me.
Anyone?
Theres quite a few threads on this subject, perhaps people dont feel the need to contribute to another one?
magicphone said:
To answer my question; yes, I do. I always feel lost when I come here, so for this time, I want to try something new.
1) The main issue. I recognized (unlike all other forums on the Internet), it has three, distinct "layers" with a different visual appearance depending how deep you go into levels.
Level 1: https://forum.xda-developers.com/
Take note of the distinct visual appearance.
Level 2: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android
Take note of the distinct visual appearance. Remember that one level up (https://forum.xda-developers.com/) you had actual descriptions of what each category is about. At this level the descriptions have disappeared (for some reason), so you always have to go a level up to figure out which category you want to enter.
Level 3: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games
Take note of the distinct visual appearance. Now this looks like your regular Internet forum. I wonder why can't Level 1. and 2. look just like Level 3. for an easy overview of navigation.
Am I the only person all these levels are not intuitive for or you as well? What forum engine XDA Forums runs on? I noted that Level 3. is fine, it looks like just any other Internet forum, but I'm puzzled and perplexed as ever about the distinct designs of Levels 1. and 2.
For a comparison of some neat and friendly forum interfaces, I encourage you to check out:
https://forums.anandtech.com/
https://arstechnica.com/civis/
+1: https://forum.f-droid.org/
Nothing special, really: just time tested, old forum interfaces that "just works" as they say. I'm not even saying they are perfect. For example, the AnandTech Forum doesn't have the descriptions the Ars Technica forum has, but due to the self-explanatory nature of the categories, I'm not lost while there. I understand XDA Forums have more complex topics, so descriptions are preferred.
+1: As opposed to the Ars Technica and AnandTech Forums, The F-Droid Forum uses a new school interface called Discourse. I find it effective as it has powerful features. If you ever want to upgrade XDA Forums, you might want to consider going with a next generation forum engine like Discourse.
Example: https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/help/budget-phones-eur-usd100-worth-buying-t3433115
I simply can't believe I'm the single person on this forum interested in this question. (It's timely as ever, by the way.) I just feel other people interested in the same topic somehow never found their way to my question because they also find XDA Forums overall just too complex to get a grasp on everything happening here.
2) Has anyone ever found checking the "Q&A Thread" was useful for their thread, and didn't regret checking that box in the end? Back then when I was without a clue, I checked the box. I learned never to check it again. See my cautionary tale here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/viewing-internal-storage-generic-phone-t3429852
I never got a proper answer there, and totally by accident (by external Google search after gave up I will ever find my answer on XDA Forums), I have found what I was looking for in a 5-year old Samsung Galaxy Nexus thread which turned out to be completely device-independent stuff: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...nlock-root-t1420351/post69913460#post69913460
Now why would the author of this completely device-independent guide put the guide in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus forum section where it lied for 5 years unnoticed, but being still useful today? Probably he has never figured out where the proper place for device-independent guides on the forum is. (Where is the proper place for device independent guides on the forum really, where contributors and users alike will find it equally easily?)
My related observation to this point is that I noticed many of the juicy activity on this forum in general takes place in [insert this year's hot Android phone] categories. Hot Android phone of the day or year changes at least yearly, most users change their devices at least once in two years, so even though many device-independent advice might have been accumulated in the topics for previous year's hot phones, this knowledge seems to be lost. It's still here on the forum, just no one looks at threads of old phones popular years ago looking for device-independent advice, people can only stumble upon information from this (actually huge) section of the forum by accident.
3) Idea: how about a distinctive indicator for a project is being active, still actively maintained or developed? It can be a green sign for active projects. Projects no longer being maintained and developed on the other hand could be distinctively marked with a red sign.
Example for I mistakenly thought of an active and alive project that it was no longer maintained and developed... or not? But something like this:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71988461&postcount=17847
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72580936&postcount=17958
(Poor developer @M66B, I have no idea what negative experiences he may refer to: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=69284003)
Example for me being lost here 1.: This project has been abandoned for sure: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=888181
The thread has been closed for 5 years. I have no idea whatsoever in which section should I ask about a similar project which is alive and well. (And expect for answers, which is equally important! A few paragraphs above you can see examples that even I asked the right question in the right place according to moderator, I never received any answer whatsoever, or any meaningful answer.)
Example for me being lost here 2.: I really want to ask somewhere
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/135711/is-apkmirror-com-safe
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/74618/how-safe-is-it-to-use-aptoide
Example 2, for not finding my way around XDA Forums. I noticed there are many worthy, distinctive projects that seem to be abandoned by their developers: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=888181
It seems to be pretty abandoned; the thread has been closed for 5 years.
Aren't just too many separate categories? I just never was able to figure out the "overview" of XDA Forums the way I had no problem to overview AnandTech Forums and the Ars Technica forums. Even if you say there are exactly as many forum categories as needed, I can accept that. But sure, you could do more to make it visually intuitive - just like most other forums on the Internet are. Thanks!
