How can we make the XDA forums better? - Introductions

I figured since we turned this forum into a Questions forum with up and down voting for each answer, I'd ask:
How can we make the XDA forums better?​
No answer is too outlandish...be creative. We're listening!
Maybe you think we have too many ads, or maybe you think search totally sucks. Perhaps you want more theme options, or you want more ways to learn development. Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!

Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.
Source: an old user who used to participate more.

Jaxidian said:
Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.
Source: an old user who used to participate more.
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"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.

Couldn't search by device in XDA forums since this new design update . In old UI device I could search device from the search icon in top right.

juned.khatri31 said:
Couldn't search by device in XDA forums since this new design update . In old UI device I could search device from the search icon in top right.
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i can search for a device in the top right search bar with no issues..

DSA said:
i can search for a device in the top right search bar with no issues..
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Can't easily find the Galaxy S4+ or S4+ in fact I didn't find either.
It's convoluted, at best.

Please bring back the XDA Labs app. I found the app perfect! I cant get used too the newer app even after using it for quite some time now. It feels... i dont know. Right now i am using firefox for accessing xda.

blackhawk said:
Can't easily find the Galaxy S4+ or S4+ in fact I didn't find either.
It's convoluted, at best.
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Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too
all the s4 forums:
Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500, i9505, i9505G, i9506
The Galaxy S 4 is Samsung's flagship device for 2013. The S 4 ups the ante of its predecessor thanks to a 5" 1080p Super AMOLED display (PenTile 441 ppi), a pseudo octa-core Samsung Exynos 5410 or quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (depending on region), 2 gigs of RAM, up to 64 gigs of storage...
forum.xda-developers.com

DSA said:
Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too
all the s4 forums:
Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500, i9505, i9505G, i9506
The Galaxy S 4 is Samsung's flagship device for 2013. The S 4 ups the ante of its predecessor thanks to a 5" 1080p Super AMOLED display (PenTile 441 ppi), a pseudo octa-core Samsung Exynos 5410 or quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (depending on region), 2 gigs of RAM, up to 64 gigs of storage...
forum.xda-developers.com
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It's the active variant of the S4 made exclusively for AT&T. Hence little support.

blackhawk said:
"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.
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Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".

Jaxidian said:
Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".
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You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.

blackhawk said:
You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.
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I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.

Jaxidian said:
I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
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You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.

Jaxidian said:
I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
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blackhawk said:
You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.
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Guys, please stay on topic

I would like, to have some sections, where people can learn modding, learn how to do proggraming for type of stuff we do here on xda.
usualy, someone post some amaizing tool, but it would be even more amaizing if there is separate section for developers who want to learn, deep inside of android system, how to mod it, code some useful software for it, etc
in these times, where all manufacturers are locking bootloaders, or completely ditching bootloader, so it can be unclocked, it encourages lack of experimentation android was before, because people have locked phones and xda forums isn't popular as it once was, there are no more amaizing things, and even if you want to try to make amaizing thing, you can't because there are no resources to learn android. manufacturers, make everything more locked, android is becoming iOS for some reason.
so basically, i would like to have section, like on stackoverflow, but to be focused on android modding, and questions people ask, how they can learn it. (as stackexchange android enthusiasts suck, and it's just that, enthusiasts, but not developers, programmers who want to learn and ask qusetions)
that would make this community useful, for developers.
usual questions, like Q&A is okay, but just want separate section, where real professional people look. (just look, at Q&A, full of regular people who have no clue, and not even read guide, all those questions can be solved with existing guides on XDA, and even if can't, then phone is hard bricked, or question is just trash, and that me, and i believe many others, programmers, professionals, drive back from it, we need quality questions where programmers can look for to help fellow programmer.
and, with this, upwote and downwote, it would be a good idea, as, in those special programming threads, programmers would be able to see most useful answer.
with all people bashing here, this became some low quality, chat forum, i wish we can make it more quality focused, but still noob frinendly, so it have sections for noobs (existing Q&A), and expert section
And what @Jaxidian complained, this would be solution, as sometimes experienced people don't have patience for noob question (they just say "why you don't search first before posting"), those people who answer that way, just wish they could answer and help someone more experienced struggling and not answer same questions from noobs that don't research before posting. (if someone is noob, he becomes even bigger noob if he ask for something that has been asked milion times on same platform)
my 50 cents

A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...

blackhawk said:
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
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Or limit the forums new members can post to just Q and A subforums.

