Holy Forum Reorganization, Batman! - EVO 4G General

Looks like a ton of threads just got moved to Q&A -- most of the threads in the last few days, in fact. Can a mod give some guidelines as to what should be in here vs there? I always thought of Q&A as someone having a specific "how do I" question. I see a number of threads that I would think qualify as general discussion moved, such as:
What twitter app do you use and why?
Anyone else bored with their evo now?
pocket BLU app- Controlling PS3 Blu-ray with an EVO
What is sprints stance on locking phones down?
It doesn't really matter, but it seems like there's a lot of overlap between the purpose of the two forums, and I don't know if it makes sense to be slapping people on the wrist this way. Plus the "moved:" headers make the "cleaned up" forum actually look pretty cluttered to my eyes. I didn't personally have any of my threads moved and I'm not all that concerned about it. I just wanted to ask about it as a regular reader and participant in both forums. Just my opinion, but maybe if this many people are having trouble figuring out which section they should post in, maybe that indicates there doesn't need to be a separate "Discussion" and "Q&A" section at all.

bkrodgers said:
Looks like a ton of threads just got moved to Q&A -- most of the threads in the last few days, in fact. Can a mod give some guidelines as to what should be in here vs there? I always thought of Q&A as someone having a specific "how do I" question. I see a number of threads that I would think qualify as general discussion moved, such as:
What twitter app do you use and why?
Anyone else bored with their evo now?
pocket BLU app- Controlling PS3 Blu-ray with an EVO
What is sprints stance on locking phones down?
It doesn't really matter, but it seems like there's a lot of overlap between the purpose of the two forums, and I don't know if it makes sense to be slapping people on the wrist this way. Plus the "moved:" headers make the "cleaned up" forum actually look pretty cluttered to my eyes. I didn't personally have any of my threads moved and I'm not all that concerned about it. I just wanted to ask about it as a regular reader and participant in both forums. Just my opinion, but maybe if this many people are having trouble figuring out which section they should post in, maybe that indicates there doesn't need to be a separate "Discussion" and "Q&A" section at all.
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I think it's pretty straight forward - does your thread start with a question? It goes in Q&A.

I think most discussions pose a question as well. The examples I linked to were ones where yes, the subject ended in a question mark, but they seemed to me to be questions intended to prompt a discussion, not questions that have a straightforward answer.

DirtyShroomz said:
I think it's pretty straight forward - does your thread start with a question? It goes in Q&A.
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correct if it a question please post it in q&a (one is asking a question and would like an answer)
on the OP question about the clutter look of "moved" being everywhere. i put a 2 day redirect on the threads i moved because i moved so many. just in the event an op or member shows up tomorrow going "wtf happened to my favorite thread". after 2 days the redirects will be gone. till then they will just drop down as other unmoved threads are posted in.
on another note. sometimes i over look question threads in the general section due to being busy with other projects or matters. when i feel froggy or get time i like to clean it up a bit (like today). i also move EVO 3D related threads over to the EVO 3D section to clean up a bit.
hope you guys understand im just trying to do some spring cleaning

Toastcfh for MFin' President!

DirtyShroomz said:
I think it's pretty straight forward - does your thread start with a question? It goes in Q&A.
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Sorry but that's an awful response, and awfully wrong.
I had a thread moved from Development to Q&A because it had a question in it... unfortunately that question was: here is some app code that isn't working, anyone have feedback/input?
That's about as dev friendly as it gets. I am starting to really dislike the mods around here.

skylar.sutton said:
Sorry but that's an awful response, and awfully wrong.
I had a thread moved from Development to Q&A because it had a question in it... unfortunately that question was: here is some app code that isn't working, anyone have feedback/input?
That's about as dev friendly as it gets. I am starting to really dislike the mods around here.
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Actually, policy is, and has been for a long time, that ANY thread that is a question (even one pertaining specifically to development) belongs in Q&A. It has been discussed MANY times before now.the reality is, it is as simple as dirty said. If you were worried about not getting eyes on your problem, you could send out a few pm's.
Edit: btw, why are you so upset? Your thread wasn't deleted, it was just moved.

skylar.sutton said:
I am starting to really dislike the mods around here.
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IMO..you ought to redirect some of that dislike towards so many jerkface or willfully ignorant members. The ratio of mods:members is laughable at best. These guys and gals have a big job to do and do it for free.
Most of the mods are pretty cool if you just talk to them.

tejasrichard said:
Actually, policy is, and has been for a long time, that ANY thread that is a question (even one pertaining specifically to development) belongs in Q&A. It has been discussed MANY times before now.the reality is, it is as simple as dirty said. If you were worried about not getting eyes on your problem, you could send out a few pm's.
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Interesting. I will certainly respect the rules, It just seems to me that most Discussions would start with a question...and thus the Q and A forum will now become the default place to discuss things.
It just means that users will need to follow both forums.
Sent from my device.

