Big Mess - About xda-developers.com

Why is this forum such an unstructured huge mess?
The forum homepage I have to interrupt, I don't know how big it is.
Where can I get a list of phones of one manufacturer for example?
Even a list of manufacturers I can't find.
Every page I call takes 10 minutes to load etc.

lkjsoiuew said:
Why is this forum such an unstructured huge mess?..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm understanding you correctly, you have a few choices for obtaining a general listing of devices...
1) Use one of the following XDA Search Features.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/search/
https://www.xda-developers.com/search2/
https://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php
2) Use the following Device Listing page.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/all
3) Use the following Device Listing page but, it reflects this in a Compact View.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/compact
Just a side note for you to take into consideration...
It's extremely understandable to understand your point of view with the xda-developers currently having so many Device Dedicated Areas on the Forum, as well as additional ones being created every day/few days, it can become very overwhelming to locate something if your not familiar with the website.
They do their best to provide what they can to help members to navigate the forum (as seen by the various options above) and, though it's not perfect but, they do care about the feedback and take them all under consideration for any/all future improvements, enhancements, etc... to make the forum as member friendly as possible.
In addition... Remember that the Administrators & Moderators (Even the Recognized Contributors, Developers, etc...) are all here to help members with any questions or concerns regarding the forum.
Maybe @MikeChannon can provide any additional information, assistance, advice, etc... that I may have overlooked myself with the above information.
I do wish you the Best of Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unless asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX Forum App on my Apple Macintosh.

That "compact" list is a very good example. It takes minutes to load, because every single device is not only listed but every sub-forum of every single device.
Even closing that page takes 15 seconds.
The search does not give me a page with a manufacturer. Only single devices.

lkjsoiuew said:
That "compact" list is a very good example. It takes minutes to load, because every single device is not only listed but every sub-forum of every single device.
Even closing that page takes 15 seconds.
The search does not give me a page with a manufacturer. Only single devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The compact list doesn't show sub forums and shouldn't take more than 1 or 2 seconds to load:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/compact
If it's taking minutes to load that abbreviated page then there must be a connection problem between you and our servers.
Other pages can take longer to load but none sould be more than a few seconds. We run an old version of vBulletin, servers are very expensive and we have several thousands on line simultaneously. More servers and a newer forum software would help but all that costs money and we aren't super rich!
Updating from vBulletin would be very nice, but we're caught in a bit of a trap because we have customised so much of what we do here that tranitioning to a new format (even just a new version of vBulletin) would take many many hours of work and testing. Some argue we could just archive much of what we have but then again there are still people who post in forums for 10 year old devices.
Mike

Related

mapping Optical Trackpad press

I was playing with my friends Nokia, and his hardware keyboard allowed him to turn on his flashlight (camera led) by holding down his spacebar.
So I was thinking, is there anyway to map the optical trackpad press on our dincs to do this?
Ideally when the screen is on/unlocked you would hold it down a few secs to turn it on, then hold down a few secs again to turn it off. Also if the screen was off/locked, then hold it down to turn it on but have it turn off the second you stop holding it (for accidental pocket presses).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=813282
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=818075
judging by those two threads this doesn't seem very possible. is that what you were getting at? because you probably could have just said "remapping doesn't work"
rmoney said:
you probably could have just said "remapping doesn't work"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I appreciate it when people provide me links to more information than a single line summary like, "remapping doesn't work."
But I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you with having to read other discussions.
You're welcome for providing you the information that you were too lazy to search out on your own.
rmoney said:
judging by those two threads this doesn't seem very possible. is that what you were getting at?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, what I was primarily getting at was the fact that at least two recent discussions cover this topic, and that information was there for the taking if you would take a few seconds to search / read.
There's a reason that the forum software tries to find similar threads every time you create a new thread. There's also a reason why the forum asks you if your thread is a question when you create it.
Finally, this doesn't belong in Development, since you didn't develop anything.
Since you like things summed up, here you go:
"Your issue has been discussed multiple times recently, it is a question, it doesn't belong in this subforum, and you may or may not have this thread locked or receive a temporary ban because of the aforementioned rules for this subforum."
Hope I didn't waste too much of your time this time.
BNG303 said:
Personally, I appreciate it when people provide me links to more information than a single line summary like, "remapping doesn't work."
But I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you with having to read other discussions.
You're welcome for providing you the information that you were too lazy to search out on your own.
Actually, what I was primarily getting at was the fact that at least two recent discussions cover this topic, and that information was there for the taking if you would take a few seconds to search / read.
There's a reason that the forum software tries to find similar threads every time you create a new thread. There's also a reason why the forum asks you if your thread is a question when you create it.
Finally, this doesn't belong in Development, since you didn't develop anything.
Since you like things summed up, here you go:
"Your issue has been discussed multiple times recently, it is a question, it doesn't belong in this subforum, and you may or may not have this thread locked or receive a temporary ban because of the aforementioned rules for this subforum."
Hope I didn't waste too much of your time this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow....you could have just saved the time and not responded at all.
jackattack said:
Wow....you could have just saved the time and not responded at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. I just didn't appreciate rmoney's dismissive response to what I thought was a helpful reply: providing him with relevant links.