My observation is that in the Q&A forum regularly - almost daily - the same problem (e.g. data recovery for bricked device, rooting device, bypass FRP lock) is presented by different users and asked for a solution proposal: in my eyes a nonsense.
My recommendation: The Q&A forum should have sub-forums for this.
Also, I do not understand why 2 Q&A forums exist, namely Q&A and Q&A->H&T. Users do not distinguish between them.

Please bring back the XDA Labs app.

blackhawk said:
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
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I think that's an interesting idea, but nothing will make a new user more upset than a waiting period. In 2021, people expect instant access and quick gratification. If we were the only phones community, I would agree with you, but if I was a newb and registered then had a waiting period, I'd say "screw it, my problem is important. i'm going to reddit/AndroidCentral/somewhere else"
Sarticle said:
Please bring back the XDA Labs app.
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That's not going to happen unless a team of developers steps forth to fully take over its development.

Related

Windows Mobile 7

Does anyone have a firmware with Windows Mobile 7 I can flash to the Diamond?
Many Thanks.
this is the funniest post I've ever read
windows mobile 7 is not released yet.....expected in 2009 maybe summer.
still in production line i guess.... so wait till next year dude.
massimax said:
this is the funniest post I've ever read
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Yea its really funny reading peoples questions
harrysaab said:
windows mobile 7 is not released yet.....expected in 2009 maybe summer.
still in production line i guess.... so wait till next year dude.
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Thanks for the info, and not criticising me
lol.. it is kinda funny though.. being that you were serious.
all it takes is a few minutes to find out that wm7 hasnt finished development.
2259 said:
Does anyone have a firmware with Windows Mobile 7 I can flash to the Diamond?
Many Thanks.
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Actually, it's a sad commentary on how little regard people have for others' time and effort. Too many people don't have the courtesy to expend some effort on their own before cluttering up a site with useless questions like this one. The worst part is incessant abuse like this drives away people whose posts are valuable to others. This is inconsiderate behavior on par with spitting on others' shoes, riding your bike/skateboard/etc. on a sidewalk, jaywalking, etc..
2259 said:
Does anyone have a firmware with Windows Mobile 7 I can flash to the Diamond?
Many Thanks.
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I got one but cannot release yet probably a month or two when its more stable
Way cool
King of the castle!
landshark said:
Actually, it's a sad commentary on how little regard people have for others' time and effort. Too many people don't have the courtesy to expend some effort on their own before cluttering up a site with useless questions like this one. The worst part is incessant abuse like this drives away people whose posts are valuable to others. This is inconsiderate behavior on par with spitting on others' shoes, riding your bike/skateboard/etc. on a sidewalk, jaywalking, etc..
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Right and wrong you are. Its a demonstration of ignorance without the intention of being disrespectful. People are simply uneducated when it comes to proper forum etiquette. You cant stop that. But you can assure yourself that all it takes are posts like this that will generate some flames and the OP will think twice about choosing not to search before posting.
You cant prevent posts like this, its inevitable.. but people do learn, and that's what you get with public forums.
Jay-walk enough times and your bound to get hit by a car..
landshark said:
Actually, it's a sad commentary on how little regard people have for others' time and effort. Too many people don't have the courtesy to expend some effort on their own before cluttering up a site with useless questions like this one. The worst part is incessant abuse like this drives away people whose posts are valuable to others. This is inconsiderate behavior on par with spitting on others' shoes, riding your bike/skateboard/etc. on a sidewalk, jaywalking, etc..
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yawn.
Thanks dutty for the response.
Noob
lol
Sorry Dude Xd
landshark said:
Actually, it's a sad commentary on how little regard people have for others' time and effort. Too many people don't have the courtesy to expend some effort on their own before cluttering up a site with useless questions like this one. The worst part is incessant abuse like this drives away people whose posts are valuable to others. This is inconsiderate behavior on par with spitting on others' shoes, riding your bike/skateboard/etc. on a sidewalk, jaywalking, etc..
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I also yawn at the above.
I think you need to gain some life experience and the much needed perspective that comes with it. I actually think it's people like you that can ruin a forum. Empathy, tolerance and patience are the incandescent qualities that the cooks and senior users of this forum display to EVERYONE on this forum. They make this place what it is. You should try to emulate them.
simcarloc said:
I also yawn at the above.
I think you need to gain some life experience and the much needed perspective that comes with it. I actually think it's people like you that can ruin a forum. Empathy, tolerance and patience are the incandescent qualities that the cooks and senior users of this forum display to EVERYONE on this forum. They make this place what it is. You should try to emulate them.
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landshark expressed very politely his opinion.
people like you that can ruin a forum.
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wow! and you call for tolerance?!
this place like any other place in the world (including the deepest jungle) has its rules. ignoring the rules (in this case a very basic one) can be sometimes tolerated but not encouraged the way you are doing. next time the same noob will yawn at you
Oh give me a break!
His remarks were not polite or informative, in fact, they were designed to denigrate. There was no need for it at all - it's noobie bashing and you know it. I'm not encouraging the breaking of rules at all, where did I say or imply that?
I am however encouraging tolerance, that's not to say that people can't point noobies towards the search functions and rules of the forum; to make them feel bad is just spiteful.
And yes, I am intolerant towards people who like to pick on the less-informed.
To compare asking questions to 'insulting people' is absolutely ridiculous.
im just sick of dumb people...they are breeding and we must stop it! lol
frozenwaffles said:
im just sick of dumb people...they are breeding and we must stop it! lol
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I rest my case.
its time for a brave new world! bring on the triffids!
I need a symbian OS cab to put it on my Diamond please
i was thinking more along the lines of OSX???
I LIKE TO USE GOOGLES ONT HE INTERNETZ SO I CAN SEE STUFZ LIKE WINDOWS MOBILE 7
After doing that, I quickly realize that it is not even out yet and don't make a new thread about it.