THIS THREAD BELONGS IN Q&A.
I just notified a mod.

adamantypants said:
THIS THREAD BELONGS IN Q&A.
I just notified a mod.
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Lmao
But for real tho thanks toastcfh for all you work man I know ain't easy to be a mod I uses to be one in another forum and you can't keep everyone happy is your job !
Anyways I'm happy with the organization
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Incidentally, I meant no disrespect to the mods when I posted this. I don't think toast took any offense, but I certainly don't mean to criticize him or any other mod. toast is awesome.
I still do think the line between a Q&A and a discussion can be thin, and that some of the threads that were moved were closer to a discussion than a Q&A. But it doesn't really matter and I'm not losing any sleep over it tonight.

DirtyShroomz said:
I think it's pretty straight forward - does your thread start with a question? It goes in Q&A.
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gotta agree the general section was getting pretty freaking clogged with [Q]

skylar.sutton said:
Sorry but that's an awful response, and awfully wrong.
I had a thread moved from Development to Q&A because it had a question in it... unfortunately that question was: here is some app code that isn't working, anyone have feedback/input?
That's about as dev friendly as it gets. I am starting to really dislike the mods around here.
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want a tissue ?

tejasrichard said:
Edit: btw, why are you so upset? Your thread wasn't deleted, it was just moved.
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I'm not upset, so much as I am frustrated. Lately, the mods have been spending their time moving posts around and slapping people on the wrist for posting in the wrong area. Meanwhile, they continue to let thousands of "ZOMG! Here's a question that's answered in the sticky's" and "ZOMG! WTF is [Some Term A Google Search Would Answer]?" through every day.
The forum is quickly degrading into a wild wild west and when the Sheriff's DO show up, they chase down jaywalkers instead of bank robbers.
I used to subscribe to the RSS feeds because these forums produced the best content/discoveries/knowledge... now it just produces a jet stream of crap.

I get your frustrations, man, but what did you think was going to happen when 10's of thousands of new members (often people with little tech knowledge, who heard about xda on some gadget site) started showing up? These mods are buried under an avalanche of posts everyday. Toast doing a bit of cleanup to keep things organized on top of actually monitoring the comments for abuse, etc, deserves a round of applause; instead, he gets people *****ing at him because he didn't do it in a way that pleases them. Having things posted in the right section is ultimately just as important as reducing the number of redundant threads, if for no other reason than it will make things easier to search for in the first place and (tada!) reducing the number of redundant threads! Fix the problem, not the symptom.

Related

Is it just me or do you think it is odd to have a Q&A forum and a general forum?

I mean the description "For all your questions" pretty much covers anything that would be asked anywhere else? Just sayin.
For instance. "What screen do I have, Epson or Novatek?". It is a question but some one would give me a tip on how to figure it out.
Yea they're pretty sub-forum happy here.
i like the way it is...
i like it i would rather go to q & a for my questions than weed through answers to questions that are buried beneath topics like 'cool tricks' or 'would you rather the droid x' ...i like it for those reasons.
I think of it this way, Q&A is just that, general is more like an off topic forum just for us
PAPutzback said:
I mean the description "For all your questions" pretty much covers anything that would be asked anywhere else? Just sayin.
For instance. "What screen do I have, Epson or Novatek?". It is a question but some one would give me a tip on how to figure it out.
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Shouldn't this post go in the Q&A forum??? It IS a quesiton!
If everyone used it properly and only asked questions in the Q&A section then it would be fine.
But since the reality is different it just makes it more work for everyone to check both sub forums.
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ramiss said:
If everyone used it properly and only asked questions in the Q&A section then it would be fine.
But since the reality is different it just makes it more work for everyone to check both sub forums.
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True, I'm amazed so many people are allergic to logic.
I am a programmer and for the masses I live by the KISS rule. Not the disco rock band, the Keep It Simple Stupid rule. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle
No, what is odd to me is that you knew there was a General and a Question forum, so ignorance can't be the excuse, and you STILL posted a question in the General forum.
Minjin said:
No, what is odd to me is that you knew there was a General and a Question forum, so ignorance can't be the excuse, and you STILL posted a question in the General forum.
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Except that I think the OP was more of a Statement formed as an ironic question.
Well the general forum has pretty much turned into crap. So the q/a forum is a place to go to actually help people without the general forum's level of retardation.
nebenezer said:
True, I'm amazed so many people are allergic to logic.
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After working retail so long, my amazement at that has long died XD