[Q] New Serach timing policy and scripts on search page

Searching the site is now limited to 1 search per 25 seconds.
If you search after 22 seconds, the 25 second timer resets.
This is horrible.
If you accidentally mistype when searching, or the scripts that are running flub your input, then 0 results are found. Obviously you aren't being malicious when modifying the search and pressing search again.
If you want to stop robotic abuse, put one of thos things in that makes you enter characters.
Or at least allow 2 searches in 50 seconds.
Or limit it to 2 in 50 seconds if 0 results were found with the initial search.
Can we please change this policy, to allow a 2nd search without delay if 0 results were found on the first search?
Normally, when I log into XDA, I search for all threads that I have posted in. I can then see if any new posts have appeared in threads that I have posted in. There is some script that runs, probably related to the adds the flubs my entry. So I'll end up search for JH3 or JV3, or something like that, instead of JVH3. 0 results are found. Of course I need to search again. Before the timer was 30 seconds. Sometimes I would search after 20 seconds, and it would say I need to wait 10 more seconds. Annoying, but it's just 10 more seconds. Now that resets to 25 seconds.
I would think this setting could be adjusted on a per user basis. the new policy is probably good for New users or users with a post count < 100 (non senior members) But users that have been around for over a year with 100+ or 1000+ posts are probably not robots.
Can we please change the search restrictions to take into account the user doing the search?
Thanks for your attention to this.
i asked for this over a month ago in the STICKY titled "requests from users to admins" at the top of THIS forum area...
AKA the place you should have asked instead of posting a NEW THREAD.
TRusselo said:
i asked for this over a month ago in the STICKY titled "requests from users to admins" at the top of THIS forum area...
AKA the place you should have asked instead of posting a NEW THREAD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which option did you ask for?
Any reason you did not provide a link to your post?
I had seen that thread. When I read the description in post #1, it seemed that the purpose was to avoid the direct PMs of the mods and admins and wasn't about keeping additional threads from being created.
If all requests for anything related to the site are to be in that thread, then why have an entire forum dedicated to anything about the site?
And why is there not a statement in post #1 that is directly stating something like: All posts related to requests for change to the site belong in this thread.
But, there is not such a statement in post #1 of that thread or the first 10 posts of that thread. Any mod can modify any post, so it easily could be added if that is what the mods want the thread to be for.
Another thought. Let the amount of searches be determined by the number of Stars by your name. This would encourage donations to the site.
Take some base time for users that have made no donations to the site, like 30 seconds.
Each Star gives you that amount of seraches in that time frame.
Then donations would get you something more than just vanity stars.
JVH3 said:
Another thought. Let the amount of searches be determined by the number of Stars by your name. This would encourage donations to the site.
Take some base time for users that have made no donations to the site, like 30 seconds.
Each Star gives you that amount of seraches in that time frame.
Then donations would get you something more than just vanity stars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's wrong with just wanting the stars. I feel like I'm on TV.
Seriously, though, the search time limit is REALLY annoying.
JVH3 said:
Searching the site is now limited to 1 search per 25 seconds.
If you search after 22 seconds, the 25 second timer resets.
This is horrible.
If you accidentally mistype when searching, or the scripts that are running flub your input, then 0 results are found. Obviously you aren't being malicious when modifying the search and pressing search again.
If you want to stop robotic abuse, put one of thos things in that makes you enter characters.
Or at least allow 2 searches in 50 seconds.
Or limit it to 2 in 50 seconds if 0 results were found with the initial search.
Can we please change this policy, to allow a 2nd search without delay if 0 results were found on the first search?
Normally, when I log into XDA, I search for all threads that I have posted in. I can then see if any new posts have appeared in threads that I have posted in. There is some script that runs, probably related to the adds the flubs my entry. So I'll end up search for JH3 or JV3, or something like that, instead of JVH3. 0 results are found. Of course I need to search again. Before the timer was 30 seconds. Sometimes I would search after 20 seconds, and it would say I need to wait 10 more seconds. Annoying, but it's just 10 more seconds. Now that resets to 25 seconds.
I would think this setting could be adjusted on a per user basis. the new policy is probably good for New users or users with a post count < 100 (non senior members) But users that have been around for over a year with 100+ or 1000+ posts are probably not robots.
Can we please change the search restrictions to take into account the user doing the search?
Thanks for your attention to this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are working to bring the search experience back to normal and part of the reason we had tighten the search flood timers is due to a number of bots/scripts abusing the search functionality to the point where search would be overloaded and unavailable to all members. Clearly some search is better than no search. With that said, we have dropped the timer from 25 seconds to 20 seconds and will continue to tune the experience in the coming days.
Just as a possible suggestion to searching for your own posts, if you subscribe to threads (with no email notification), you can easily view if a thread has been replied to since you last visited the forum from the "User CP" paged linked to at the top of every forum page.
Regarding captchas, they are very annoying and it probably takes just as long to fill out the captcha as it would be to wait. We do have captchas for non-registered members but we unfortunately have seen bots that are logged in at the time of searches.
Thanks for your input!