XDA sociolgy report

Hey all, this probably will sound weird but I have to do a sociology report on a community of individuals and I chose the XDA forum. I choose this community because of how the majority of us have probably never have and never will see one another, yet we interact as if we’ve known individuals personally. At least that’s my observation lol. So any information, comments and help is greatly appreciated.
So here are a couple of questions I’m looking to answer.
1. Why and when was the site started?
2. Who started the site?
3. How are admins and mods chosen?
4. (For anyone who chooses to answer) why do you frequent this site instead of others?
Thank you Wroigo
wroigo said:
4. (For anyone who chooses to answer) why do you frequent this site instead of others?
Thank you Wroigo
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Because this is the best site in the hole WWW dedicated to HTC devices!!
Much more better ROM´s have born here than in MS
wroigo said:
1. Why and when was the site started?
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The answer is in the Forum and in the Intro. Some aspects of the devices were not clear and there were no answers from the manufacturers or the carrier brands that put other names on the devices.
2. Who started the site?
3. How are admins and mods chosen?
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I think you better ask this to the Moderators. As some of the questions seem to be private, you better should ask them via PM or interviewing them personally. Remember some of the things here posted lay over the thin line between legal and alegal (I would not say illegal), so some people won't answer to you if they don't know you.
4. (For anyone who chooses to answer) why do you frequent this site instead of others?
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First, I found the best solutions. Now, I began to cook and to share my small experience, so that I think it's my way to give back to the Universe everything I could "obtain" coming to this site.
Thank you Wroigo[/QUOTE]
mikechannon said:
Some clues:
The Creator, sometimes known as The Big P and boy do we need one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4241019&postcount=1
The Wonder Years - See, that's Kevin right there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4636060&postcount=2
As for the sociology of Fora, sometimes I think a forum or the Net in general is like a kind of shell, a cocoon if you prefer in which people behave differently than they would if they met face to face. Some will behave in an extremely polite way, constantly apologising fror their lack of knowledge. Others do the opposite, flame , criticise, use rude language and seemingly look for arguments. In other words behaviour shows a wide an often more extreme range of behaviour than in direct contact relationships.
It's very like the difference between how pedestrians behave compared to the way folk behave when driving.. If someone walks past you in the street it does not matter - but if a car speeds past you on the motorway, well that testosterone kicks in and you speed up and try to overtake the son of a gun. And as you re-overtake you may deliver some rude hand signal and the battle is on. (If you and that guy had met as pedestrians you might be all sweetness and light, but in your car, well, your remote, protected and show more violent behaviour. So it is with internet fora, they give anonymous people a shell, a hidden identity from which they can be more rude and agressive than normal or on the contrary more meek and pathetic than normal. Sociologically speaking the internet forum is a safety valve that allows extreme behaviour to go relatively un-punished. What's a ban, well nothing really, there are hundreds of fora, but if I should swear and flame with real people face to face, well, I would be sacked from my job and possibly locked in jail. It is freedom of expression without the normal constraints of societies norms and values. Having said that, a complete free-for-all would be anarchy (look at the Dev and Hacking Section) and this is why at least a little Moderation is needed.
..... and that's what good old XDA-Devs does for you ....
Mike
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Sorry about my lack of knowledge but why do you sound like a dim-witted rake?
4. (For anyone who chooses to answer) why do you frequent this site instead of others?
Because I like to compare my life to losers and people with IQ's below 125
I've Pm'ed a couple of the mods and admins but haven't recieved any response. and thanks for replying guys a little info beats no info