General rules we should all follow

Here are some rules from the Vibrant section we should all follow.
egzthunder1 said:
This was a good meeting in General and it has covered all of the things that I had in my agenda. A few action items on our (mods) end:
1. New threads for ROM updates: Rom threads become quasi chaotic after page 100 or so. Since Chefs update most of their work often, I would suggest that chefs open a new thread for each version with a date and version number to distinguish it from the previous one (maybe even a name)
ie [ROM] 12/15/10 - Inchybrid v 1.2 - all is good now
2. Rom Review Thread: In order to minimize the clutter of the usual "what rom is best" questions, we will start a ROM thread where chefs can post a link to their roms on the first few posts and users will be able to leave reviews (not necessarily feedback), but reviews. So, when someone comes asking for the best rom, that person can be directed there.
3. Wiki update and guides (sticky): These need to be heavily updated, but will certainly be a useful tool to help people with questions.
4. Location / shape of the Report button: I will talk to the other admins and see what can be done about this one.
5. Preventing non-devs from making new threads in Dev: We are currently discussing a system for this. We will keep you posted if and when we reach a conclusion.
6. Off Topic Lounge: There will be a thread in General for you guys to blow off steam. Nothing fancy, but you can post there without having to open a new thread in OT general
Now, onto the action items results and requests from us (mods)
1. Further flaming for questions will not be tolerated. I gathered from this meeting that everyone agrees on a stance that people need not be flamed for asking anything. If there are questions in the wrong areas or simply don't feel like answering, refrain from posting and report it to us. We will move it to Q&A or General depending on the question. Building on this point, if anyone is caught flaming someone who posted in the correct section, that person will be given a vacation.
2. Rule 12 (aka Kanging): Rom chefs (no matter if they are themers or zip wizards), if they are using someone else's efforts as a base for their rom, they are to abide by Rule 12 by asking permission and posting the due credit in the opening post. Kanging will not be tolerated.
3. Donations: This was barely brushed but I feel that we reached an understanding rather quickly on this one. Chefs shall not ask for Donations to release early work.
4. Posting any kind of flaming will not be tolerated. If you feel that a post shouldn't be there, please let us know and we will take care of that.
I think this pretty much summed everything up. If I missed something, please let me know. I expect everyone to adhere to codes of conduct in this site. Thanks to all for attending.
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That would be great if the mods are able to only give thread permissions to devs. This forum needs this kind of policing, but I think more Mods could help as well, it seems like Zelendel is the only Mod that comes around here.
flashman2002 said:
That would be great if the mods are able to only give thread permissions to devs. This forum needs this kind of policing, but I think more Mods could help as well, it seems like Zelendel is the only Mod that comes around here.
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Sounds very familiar..............
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9591647&postcount=3155
Sqdnguns said:
Sounds very familiar..............
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9591647&postcount=3155
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Sweet, but I did not steal your thoughts if that is what you are meaning lol. I haven't used Perception since v4 so I had no idea you said this. But it really is a great idea and should be looked at by the Mods and Admin.
flashman2002 said:
Sweet, but I did not steal your thoughts if that is what you are meaning lol. I haven't used Perception since v4 so I had no idea you said this. But it really is a great idea and should be looked at by the Mods and Admin.
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Not at all, just glad someone else actually piped in on it.
5. Preventing non-devs from making new threads in Dev: We are currently discussing a system for this. We will keep you posted if and when we reach a conclusion.
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interesting idea.
If you do this you might consider making altering/combining the other forums slightly.
For instance
Make:
General = General / Q&A
and
Q & A = Development Q&A
This way non-dev with specific Development/Rom related' Q's could start threads under Dev. Q & A without cluttering up the General Q&A or the Development Threads.
bames said:
interesting idea.
If you do this you might consider making altering/combining the other forums slightly.
For instance
Make:
General = General / Q&A
and
Q & A = Development Q&A
This way non-dev with specific Development/Rom related' Q's could start threads under Dev. Q & A without cluttering up the General Q&A or the Development Threads.
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I've always thought something similar to this. It seems like a frequent misperception among those with posts <10 that Q&A is for those that know nothing, and the development thread is where you go if you know anything about development (and then you can also post a question there)
I for sure thought this when I first came to XDA (luckily I read the stickies which made that clear). But changing the name could help.
Sent from my SGH-T959D using XDA App
Or another idea would not be to just completely lock the Dev thread to devs, but to perhaps have a minimum level of seniority/experience to post -- aka Senior members.
The reason that I say this is that there are a ton of folks that are not devs, but do post a lot of helpful troubleshooting information and/or feedback that not all the devs can answer personally. I would much rather the devs use their precious time on getting us the next version of goodness rather than answering a lot of questions.
If you do require some level of seniority (100+ posts for example) you can probably cut down on a lot of the typical questions that are repeatedly asked (and answered a few posts back) and have a much cleaner thread. It's not a perfect world, but offenders can be dealt with individually when you have a smaller pool.
Not to say that noobs shouldn't have a place to ask questions -- we were all there at one time, but we just make sure there is a different area for this -- not clogging the particular ROM thread.
I've seen several other forums and communities operate with this type of principle in high value areas. It also allows newer members to get their feet wet and contribute in other areas by posting for others if they want to post in the dev community (but lurking will always be allowed / should be encouraged).