Home page news

I would like to suggest an improvement. (I assume the subject is manually edited, rather than scripted.)
I suggest that first and pure mentions of devices in news articles link to their wiki page - lots of times I read of New Miracle Device X123 and click, expecting to gain info on what the device is - phone/tablet, looks, true manufacturer, etc. Instead I get linked to the forum and the standard subs - developer, apps, questions, etc that all devices have on the forums and learn nothing except that lots of people posted about it. It seems like a perfect place to use the wiki for a quick overview and picture.
Then, when there is a reference to a detail about the device, a project, configuration setting or such - then link to the proper forum or a particular thread.
Assuming I'm fairly normal, I find I click those 1st links right often expecting general data about a new or unfamiliar device - and always get that first forum - that I could have guessed existed - making the first link (to the top forum) fairly useless, as the detail link will usually be listed below in the article to the thread about the particular topic for the device.
Hope I made sense, thanks for listening!
The problem with that is unfortunately our wiki is horrifically under utilised with most device pages containing little to no information.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
conantroutman said:
The problem with that is unfortunately our wiki is horrifically under utilised with most device pages containing little to no information.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My preferences change in wiki is not being saved even though it says it's saved.
Whom should i contact regarding wiki issues? Wiki admins?
--edit--
Looks like it's a known issue.
Bit of a bump...
It does seem that wiki is a great place for a first notice, and a first link.
While it's not really development, you have to know it exists, etc before you can develop!
Perhaps the first news team can be tasked with an initial entry form that becomes the first paragraph for wiki - manufacturer, release, expected OS, etc.
If news or development got to me I could rough out a form and start....