[Q] Suggestions for improving Forum Etiquette

This is my reply to the mess of a thread located at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=781513
I hope my suggestions are taken in the very helpful spirit that they were typed.
Thanks folks.
I'm gonna be all trolly here and what not. Is there not a way to simply FORCE people to read? As in, you can't post for 3 weeks after you join? It wouldn't stop people from being stupid, but it would help train them to Search & Read in the 3 weeks that they desperately wait for a Rom to drop.
This thread has the train wreck effect... I couldn't not read the whole damn thing. (I am actually very interested in getting the originally mentioned feature, btw.) And yes my post is Off-Topic, yet ridiculously relevant. I have quietly been a member of this forum for years and haven't seen this kind of wasted space ever. Maybe I should stop recommending people "Go check out xda developers online..." I am partially responsible for getting these people here. But, I believe a strong, open community is the best way to get results. Perhaps, all new members trying to post new threads outside of the General/Q&A forums get redirected to the Advanced Search page unless verified by a mod as a legitimate dev contributor? I am sure that would require coding a module for the forums... And since I don't know how to do any of that I will end my trolliness now. Oh wait, maybe a simpler solution - A "Wrong forum button" where if enough people vote the post gets moved. Seems simple enough and the mods can get the help they need without have the more - zealous - members of our community take matters into their own hands.
Thanks for your time and attention to my suggestions. I will now look for an appropriate place to post this in the main forum.
-Memo
See that's why I voted "against" xda samsung section, you'll see it will be even worse when we get an lg and istick sections
This place is becoming just like other places only flaming and "your problems are stupid because this is alright for me". Luckily there are still a lot of decent people around here which make me stay.
poll looks pretty inconclusive to me
Very umm, intellectual thread read that was.
But you know when inviting a couple of close friends over turns into a full blown Hizouse Partaaay a couple of fights are gonna break out...
Actions as such in that thread aren't very rampant but can make for an interesting read. But comparing contributions, join date and or post count in any situation is pretty moronic.
Has there ever been a thread where it ended happy and all party's posted:
Like, man I'm sorry man I was drunk.
Oh no man it's cool, man my wife was gettin on me about the garbage and kids were nagging.
So are we cool?
Yeah man. Can I invite you as a friend?
Oh totally!
That would be awesome to see...
good day.
I have seen many happy ending threads actually.
And honestly, I didn't really understand your ideas on what is being discussed. I think that if the actions were rampant then this site would be dying as many have before. XDA has a very long legacy, and it should be protected BEFORE it becomes a problem. Just how telling a 15 y/o that suddenly his backtalk is not acceptable would have no effect, telling the new influx of users being drawn by the boom in mobility that they have to behave in the forums when everything they see is "IS.HE.THE.DADDY.DNA.TEST-Developers.com" would be ineffective. Needs to be taken care of early. Prevent the problem. Don't waste tons of resources trying to fix it.
And just to be clear were you at all trying to be offensive, snarky, or sarcastic? Just curious.
- Memo
souljaboy said:
poll looks pretty inconclusive to me
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It's a wealth of information! Perhaps we need to stick people into the Brain Training room from Lost. ...I'll go look for my lab coat.
memorito said:
And honestly, I didn't really understand your ideas on what is being discussed.
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Actually just noticed the [Q] on the thread title, your post didn't really reference adding on to your suggestions. So my bad for not seeing the [Q]. Wrong forum button does have some potential. But the experienced xda user should know who his forum mod is and send a pm outlining any gripe with link to thread before turning it into a public chest puffing competition where in the end all who participated look like morons.
Is it feasible to have an ethics moderating committee that would monitor the content and actions of the first 15 posts of a new member? But it all still comes down to an individual showing that they have the utmost respect for xda and its users. Members involved in your example are not spring chickens and should be a little ashamed. Because a new user might think that is the norm for the forum.
memorito said:
And just to be clear were you at all trying to be offensive, snarky, or sarcastic?