Just my 2 cents.
I have Stuck this as I agree 100000000000%. As far as locking the the Dev section, that has been talked about and is not going to happen anytime in the near future. My suggestion is for everyone and yes that means YOU to treat everyone with respect and dignity. If someone goes off I am almost always on and read every pm so let me know as I cant be everywhere at once and I am still learning as well.
Wow great ideas, I couldn't agree more. +1
I like the idea of new post for new versions, I hope that would cut down on the flaming too due to missing a one line post on page 999 of 1200 that would answer the question.
I disagree with the 'only devs can post in the dev section' rule. While I would technically not be considered a dev (per se) because I do not know how to make a ROM I would still like to be able to post in that section things that are technically not ROMs but do not fit in general. For example, I created the Galaxy S unlocker for Mac, but I have not figured out how to make a ROM. Does that make me a developer or not?
agreed man
+1 to the new ROM new thread idea. That would cut way down on the Old Salty XDA member yelling at the noob interactions.
Oh and i believe it should be illegal to call the Captivate a "Cappy" FYL
Don't worry about the guide portion, I have a guide in the works that covers everything from installing drivers to the update-script.
Another thing I would like to personally add. When new users or the not-so-inclined make a thread asking for help, do any of us stop to realize why that thread ends up on the Development board? In my opinion, we need a board dedicated to SUPPORT. Yeah, we have Q&A, but Q&A doesn't say Support to a lot of people. Example, Q&A to me spells "Information", not "Support." Sure, the Q&A's may be intended to be "My phone won't turn on", or "My 3g doesn't work", but if that's the case, why beat around the bush and call it Q&A?
There are those of us out there who do enjoy helping newcomers, and answering their questions; regardless of what board they post on; and there are those of us who like to get deep into this, leave support for the less experienced and get *$&! done. Know how we could cut back on flaming, and on people posting in the wrong board? Spell it out for them, in big bold letters; "Captivate Support". Not only that, dev's could start up a sister thread for each ROM they do in the support board, that way the actual release thread isn't a mess.
Maybe I'm just dumb though.
I have to say I particularly like the flaming rules. Sure, noobs are going to ask questions that everyone else has known the answer to for the past 5 months. I know it can get tedious reading these same things all the time, but remember that we once were noobs too, and I would bet most of us have asked "dumb" questions when first starting out. People are excited to learn about this stuff...let's not take away the spark with ad hominem attacks. They serve no purpose whatsoever, and no one wants to read them. If you don't want to answer, keep your mouth shut. If you do, do so politely either directly or (probably a little better), point them to a thread that will answer their questions. But come on, users calling a noob an "idiot" or "dumbass" for asking an honest question really pisses me off. And like I said, remember that you probably did it at some point, too. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now
geokhentix said:
Don't worry about the guide portion, I have a guide in the works that covers everything from installing drivers to the update-script.
Another thing I would like to personally add. When new users or the not-so-inclined make a thread asking for help, do any of us stop to realize why that thread ends up on the Development board? In my opinion, we need a board dedicated to SUPPORT. Yeah, we have Q&A, but Q&A doesn't say Support to a lot of people. Example, Q&A to me spells "Information", not "Support." Sure, the Q&A's may be intended to be "My phone won't turn on", or "My 3g doesn't work", but if that's the case, why beat around the bush and call it Q&A?
There are those of us out there who do enjoy helping newcomers, and answering their questions; regardless of what board they post on; and there are those of us who like to get deep into this, leave support for the less experienced and get *$&! done. Know how we could cut back on flaming, and on people posting in the wrong board? Spell it out for them, in big bold letters; "Captivate Support"
Maybe I'm just dumb though.
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I think this is also a good idea, primarily for those with stock phones or just performing basic procedures (e.g. rooting).
As for the bold letters, personally, I like just linking to the proper forum instead...something like "This question should be answered in the Support forum. It's located here: http://.......". But, hey, that's personal preference. You're way's fine, too
bknust said:
I think this is also a good idea, primarily for those with stock phones or just performing basic procedures (e.g. rooting).
As for the bold letters, personally, I like just linking to the proper forum instead...something like "This question should be answered in the Support forum. It's located here: http://.......". But, hey, that's personal preference. You're way's fine, too
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No no, I don't mean bold letters to the people asking for help. I mean bold letters for the forum title so people know it's there. Support speaks louder than Q&A, especially with all the multilingual folks we have on here.
geokhentix said:
No no, I don't mean bold letters to the people asking for help. I mean bold letters for the forum title so people know it's there. Support speaks louder than Q&A, especially with all the multilingual folks we have on here.
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Oops! Sorry, misunderstood. Yes, that would be a very good way to filter out a lot of the basic stuff. Good idea!
nbs11 said:
I disagree with the 'only devs can post in the dev section' rule. While I would technically not be considered a dev (per se) because I do not know how to make a ROM I would still like to be able to post in that section things that are technically not ROMs but do not fit in general. For example, I created the Galaxy S unlocker for Mac, but I have not figured out how to make a ROM. Does that make me a developer or not?
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As far as I'm concerned, an unlocker for Mac does indeed belong in development with the current structure of xda. It's kind of one of those things that could go under Apps, but when I think of apps, I think of your standard user apps, not rooting/unlocking/ROM/etc. tools/hacks. Maybe there should be a forum strictly for ROM dev and a separate one for general system dev. To me, they are different. That's just how I see it, but I'm sure there are quite a few differing views on this.