XDA DevDB FAQ / Feedback / Bug Reports

This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
==============================================================
The main DevDB Access url is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/
This is @bitpushr here, I'm hijacking @svetius's thread to put a bit more information and a quick FAQ on the DevDB for people.
The overall goal of DevDB is to give structure to the development projects on XDA. Most obviously this is for ROMs, but also kernels and other tools and projects that you wonderful people come up with. I've been getting a lot of PMs about DevDB so I thought I'd compile them into a little FAQ:
1. How Do I Add Projects to DevDB?
You can visit the main DevDB url, and if you have access to add a project or import an existing thread, you will see the following links:
Adding a project will allow you to enter a new project from scratch and automatically create a thread for you.
Importing an existing thread will allow you to "enhance" the thread by adding it to the DevDB database and let you add more detailed information about your project.
2. Why should I add my project to DevDB?
For developers, it adds crucial metadata to your project that will allows us to show your project in more locations on the site. Threads that are "DevDB-ized" show up in the device page ROM listings, for example. We also add some cool features like a new large-file download system, reviews, a bug reporter/feature requester, and more.
For end-users, it allows us to present the ROMs and other projects on the site in a friendlier format. Rather than scouring forums and threads for new ROMs, we want to give them a place to see these projects and the unique features each one has.
We have some other cool ideas 'in the pipeline' so we thoroughly encourage devs to add their projects to DevDB.
3. Who can add projects?
Right now Recognized Developers and some other beta users are able to add projects to the system. If you wish to be added to the best-tester list, please pm @bitpushr.
Eventually we'll open this up to all "Senior Members" after we get all of the bugs out.
This is really cool.
Thanks a lot. :good:
That's why this is my favorite forum.
Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).
Awesome idea!
GermainZ said:
Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?
This is frigging awesome.
Feature requests:
1) Can/will this be enabled for [APP] threads, too? Has anyone SEEN the Nova Launcher thread lately?! But, not just for clutter--the feature request, Q&A, etc. will be very useful, too.
2) Can a FAQ tab be added? Not essential, but may keep 1st post of ROM threads from overflowing with paragraphs and paragraphs of text. Also, related to idea 6, below.
3) In bug reports, can we enter our hardware somewhere so we don't have to re-type it every time? Also, can multiple devices be selected, a la Google Play website app installing?
4) In bug reports, can we have a separate, but REQUIRED TO FILL OUT, text box for steps to reproduce?
5) Can bug reports be edited? Many times we think we know the issue, but then another user discovers the actual regression, and then instead of two bug reports, one can be made?
6) The biggest one is the last, hehe. Can we somehow have user-editable FAQs for threads? I seriously think XDA needs to implement Wiki's IN THREADS. People check threads (nobody, IMO, sees or even knows that XDA has a Wiki) and there are a handful of users who are nearly as knowledgeable as the developer who post. Maybe only OP-approved people can edit. But, seriously, you guys can make XDA legitimately 100x better if you implemented Wiki-style FAQs for these special threads.
Many people know the answer, but don't want to retype it 500 times. Now, let them put their answer in a very EASY TO FIND place in the FAQ. You seriously harness the power of this extremely knowledgeable community. If you don't, then you leave smart people upset at multiple people posting the same question.
Question:
1) Are
My two cents
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:
svetius said:
This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a field in the DevDB that indicates if the ROM passes Google's CTS (Compatibility Test Suite)? Some people may not want to install something that deviates too far from what Google intended Android to be like (or if something fundamental got broken), if you know what I mean.
Just my humble $0.02
ref: http://source.android.com/faqs.html#compatibility-test-suite
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they tried that with the WIKI's and it didn't turn out that well....
Some wikis did well and some were ghost towns.........the clutter remained none the less
OH and I would like to say that I'm not here to piss on the idea of this project or just say "none of this will work", I'm simply stating my opinion based on what I've seen as a member since I've joined.
I would LOVE to see XDA live up to it's potential and maybe remove some of the clutter and trolls BUT I just see it going a different direction at this moment in time...
Exactly! They were ghost towns because nobody knew about them and, if you did, why take the time and energy to edit something that like 10 people would see?
Thus, place them as a tab on the OP like the others are now.
Same...XDA has ridiculous potential!
This is a great idea and one I've wanted to see in XDA or any other forum for a long time. Since I own a Note 2 N7100, I contributed my part by using Google docs and forms to provide much of the same information in the DevDB for the Note 2. I would say now much of my work is obsoleted, but I agree it is a good thing for XDA.
However for improved granularity, instead of just 1 ranking rating, can DevDB also include 1 other rating for Screen On Time as an indicator for battery life?
My sig links to the thread where I made the index, you can see what I've done.
Good feedback, guys. Keep it coming :highfive:
Well, more of the same, haha:
Threads are great for a few users having a semi-cohesive discussion. With many users, many important issues are somewhere within hundreds of pages.
A user-editable FAQ would fix that. I'd like to also stress the importance of having the FAQ as a tab and NOT a link, as otherwise we'd have fewer users editing and fewer users reading.
It doesn't have to use the exact wiki format. But, maybe, a community-editable post that is otherwise normal.
Some threads that could've used it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1727052
Galaxy SIII Annoyances Megathread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984126
The AT&T Jelly Bean Release Thread (4.1.1 released; Kies and OTA)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter - [ATT / Bell / Telus / Rogers / Sasktel]
Mention @ tags don't work with DevDB.. Rest it ok needs improvement though
Not the s3? wow.
AdamOutler said:
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually we are considering this as some tools are multi or pan-device. Working on a way to show this correctly across multiple devices without getting confusing. Honestly we wanted to make sure that this system works in the first place, find out where we need to expand it, and then do it. @AdamOutler don't know if you noticed but one of the download options (if you have edit capabilities on a download file) is to set it as a CASUAL file. You can also set a specific board for the download. Our API will allow you to ask XDA to "send me all CASUAL package files for 'mako'" and then allow you to download those directly. More TBA.
Mazda said:
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey @Mazda, this is ddrager from Twitter.
Well these are all good points. We did a lot of thinking about what XDA does, what we stand for, and what we provide for developers. For a developer, we are oftentimes not only for discussion but also a platform both for distribution and for feedback on ROMs and other applications for mobile devices. In this regard, DevDB is a platform for users to find the right ROMs and applications for their devices, which hopefully keeps them off of the threads with questions about downloads and whatnot. Sure, we can complain all we want that n00bs don't read, don't search etc... but complaining about it doesn't fix the issue. We wanted to present a way that is easier to follow for those looking for new ROMs and how to modify their devices. A sort of 'device central' where you can get all the information on your device for everyone from those new to Android to those who are veterans at flashing ROMs.
For developers, not much has changed. You still have the development forums, and this is totally optional. DevDB adds some features like built-in reviews, bug reports, a torrent tracker/download system etc. This is mainly for those devs who wish to have additional promotion of their projects, and to make it easier for end-users to find and interact with those projects.
Regarding the issue of users not reading, this isn't a problem unique to XDA. You can point people to search as much as you want but there are 10 people behind them asking the same questions. We've all been guilty of this to some extent at one time . What we can do as a site is make the important information as easy to see and find as possible to help reduce the amount of extraneous questions sent to developers, that have already been answered.
XDA is a site full of information overload, and the best thing we can do is make that information categorized and easy to read.
ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been brought up a few times. I think what it comes down to is that we currently have a wiki, and nobody really uses it for something like that (that I know of). You can create a page on there and link it to the thread as it is right now.
Great feedback all, keep em coming! :highfive:
awesome feature. when can we expect it to be available on other forums
not asking for an eta although
Just wanted to say this is AWESOME!
I browsed around a bit in the "db-test-areas" and I really like it! The benefits are clearly visible:
Better overview
makes it easy finding stuff for your device
no need to browse pages and pages of devices sections when you are searching for something specific
I'd love to find it in the whole forums!! Keep it on!