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No. The house party statement does hold a lot truth though. Even 3 years ago the "smart phone" was seen as a business tool. Even you brought up the influx of new users as result of the mobile boom. I'm 36 now and didn't even get a cell phone till I was 23. Now I see children with devices that I would die to have or be able to afford. The age demographic of this site has changed so dramatically over the last couple of years. And as elder members we can only protect the image of xda by policing our own actions and utilizing the forum mods for what they are intended for.
Since it is off topic I still feel like I need to have a little fun.
Boobs....... o.k. I'm done.
good day.
a good start would be requiring everyone to add a nice greeting to the end of their posts according to the time of the day
ive talked to the mods about this in the past and they liked the idea, but havent added it yet:
requiring a signature to be set up upon first signing up to xda including current phone/s, rom, recovery, hboot, kernel...
having set up so that registering could not continue without filling out these fields (of course there would have to be a "how-to" option to help those that dont know what those are or how to find out what they have)
this would stop the
"can someone help me please! my phone wont boot"
"what phone do you have?"
"G1"
"what rom are you running?"
"stock 1.6"
"what hboot?"
exchanges which take up half the posts in a lot of threads
souljaboy said:
a good start would be requiring everyone to add a nice greeting to the end of their posts according to the time of the day
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tnpapadakos said:
requiring a signature to be set up upon first signing up
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This would also help create that pause for reflection and research that I think would really help the new members get oriented. Right from the start they learn they have to provide as much info as possible, if they are ever to get a response.
chopper the dog said:
Actually just noticed the [Q] ...
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Actually, I should have restructured the post. I just straight copy/pasted from a related thread where the info would have been read in context.
chopper the dog said:
Is it feasible to have an ethics moderating committee that would monitor the content and actions of the first 15 posts of a new member?... Members involved in your example are not spring chickens and should be a little ashamed. ...
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I don't know that it would be feasible. I was even thinking of perhaps a Volunteer Buddy Moderation, where you have to submit your first 5 posts for approval from a mentor. The mentor would be in charge of making sure the protocol was followed - Search And Read, Label subject line correctly, and provide full info... I just don't know that anyone is willing to work on the actual Forum Coding... And adding more work to the mods wouldn't be a good idea. If they had the time to constantly be vigil, they would kill the problem posts as soon as they are noticed.
chopper the dog said:
The age demographic of this site has changed so dramatically over the last couple of years. And as elder members we can only protect the image of xda by policing our own actions and utilizing the forum mods for what they are intended for.
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I guess it can be expected from the youngins, but how do you get the grumpy, reactionary elders to nod feed the flames?
chopper the dog said:
Since it is off topic I still feel like I need to have a little fun.
Boobs....... o.k. I'm done.
good day.
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Butts.
Good day to you too, sir.
Happy Ending. Don't see many of these. HERE
good day.
chopper the dog said:
Happy Ending. Don't see many of these. HERE
good day.
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That did work out rather nice... But they weren't being completely nasty to each other.
Not like these guys...
http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/7993-ffc-for-the-vibrant/
Some people have every intent of being offensive. Don't really get the point but hey.
Kids will be kids
What i see is a lot of kids (15-30) in this forum tend to think since they know...... you should too. Forums should encourage newbies to get involved and once they are communicating then, reroute them to the right forum etc. this kind of considerate rational act would improve and make this forum WAY better, but then, I digress.
Requiring the signature probably would be helpful, but I think the moderator being vigilant and remind the sarcastic, inconsiderate they once were Newbies may be just as effective. People need to remember that not all here are devs, programmers or really techies. A lot are here for the education..... but then....my wife always said i was too much an idealist
WOW hit a new level HERE.
good day.