NEW and improved rules for the Fascinate General forums.

Let's try this again. Two rules regarding the Fascinate general section.
1)-Let's try to keep the "thank you" threads to a minimum. Please use the "THANKS" button to thank people for awesome work.
and
2)-Please keep all questions that aren't general to the Q&A section. Non-general questions will be moved to the Q&A section, as will general questions once they are resolved.
Word.-ashasaur
The Fascinate section is a very rough crowd of people that expect the world handed to them on a silver platter for nothing, and they all want it 5 min ago. Personally, I'm just happy we have an active mod now as I didn't like to have to always bother Captainkrtek with the off-topic posts in the Development forum.
This is the wild west yo...if you demand something instead of proposing, expect to get shot.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandatory
man·da·to·ry   
[man-duh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] Show IPA
adjective, noun, plural -ries.
–adjective
1.
authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory: It is mandatory that all students take two years of math.
2.
pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a command.
3.
Law . permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified: a mandatory clause.
4.
having received a mandate, as a nation.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/proposed
pro·pose   
[pruh-pohz] Show IPA
verb, -posed, -pos·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1.
to offer or suggest (a matter, subject, case, etc.) for consideration, acceptance, or action: to propose a new method.
2.
to offer (a toast).
3.
to suggest: He proposed that a messenger be sent.
4.
to present or nominate (a person) for some position, office, membership, etc.
5.
to put before oneself as something to be done; design; intend.
6.
to present to the mind or attention; state.
7.
to propound (a question, riddle, etc.).
Oh I know, but the yelling at other members for supporting me is what gets to me. Yell at me all you want, I'm the mod thats what I'm here for...but yelling at other members? Wow is all I have to say.
Well, you started a flame war. You should fit right in
Heh, fair enough. Like I say, not trying to be a jackass, just trying to bring in some order that you all seems to have been wanting. At least the new naming scheme has been taken pretty damn well in the development section, as has the new Q&A section I got for us.
ashasaur said:
Heh, fair enough. Like I say, not trying to be a jackass, just trying to bring in some order that you all seems to have been wanting. At least the new naming scheme has been taken pretty damn well in the development section, as has the new Q&A section I got for us.
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Well then, Here's to order out of chaos.
Two things should take place if you're effective:
The Fascinate forums become much more engaging and reasonable to navigate
About half my posts get moved or deleted for irrelevence
Now I will have a beer to celebrate.
imnuts said:
The Fascinate section is a very rough crowd of people that expect the world handed to them on a silver platter for nothing, and they all want it 5 min ago. Personally, I'm just happy we have an active mod now as I didn't like to have to always bother Captainkrtek with the off-topic posts in the Development forum.
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Pretty much sums it up.
I think a 5th grade school yard would be a better analogy than the wild west. 'You try and set rules and we will whine and test your authority.'
ok... so what's the purpose of general if not to ask general questions?
Seems like Q&A should be left for specific FAQs and "how to"s to me.
Specifically, I just posted a question to general, should that have been in Q&A based on your definition?
superchunkwii said:
ok... so what's the purpose of general if not to ask general questions?
Seems like Q&A should be left for specific FAQs and "how to"s to me.
Specifically, I just posted a question to general, should that have been in Q&A based on your definition?
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Well Said =D
Development is easy as is Themes and Apps. But the line between General and Q&A is hazy.
I think the things that need to be considered is what makes a question technical and what it a general question. Should ANY questions be in General or should all questions belong in Q&A and General be for news, announcements, opinions, sharing other resources, etc.
Otherwise I think the line between General and Q&A will remain hazy.
ezas said:
Development is easy as is Themes and Apps. But the line between General and Q&A is hazy.
I think the things that need to be considered is what makes a question technical and what it a general question. Should ANY questions be in General or should all questions belong in Q&A and General be for news, announcements, opinions, sharing other resources, etc.
Otherwise I think the line between General and Q&A will remain hazy.
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Definitely true statement you made it there. Mod gotta do something about it. General/Q&A is just messy.
The point of the general forum is just that, general discussion, not questions. EVERY DAY people post Questions about CWM or Froyo in the General section, and things like that just need togo into the Q&A section.
Not to be a douche about it, but you all wanted a Q&A section, and I got it for you. So stop whining.
If I might make an observation, suggestion, and offer a possible option fo resolution:
The basic procedural questions may be quelled if the there was a consolidation, collective update, and removal of outdated how to's in the forum all together. As questions are answered amidst the postings following the OP's, those tweaks, exceptions, or side steps, added would prevent new visitors from then repeating that same mistep, thereby causing that repeat posted question.
To further that, as procedures are refined and updated, older versions should be removed or directly notated as outdated with a current link to the most recent and up to date instructional set. I know that most of my confusion has stemmed from to many years in windows mobile mode, and then coming to android, which was greek to me initially. But it is that much harder to functionally self educate when presented with multitudes of outdated threads whith solutions hidden amidst the 1000 posts, only to discover that by the time I have read then entire thread, a newer version or instruction has been posted, and posted elsewhere.
I hope I am making sense, let me know if not. If there is any assistance I can provide in implementing a solution to the process of clarification within the forum I would he happy, and honored to help in any way I can. Thanks for the work you do here, I know I havent eve a fraction of understanding the multifaceted responsibilities involved with maintaining a forum, so I know you must be a busy person. Take care.
Matthew
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
djblu said:
If there is any assistance I can provide in implementing a solution to the process of clarification within the forum I would he happy, and honored to help in any way I can. Thanks for the work you do here, I know I havent eve a fraction of understanding the multifaceted responsibilities involved with maintaining a forum, so I know you must be a busy person.
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Click to collapse
+1 to the entire preceding comment, especially the quoted section. I don't know enough yet to contribute anything dev-grade to the community, but I'd be happy to help out however else I can...