The Search Functionality Post Website Update / Migration (in 2022 at least) is TERRIBLE

This is going to be a moaning post, which falls in line with the topics of discussion in the forum description.
Like many of you most likely, I've been lurking, contributing if it makes sense, and relying on XDA for a long time. It feels like a decade by now. This is the most frustrated I've ever been with the Search functionality of the website. It's so bad, I'm writing this post, but also I feel like competing sites (there are none in reality) could lure forum users away with nothing more than an intuitive, easy to use search functionality.
For example, every single time you go to search something, XDA for some reason defaults to searching Everything. If I'm in a specific forum, and sought out that forum (which is the only way to get to something that you specifically need given the search won't produce it), why would I need to search the entire site seconds after entering that particular forum. I have not found a setting to allow me to set the default search to search specific forum and recall the previous site iteration as having the ability to easily within a click or two, search the forum itself for a specific thread.
Secondly, searching for items that have more than a single word is pointless. The query results are from all over the site, and largely not related. Additionally, the search results apparently don't believe in offering sort or filter capabilities post submission of a search query.
Third, do you really not follow a boolean logic? Taking the aforementioned example, if I use double quotes to signify a specific string or phrase, the query result is blank.
I'm going to keep adding to this because later because I need to go, but I loved this site, and I want to ensure this feedback is out there. Please for the love of god, do something about this.
Unfortunately, I tried to search for the ability to provide feedback directly and was unable to come up with anything. I shouldn't have to build a Google CSE or run a 'site:' search to produce a specific result on this website.
Just a couple of years ago, I could come into the site, enter a model number or SKU or something specific like that and immediately be able to access specific forums or threads. I just tried to search for SM-990 and nothing but Motorola results were produced. What?

Categories

Resources