Opinions: Are we too hard on Noobs?

Hey all,
Something has been rolling around in my head the past couple days, and I wanted to get some opinions.
Here's the basic notion: We might be too hard on noobs.
Now a couple of disclaimers...
1. Nothing excuses anyone from searching or doing their due diligence. I've seen more duplicate threads than I can recount, and yes it's annoying.
2. Nothing excuses anyone from etiquette. Being polite and courteous when asking for and receiving help is essential and is perfectly reasonable to expect.
That being said, here is where I think we take the same rules we expect noobs to adhere to, and break them ourselves. First of all, this community EXISTS to foster communication, education, and provide tools to enhance the products we all love. Anyone who says anything less is quite frankly selling XDA short. As such, and as cheesy as it may sound, XDA is a "beacon of hope" to those looking for help amidst the soup of lesser websites online. Before I knew anything, I knew about XDA, and slowly but surely I came to know more. But in my time here, and it seems like "more and more", I have also come to see noobs get increasingly hassled, berated, and outright knee-capped for asking duplicate questions, posting in the wrong forums, not searching for common questions, etc... Now by all means if we see a noob doing these things, TELL THEM, but do so in a manner befitting the community.
Not long ago I read a noob-ish thread, at this point I don't even remember what made it so, but I remember the reactions. The FIRST response was polite, it notified the OP of the infraction, but pointed him in the right direction with a friendly approach. The next FIVE responses were nothing short of hostile... "Learn to effing search noob, READ the damn stickies moron, Gawd another noob who doesn't know how to read!" etc... ONE guy replied rudely, and 4-5 more jumped on the bandwagon as if "Insulting Noob" was an Olympic sport and judging was imminent... each trying to 1-up the last. Personally, I was disgusted.
My point is this... as "good" as it may make some folks here to rip a noob a new one before breakfast and prove to the world just how big your e-d**k is, it does little to move us forward, and personally if I had received such a response as a noob, I doubt I would have come back. I just think maybe we need to ease off on the bashing, and bone up on our "polite education". We were all there at some point after all.
It does not matter where you go on the internet, bashing is just a part of the workings. Some take it far while others take it to the extreme.
If you see people being overly harsh on noobs then please report it. Of course a gentle suggestion that searching and reading is the way to go is not overly harsh imo but please report any insulting and downright rude behaviour to a moderator.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
Theres no excuse to be a noob these days, considering this generation grew up with the internet
natious said:
Theres no excuse to be a noob these days, considering this generation grew up with the internet
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...which makes you lazy; even Google has implemented instant search because having to hit search just makes you feel like your doing to much work
There's nothing wrong with being hard on n00bs as long as it's in a constructive and polite fashion. Being rude to one just because they're repeating a question that's been asked before isn't the way to handle it though.
Question:
"How do i root my HTC XXX..."
Acceptable answer:
"This has been asked many times. Please use the Search function or have a look in the device specific forum where you'll get better information."
Unacceptable answer:
FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....this has been asked before you noob. Are you too f****n stupid to do a search??!!??11 Get off my forum you scum sucking leach..."
Hope that clarifies my point
Some of the sentiments on the "unacceptable answer" stems from frustration. I, for one, have for many months shun away from the dev sections simply because of the sheer noob overload.
Most of these peeps simply don't bother to search, and in my opinion, are just too impolite. They come in, make a new topic (first infraction), ask repeated questions (2nd) in the wrong section (3rd) in a very impolite manner (4th, and greatest) with wrong grammar and jumbled up sentences (5th, and hopefully last infraction).