Q&A section

If I'm supposed to put my questions in the Q&A section, why is it not available on the mobile app? Our am I missing something? Lol
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
WRONG SECTION!!!!!! jk
I had the same issue and just un installed and reinstalled the app and it came up.
*edit* Previous thread.
good day.
ragarm said:
If I'm supposed to put my questions in the Q&A section, why is it not available on the mobile app? Our am I missing something? Lol
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
The q&a section is a joke, now all you hear is wrong section!, wrong section!... what is the point exactly? I just was reading a post where a guy was getting yelled at for posting a question in the question forum...
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
The q&a section is a joke, now all you hear is wrong section!, wrong section!... what is the point exactly? I just was reading a post where a guy was getting yelled at for posting a question in the question forum...
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which thread was that you were reading?
Yeah, can you link me? More than likely it was a thread that was moved after the question was asked an the yelling happened.
Moderated from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Probably the ROM/Kernel combo for battery life thread.
ashasaur said:
Yeah, can you link me? More than likely it was a thread that was moved after the question was asked an the yelling happened.
Moderated from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium.
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Click to collapse
Well im sure not going to waste time looking for it again... but lets say your right and it was moved after the yelling, how about why all the yelling anyway? Only at xda are the majority of conversations polluted with arguing over where to properly post. Ok fine, dont post general stuff in the dev section, thats a no brainer... but q&a, and general are the same thing.
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
Well im sure not going to waste time looking for it again... but lets say your right and it was moved after the yelling, how
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moved by the moderator. OP thought he was posting his thread in the General section when he was actually posting in the developer section. Not hard to find. Is this the thread to which you were referring?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1028286
landshark68 said:
Moved by the moderator. OP thought he was posting his thread in the General section when he was actually posting in the developer section. Not hard to find. Is this the thread to which you were referring?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1028286
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Click to collapse
Its development section, not developer... are you suggesting that only the devs are allowed to post anything there?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
Its development section, not developer... are you suggesting that only the devs are allowed to post anything there?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, sorry. Development section. I'm not suggesting anything. I was just trying to answer your question as to how it got moved.
landshark68 said:
No, sorry. Development section. I'm not suggesting anything. I was just trying to answer your question as to how it got moved.
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Click to collapse
Ok... but tell me the truth, does there really need to be q&a and general? Isnt the whole nature of android forums, people asking, others answering?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
Ok... but tell me the truth, does there really need to be q&a and general? Isnt the whole nature of android forums, people asking, others answering?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see the confusion generated by the q&a and general sections. What kind of questions belong in which? I just started posting here with some frequency like 3 weeks ago. I agree the whole nature of forums is asking and answering questions, sharing information, and helping each other out. I think how each forum handles that and how they are formatted are going to be different. I'm not a moderator or anything like that. I'm just someone who is wanting to share information and give and get answers and I'm still trying to figure out exactly how this forum is structured. Still haven't nailed down all the rules and particulars, but I keep searching. I know pretty much all the devs hang out here, so I figure it must be a good place to get some good info.
ziggy484 said:
Ok... but tell me the truth, does there really need to be q&a and general? Isnt the whole nature of android forums, people asking, others answering?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about we take a step back and think about this.
You're asking why is there even a Q and A & General Forum. Well think about if there was just a Samsung Fascinate forum, and nothing more. Everything lumped together. Better yet how about we just make a Samsung forum, people can ask what they want about any Samsung android device. Sounds great right, everyone has a voice and there is no way it would be complicated to use!
The reason they are here is to help you, to help me, to help the devs, to help everyone. Order and organization is the name of the game.
There has to be structure, that is why if you have a question about the Samsung Fascinate and/or its development you place it in the Q and A forum. If you have something you would like to bring up in "general" then..... you see where this is going.
We can either have one large room with everyone yelling at different people, or smaller rooms where there is no need to raise your voice!
But there is no real yelling on a forum, its online. The tense of any one sentence is how you make it.
gkirby11 said:
How about we take a step back and think about this.
