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garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
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In each area (General, OS, device) there should be 4 development subforums rather than the current 1 or 2:
In your suggestion, where would kernels go? With firmware/themes?
2. Free App releases.
I don't think we'd want this per device...
4. Developer to Developer
+1
I don't think the "quiz" thing would work. I have to be honest that I don't know of a good way to determine if a random person is a dev or not. A "test" can be faked - knowing the answers to some preset questions doesn't mean the person knows anything beyond the answers to those preset questions. Even infinite knowledge doesn't imply any skill.

Links to projects is a poor test, as there any limitless cases even here on XDA of "firmware releases" that, when looked at carefully, are really just re-releases of another persons work (or a kang of 2-3 other projects.) For example, it's trivial to release a straight AOSP android version for any device that cyanogenmod supports. Doing so doesn't imply any dev skills whatsoever. (Does XDA have a "recognized kang'er" title?)

Referrals from other devs or even from ERD's can become a popularity test

Having accounts with developer programs is also a poor test: At the company I currently work for, our Product Dev VP holds the accounts in his name, but he's NOT a developer. As well, in most cases, those types of accounts are available to anyone willing to waste the money on them (in some cases to get beta releases of iOS, for example.)

I know that I can sit face to face with a job candidate and determine if they are a faker or not, but I do that by looking at their resume and then asking them completely non-development related questions to figure out if they think like a developer or not. (Even that isn't flawless.) People with the skills to develop tend to think differently. ;)

<sidebar>

Another amusing test used to be to ask "What platform was 'Pascal' originally designed to run on?" - the proper answer was: "none - it was a teaching tool" (much as Knuth had his grape80 platform.) An acceptable answer was "I don't know, which platform?" Anyone taking guesses wouldn't be hired: If you can't admit you don't know something, then you won't be able to learn.

</sidebar>

Determining who is and isn't a "real" developer is a problem, and I think it is (or perhaps "was") a problem even here on XDA. I discussed this with a few individuals (and is actually one of the reasons I never applied: I didn't want to be grouped with some of the riff-raff who have been given "RD" here.) However, I never brought that up in public as I can't think of any reasonable solution.

(That means I'm not complaining about it here. I'm merely recognizing the issue exists, as well as recognizing that there might not be a good solution.)

Actually, at least for kernel devs, there is a good way to "test" them: Get a gun and shoot them in the foot. If they smile in familiarity, then they are real. :laugh:
 

garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
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a question for moving forward...

We (older members, moderators, etc) tend to answer questions with links to rules posts, guides to new users, etc. One of the links I see passed around quite often (and is even quoted in the "new users" guide is this one:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45

This post is almost poetic in trying to describe development and makes some points about XDA that, I believe, were always at the foundation of the forum.

However, is this still true? Is that still the purpose of XDA?

The question isn't sarcastic and has no motive. I think it's a question that those who guide the forum's future should ask themselves in determining how to move forward.

I do see that the ERD's tend to embrace the "HOW TO" and "interactive development" approach much more often than others. Perhaps that's why XDA singled them out. If so, then its promising from my point of view (as I tend to favor the concepts in that linked post.)

Take care
Gary
 

boborone

Senior Member
We (older members, moderators, etc) tend to answer questions with links to rules posts, guides to new users, etc. One of the links I see passed around quite often (and is even quoted in the "new users" guide is this one:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45

This post is almost poetic in trying to describe development and makes some points about XDA that, I believe, were always at the foundation of the forum.

However, is this still true? Is that still the purpose of XDA?

The question isn't sarcastic and has no motive. I think it's a question that those who guide the forum's future should ask themselves in determining how to move forward.

I do see that the ERD's tend to embrace the "HOW TO" and "interactive development" approach much more often than others. Perhaps that's why XDA singled them out. If so, then its promising from my point of view (as I tend to favor the concepts in that linked post.)