If the n00b would just be POLITE and legible, and use the magic word (please), I would forgive most of the infractions and gladly point out the right thing to do. I might even do a search for them.
So it's not really a community thing that we treat new users like FNG, but here, in this hallowed grounds, I would expect that these new users show some modicum of respect towards the people who turn mundane gadgets into something awesome.
And yes, I get disproportionately angry and respond accordingly whenever I see a dev or a mod get bashed (er... if I did that before, please forgive me ) and I always appreciate their efforts, whatever it may be.
porcino said:
Hi guys, I am a noob, as I am forced to make 10 posts somewhere else before entering the development area. It is OK and it is not the main point...
I think the issue of heated discussions in various Internet forums is broader than, say, bashing or nursing the noobs. Don't you think that as soon one starts writing to a forum, they immediately get a feeling of false ownership. This causes all sorts of emotions. Silly, isn't it? The forums are supposed to be public, anonymous and impersonal.
Anyway, just my 5p. Seven more meaningless posts to go... Best wishes.
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OT for a second: Your post do not have to be meaningless. There is a reason we have the 10 post rule. For information how you can start to become a valuable member of the community, please see the link in my sig about the 10 post rule. Oh, and thank you for putting more then "Trying to reach my 10 posts" in this post
porcino said:
And here it comes... My post is answered with great care, and the topic is not impersonal to me any longer! Thanks to this and for taking part in a psycho experiment.
You point about the opposite of meaningless-ness is valid, actually. People like meaningless things, flattery and attention. It sits deep in us and as natural as, e.g., the olfaction...
Three more to go...
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You're welcome. Due to my nature i'm perfect for taking part in psycho experiments!
I donno, maybe not hard enough... The more I get involved in the community for my phone, as well as read on XDA in general, the more I start to think some kinda test should be involved.
Tho this might sound like much, I'm starting to think that a minimum post number should be needed just to be able to view the development sections for phones (and 10 is not enough). Or something to help them get better acquainted with the process for finding info here.
Then something more (maybe a minimum thanks meter value?) to show that they have enough understanding to be able to troubleshoot their devices before actually having access to the files that may cause issues, and subsequently post about them.
I'm aware it would be hard to implement and maintain, but it would clear away a lot the "junk" that covers the forums. Plus who ever said XDA is a place for everyone and their grandmother? Some of the stuff on here boarders on illegal, and the majority is well outside what the carriers/manufacturer want us doing with these devices.
Now on a different (possibly more in tune with the OP's initial thoughts) note. Yes, I'ed have to say some people, and in an increasing number, are very harsh on "noobs." Of which none is called for... The way I handle a situation as sakai4eva outlined is largely to ignore the person, so that they get the impression that what they have posted is not worth reading. If persistant then I would explain in as few words as possible what they have done wrong and why their post is getting ignored. Bashing and/or flaming only gives them a notion that they can also post that way, which creates even more obnoxious posts/topics. It's well know and overly demonstrated in forums (and any other place ppl can freely/easily post) all over the internet - that people will be mean, harsh, aggressive, and vulgar on the internet because they are not dealing with a person face to face.
Answer to OP...No.
Sent from my ENG S-Off Sensation (Pipsqueak approves of this message)
Babydoll25 said:
Answer to OP...No.
Sent from my ENG S-Off Sensation (Pipsqueak approves of this message)
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Ding!
And we have a (concise) winner!