You're asking why is there even a Q and A & General Forum. Well think about if there was just a Samsung Fascinate forum, and nothing more. Everything lumped together. Better yet how about we just make a Samsung forum, people can ask what they want about any Samsung android device. Sounds great right, everyone has a voice and there is no way it would be complicated to use!
The reason they are here is to help you, to help me, to help the devs, to help everyone. Order and organization is the name of the game.
There has to be structure, that is why if you have a question about the Samsung Fascinate and/or its development you place it in the Q and A forum. If you have something you would like to bring up in "general" then..... you see where this is going.
We can either have one large room with everyone yelling at different people, or smaller rooms where there is no need to raise your voice!
But there is no real yelling on a forum, its online. The tense of any one sentence is how you make it.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, but that makes no sense... all you need is general and development for each device
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
Sorry, but that makes no sense... all you need is general and development for each device
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I guess the themes and apps section and the accessories section should be put in general? That would make the general section completely unusable.
To the OP, all you need to do is remove the fascinate forum from your favorites. when you add it back to favorites, q&a should be there.
As far as what should go where:
General should be for general discussions like "what rom and why?"
Q&a should be for questions like, "how do I fix xyz?"
If anything should be changed, maybe q&a needs to be renamed "help"
ziggy484 said:
Its development section, not developer... are you suggesting that only the devs are allowed to post anything there?
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like a good suggestion to me. I think only devs should be thread starters in the dev section.
Lemme break it down for you all:
General is for everything that is a general discussion, not a specific question. Is it confusing, yes. Does it mean that people will still post questions without searching? Yes. But that's why you all have me, I can sort it all out.
Q&A is self described. All questions, whether they are specific device questions or development questions are to be posted within the Q&A section.
Accessories is of course for accessories. Not much to say.
Development is ONLY meant for the releasing of new ROMs and such. General discussion or questions are not permitted within the development section. With the exception of kernel or source discussions, all general development discussion should be posted within the general section.
And themes and apps is self explanatory.
Now, not to be a douche, but if you don't like my rules...don't post! I for one am getting tired of having to stop these arguments when all I am asking is that people read the XDA rules, post in the correct section and use the search button before posting.
Any beef should be brought to me via PM.
Word.-saur
ashasaur said:
Lemme break it down for you all:
General is for everything that is a general discussion, not a specific question. Is it confusing, yes. Does it mean that people will still post questions without searching? Yes. But that's why you all have me, I can sort it all out.
Q&A is self described. All questions, whether they are specific device questions or development questions are to be posted within the Q&A section.
Accessories is of course for accessories. Not much to say.
Development is ONLY meant for the releasing of new ROMs and such. General discussion or questions are not permitted within the development section. With the exception of kernel or source discussions, all general development discussion should be posted within the general section.
And themes and apps is self explanatory.
Now, not to be a douche, but if you don't like my rules...don't post! I for one am getting tired of having to stop these arguments when all I am asking is that people read the XDA rules, post in the correct section and use the search button before posting.
Any beef should be brought to me via PM.
Word.-saur
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I for one am tired of you acting like such a big shot... and rambling on about YOUR rules and where to post this and that, blah blah blah. but thats why i dont come here much anymore. You and chopperdog, and landshark all think your so much better than everyone else
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
ziggy484 said:
I for one am tired of you acting like such a big shot... and rambling on about YOUR rules and where to post this and that, blah blah blah. but thats why i dont come here much anymore. You and chopperdog, and landshark all think your so much better than everyone else
Sent from a Superclean Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is laying out the rules, how is that acting like a big shot? Would you rather have an unmoderated, disorganized, cumpled together forum? If that is the case then you are in a very small group of people with that type of preference. You dont have to be here if you dont want to, so why punish yourself if you clearly dont like being here?
The Q&A forum makes perfect sense, as does breaking the forum up based on specific interests. It makes people with certain interests able to more easily find the information they seek as well as get answers to the specific answers they have. It also cuts down on the clutter than can liter a forum because it clumps all information together.
The ONLY reason I made ANY rules is because YOU, as the collective users of the Fascinate section wanted them, you wanted order, and I gave it to you. If you don't feel that my simple rules are worth your time to follow, then do us all a favor and don't post. There are plenty of more open minded users who are happy with the way things are going, and appreciate a little order and structure over the chaos that once was.
Moderated from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium.