Update. Another case in point: https://www.xda-developers.com/goog...-with-root-and-android-pay-in-the-xda-forums/
Poor Google engineer @jasondclinton_google has some good, general info on rooting vs. Android Pay (Google Pay?) security but why he had to post it in an obscured thread under xda-developers > Google Nexus 5 > Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting > Android Pay and Custom ROM instead of a forum topic of more general interest is beyond me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To your first point, I actually like the separate layouts for the different layers of the forum. I love modded forums in general, and I enjoy when forums step outside of the basic forumdisplay page.
As for the other points, I agree. I've spent the past few hours searching different forums for a few topics, and a lot of "general" info is split between a myriad of specialized, nested forums. I assume this helps the admins manage topic threads more efficiently. I'm sure it just takes some getting used to. I wouldn't describe it as "complicated" or "non-intuitive," just unique to xda. I run specialized message boards myself, and some forums are born out of general discussions that need to be compartmentalized for better management.
If I understand the whole situation, it goes like this: XDA has been around before Android was a thing, but got a high popularity boost with the introduction of Google's mobile operating system.
The original motto was along the lines of 'by developers, for developers.' But then a lot of new Android people came, not just developers, users as well and XDA couldn't keep up with the surge and you guys still try to find out ever since how to best manage such a huge and diverse community with developers and users alike, how to manage projects, bug reports, while maintaining a community of users, who might as well insightful feature requests for the projects. Does this sound about right?
So. Is the motto of the forum still supposed to be something like 'by developers, for developers,' or perhaps, it has changed?
Old, clip from your YouTube channel: You are a Noob on XDA-Developers. It's your second most watched video on your channel, actually. I just wonder if it's still the dominant attitude of you guys who run this place towards users (some of whom, perhaps want to remain users, just want to get out the most of their phones) and they should piss off and better go elsewhere, or perhaps you have toned down the communication and you are in the process of figuring out how this place could be more fruitful for all?
See more at the Google search: xda site:https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/
I Google searched to find this forum because I am just trying to understand XDA's layout. I'm currently using the app, and I am always so lost here. The only way I find anything at all is through Google searches. Right now I'm trying to understand this place's layout.
Yup same here from me. In general, have not found the XDA mods and Devs very helpful at all unless you're part of the inner circle of geek. Without wasting any more of my time trying to find a simple answer to a simple question on this convoluted diabolical forum I'm going to just join another more helpful more friendly, less up my own arse type of forum where you don't need to be a tech geek to get an answer.
Thanks for nothing XDA
leahcimewol said:
Yup same here from me. In general, have not found the XDA mods and Devs very helpful at all unless you're part of the inner circle of geek. Without wasting any more of my time trying to find a simple answer to a simple question on this convoluted diabolical forum I'm going to just join another more helpful more friendly, less up my own arse type of forum where you don't need to be a tech geek to get an answer.
Thanks for nothing XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See ya.
leahcimewol said:
Yup same here from me. In general, have not found the XDA mods and Devs very helpful at all unless you're part of the inner circle of geek. Without wasting any more of my time trying to find a simple answer to a simple question on this convoluted diabolical forum I'm going to just join another more helpful more friendly, less up my own arse type of forum where you don't need to be a tech geek to get an answer.
Thanks for nothing XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See ya.
leahcimewol said:
Yup same here from me. In general, have not found the XDA mods and Devs very helpful at all unless you're part of the inner circle of geek. Without wasting any more of my time trying to find a simple answer to a simple question on this convoluted diabolical forum I'm going to just join another more helpful more friendly, less up my own arse type of forum where you don't need to be a tech geek to get an answer.
Thanks for nothing XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
K bye!
Ciao!
It's turning into a bye bye thread
I admit my post is not helpful
Okay, I'm looking for a new phone. I've been on this site (maybe not having an active account but using it at least) since I got my first Android phone. This site has been a beacon or at least a jumping off point to anyone who has wanted to get into customizing and modding their phones for YEARS.
This gave me the idea of why not have the forum statistics posted in an easily viewable format? I figure the phone with the most activity should be the most developer friendly phone (or the most popular one anyway, and I know just because something is popular doesn't mean it's good.) Still I believe phones with more activity are probably more friendly to devs than those with less activity, because they're in the hands of more people looking for exploits/vulnerabilties to make the phone do what they want it to do (and then hopefully patch those as well.)
Now indeed there are a LOT of spam posts as well, I see them when I get nostalgic and visit the Atrix 4G forums. Maybe you can filter out all the 1 or 2 post accounts/anything that has gotten banned from those metrix somehow?
it would be good idea, but at the same time, not good idea.
imagine how much that would make this forum even messier?
how search engine will handle such tasks?
popularity quickly changes, and there are no way to determine what is popular or not.
if post is getting a lot of views, is that indicator?
a lot of downloads? what if he post download on third party website?
and, when devs release ROM, mod, they go silent for some time, so they can develop more ..
as, indicator can't be what is viewed mostly, and what is downloaded mostly.
think of something that will make it do automatically, to determine what is popular or not.
as computer algorithm can mark some old phone dev friendly, because it have a lot of views, or posts, and when you look at those posts, you see it don't make sense, posts are about "how to unlock this unlockable phone".
TL; DR
there's no way to instruct it properly (machine), and it will clutter forum and forum search even more,
but we can make separate section which is maintaned by all moderators, so one person don't have to handle all., and that section can be properly handled by search engine in forum.