How can we make the XDA forums better?

I figured since we turned this forum into a Questions forum with up and down voting for each answer, I'd ask:
How can we make the XDA forums better?​
No answer is too outlandish...be creative. We're listening!
Maybe you think we have too many ads, or maybe you think search totally sucks. Perhaps you want more theme options, or you want more ways to learn development. Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!
Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.
Source: an old user who used to participate more.
Jaxidian said:
Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.
Source: an old user who used to participate more.
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Click to collapse
"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.
Couldn't search by device in XDA forums since this new design update . In old UI device I could search device from the search icon in top right.
juned.khatri31 said:
Couldn't search by device in XDA forums since this new design update . In old UI device I could search device from the search icon in top right.
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i can search for a device in the top right search bar with no issues..
DSA said:
i can search for a device in the top right search bar with no issues..
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Can't easily find the Galaxy S4+ or S4+ in fact I didn't find either.
It's convoluted, at best.
Please bring back the XDA Labs app. I found the app perfect! I cant get used too the newer app even after using it for quite some time now. It feels... i dont know. Right now i am using firefox for accessing xda.
blackhawk said:
Can't easily find the Galaxy S4+ or S4+ in fact I didn't find either.
It's convoluted, at best.
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Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too
all the s4 forums:
Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500, i9505, i9505G, i9506
The Galaxy S 4 is Samsung's flagship device for 2013. The S 4 ups the ante of its predecessor thanks to a 5" 1080p Super AMOLED display (PenTile 441 ppi), a pseudo octa-core Samsung Exynos 5410 or quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (depending on region), 2 gigs of RAM, up to 64 gigs of storage...
forum.xda-developers.com
DSA said:
Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too
all the s4 forums:
Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500, i9505, i9505G, i9506
The Galaxy S 4 is Samsung's flagship device for 2013. The S 4 ups the ante of its predecessor thanks to a 5" 1080p Super AMOLED display (PenTile 441 ppi), a pseudo octa-core Samsung Exynos 5410 or quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (depending on region), 2 gigs of RAM, up to 64 gigs of storage...
forum.xda-developers.com
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It's the active variant of the S4 made exclusively for AT&T. Hence little support.
blackhawk said:
"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".
Jaxidian said:
Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".
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You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.
blackhawk said:
You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.
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I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
Jaxidian said:
I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
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You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.
Jaxidian said:
I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.
And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
blackhawk said:
You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.
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Click to collapse
Guys, please stay on topic
I would like, to have some sections, where people can learn modding, learn how to do proggraming for type of stuff we do here on xda.
usualy, someone post some amaizing tool, but it would be even more amaizing if there is separate section for developers who want to learn, deep inside of android system, how to mod it, code some useful software for it, etc
in these times, where all manufacturers are locking bootloaders, or completely ditching bootloader, so it can be unclocked, it encourages lack of experimentation android was before, because people have locked phones and xda forums isn't popular as it once was, there are no more amaizing things, and even if you want to try to make amaizing thing, you can't because there are no resources to learn android. manufacturers, make everything more locked, android is becoming iOS for some reason.
so basically, i would like to have section, like on stackoverflow, but to be focused on android modding, and questions people ask, how they can learn it. (as stackexchange android enthusiasts suck, and it's just that, enthusiasts, but not developers, programmers who want to learn and ask qusetions)
that would make this community useful, for developers.
usual questions, like Q&A is okay, but just want separate section, where real professional people look. (just look, at Q&A, full of regular people who have no clue, and not even read guide, all those questions can be solved with existing guides on XDA, and even if can't, then phone is hard bricked, or question is just trash, and that me, and i believe many others, programmers, professionals, drive back from it, we need quality questions where programmers can look for to help fellow programmer.
and, with this, upwote and downwote, it would be a good idea, as, in those special programming threads, programmers would be able to see most useful answer.
with all people bashing here, this became some low quality, chat forum, i wish we can make it more quality focused, but still noob frinendly, so it have sections for noobs (existing Q&A), and expert section
And what @Jaxidian complained, this would be solution, as sometimes experienced people don't have patience for noob question (they just say "why you don't search first before posting"), those people who answer that way, just wish they could answer and help someone more experienced struggling and not answer same questions from noobs that don't research before posting. (if someone is noob, he becomes even bigger noob if he ask for something that has been asked milion times on same platform)
my 50 cents
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
blackhawk said:
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or limit the forums new members can post to just Q and A subforums.
My observation is that in the Q&A forum regularly - almost daily - the same problem (e.g. data recovery for bricked device, rooting device, bypass FRP lock) is presented by different users and asked for a solution proposal: in my eyes a nonsense.
My recommendation: The Q&A forum should have sub-forums for this.
Also, I do not understand why 2 Q&A forums exist, namely Q&A and Q&A->H&T. Users do not distinguish between them.
Please bring back the XDA Labs app.
blackhawk said:
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
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Click to collapse
I think that's an interesting idea, but nothing will make a new user more upset than a waiting period. In 2021, people expect instant access and quick gratification. If we were the only phones community, I would agree with you, but if I was a newb and registered then had a waiting period, I'd say "screw it, my problem is important. i'm going to reddit/AndroidCentral/somewhere else"
Sarticle said:
Please bring back the XDA Labs app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not going to happen unless a team of developers steps forth to fully take over its development.

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