***QUESTIONS BELONG IN Q&A!***

People, we are moving far too many questions into Q&A!
If your question has a [Q] in front of it, it DOESN"T BELONG IN GENERAL!!
Even if there isn't a [Q] there, if it's a question, it DOESN'T BELONG IN GENERAL!!
Please, post in the appropriate forum​
Why not redirect threads marked with [Q] automatically to Q&A? People won't stop posting questions in the General section
marcellocord said:
Why not redirect threads marked with [Q] automatically to Q&A? People won't stop posting questions in the General section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We've asked for that feature, I don't know if it's possible, but it sure would help.
reinbeau said:
We've asked for that feature, I don't know if it's possible, but it sure would help.
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Click to collapse
I see that the people posting in the General section at least mark the thread as question. So redirecting it automatically could reduce something like 60%+ of the questions here.
Do they know what Q&A is?
marcellocord said:
I see that the people posting in the General section at least mark the thread as question. So redirecting it automatically could reduce something like 60%+ of the questions here.
Do they know what Q&A is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that they don't know what Q and A is, its just that they think that the question will be solved faster if its in a section where a lot of users visit (more interesting).
But their logic is flawed, since a big flame feast will start the moment they do that lool
I haven't opened a new thread to ask a question in a while, but as far as i know, if you check the box "this is a question" you get an additional warning that posting it in any other section than q&a is a rule violation and one has to confirm to actually post it.
that means that those people clearly violate forum rules after being warned about it. in some devices' sections, threads like that are deleted without further notice, because the moderators don't see themselves as maids for lazy or impudent users.
also, it should be noted, that posting problems, bugs or hardware issues also counts as posting a question.
that means:
- hardware issues should be posted in existing threads of the same issue and for every broken button, the bezel, the display and the battery there already is at least one thread in Q&A.
- hardware issues with accessories should be posted in the accessories section (also in existing threads, where applicable).
- problems with certain apps can be discussed in the themes and apps section, if they are published there, or in Q&A, if not.
- problems that apply to specific roms only should be discussed in the rom's development thread (except for CM), if that helps getting rid of bugs.
If you are a new user that does not yet have the permission to post in development, search if the bug or problem you want to report is already posted, if not, you can either get to the post minimum (without spamming!) to post there yourself or ask in Q&A.
It is so easy and self-explanatory, I don't see, why people keep breaking those rules.
Well the last thing I want to do is warn and/or infract people for posting questions here, but I have to say, this is ridiculous. Dozens and dozens of reports a day (if it weren't for Chef Tony this would be even worse) of questions posted here in General.
Post in the proper forum!!! We have much bigger fish to fry than to constantly have to fix your mistakes! Sorry, but at this point I am thoroughly frustrated. Official warnings and infractions from now on, especially if you've put that [Q] there and ignored the warning.
It's simple why they doesn't follow the rules... they just doesn't read the rules You can just tap I accept and done. Who likes to spend a lot of time reading rules? 90% [i think it's really 90%] here doesn't read it. But most of them just know what they can and cannot do.
reinbeau said:
Well the last thing I want to do is warn and/or infract people for posting questions here, but I have to say, this is ridiculous. Dozens and dozens of reports a day (if it weren't for Chef Tony this would be even worse) of questions posted here in General.
Post in the proper forum!!! We have much bigger fish to fry than to constantly have to fix your mistakes! Sorry, but at this point I am thoroughly frustrated. Official warnings and infractions from now on, especially if you've put that [Q] there and ignored the warning.
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Click to collapse
I do not envy the jobs of you guys as moderators. I am often thoroughly annoyed by various rule violations to the point where I would admonish the violators, but seeing as how I have no actual power, I tend to just as often get flamed for daring to question their status as a special snowflake.
ctomgee said:
I do not envy the jobs of you guys as moderators. I am often thoroughly annoyed by various rule violations to the point where I would admonish the violators, but seeing as how I have no actual power, I tend to just as often get flamed for daring to question their status as a special snowflake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can assure you that Moderators appreciate help. Some think they are being a pain when they report but they're really not - we can't be everywhere at once. Instead of engaging on the thread tell us and we'll handle it for you
sir i got a samsung galaxy s2 and am new to android so i dont no what is this plz tell me how to check its model no and info of ma mobile.i"ll be very thankfull to every one.
fesi157 said:
sir i got a samsung galaxy s2 and am new to android so i dont no what is this plz tell me how to check its model no and info of ma mobile.i"ll be very thankfull to every one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy... wtf?
Enviado de meu GT-I9300 usando o Tapatalk 2
Thread closed
Obviously people just don't read. Thread closed by suggestion, it was a good one.

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