Take care
Gary

Thank you. In an attempt to be more PC, I think we have let the whole idea of being kind and gentle let ruin the idea of learning and teaching. This place is getting out of the fostering development arena and getting more and more into the fostering support arena. Before I joined, I used to come here and read all about modding WinMo. Now you come here and you read about what to do to Android, but not what it does, or how it does it. Then there are 100 questions after the op asking for support. I get so tired of hearing times change and you have to deal with it. That's just as tired as you were once a noob too. Sht people need to learn to read. Seriously spartan, how many times do you see people in the mod request thread complaining about 10post rule cause they can't ask a question in development? It's a support site now.

/rant

BTW, awesome idea for a thread. Thanks.
 

mfsr98

Senior Member
Nov 26, 2011
1,231
291
Porto
Maybe adding something like allowing posts before they showing up on the thread by the thread creator. For example, you go to your thread and check if you want some posts to show up there.
 

garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
2,643
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Pittsburgh, PA
Thank you. In an attempt to be more PC, I think we have let the whole idea of being kind and gentle let ruin the idea of learning and teaching. This place is getting out of the fostering development arena and getting more and more into the fostering support arena.
...
Sht people need to learn to read. Seriously spartan, how many times do you see people in the mod request thread complaining about 10post rule cause they can't ask a question in development? It's a support site now.
How would you suggest to solve the problem?
 

boborone

Senior Member
How would you suggest to solve the problem?

I've thought about this before. And before xda university came out, I thought the only way would be to flame noobs like we did in past to post something useful or not at all. But now I think a very close tie and relationship with xdau when it comes out may be the only way. I have no involvement in it, but I hope that a strong emphasis is put on a section for dev talk and dev talk only. We have gone too far for a push to PC that even WIP threads titled devs only still gets posts from noobs asking questions. Even like you mentioned, devs like general banter in their threads now cause it keeps it on the front page and therefore more donations. Dev is secluded to irc and PMs. It needs to be brought in the open and the competition for the best mod needs to stop. We need more collaboration, even with new intelligent members to Foster innovation. I hope that's what xdau brings. And a close and strong tie between the two sites may help tremendously.

_______________________________________
"fat bottomed girls, you make this rocking world go round"
 

KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
14,580
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Coventry, UK
^^^I've just quoted part of your post and passed it to pulser. I cut it all out apart from the dev talk bit, as that's the main point of it. Hopefully if it's not something that's already being added, it's something that will now be implemented.


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''
 

boborone

Senior Member
^^^I've just quoted part of your post and passed it to pulser. I cut it all out apart from the dev talk bit, as that's the main point of it. Hopefully if it's not something that's already being added, it's something that will now be implemented.


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''

I didn't know pulser had a hand in it. I have faith now that it will something. Not that I didn't think much of it before, I was excited at it's announcement, but I know he's an old school guy who likes dev discussion and collaboration.

_______________________________________
"fat bottomed girls, you make this rocking world go round"
 

KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
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Coventry, UK
I didn't know pulser had a hand in it. I have faith now that it will something. Not that I didn't think much of it before, I was excited at it's announcement, but I know he's an old school guy who likes dev discussion and collaboration.

_______________________________________
"fat bottomed girls, you make this rocking world go round"
Yeah he's the one who posted about xda-u in rc forum, so it's just in there that I've left my post. He'll see it later today or tomorrow anyway.
I do think it has a great chance of being implemented though because judging from the discussions brought on mainly by garyd9, a lot of members and mods have thought it's a brilliant idea.


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''
 

garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
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Pittsburgh, PA
That's interesting. This thread is the first time I've heard of "XDA University." (I stopped reading the homepage long ago due to some.. umm.. low quality posts - and the refusal of the poster to correct issues.)

Anyway, XDAU appears similar to something I'm trying to do with my posts in the i317 section: Instead of posting finished work, I'm posting things that explain what I'm doing, why, etc.

Sometime in the next week (when my paying job eases up a bit) I'll be starting a new kernel. However, instead of a "Here's a kernel that does wonderful things", I was thinking of starting with a stock samsung kernel and documenting for people how to get it from github, how to compile it, how to set up the ramdisk, etc.

Then, a little bit a time, modify the kernel while explaining what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, how I'm doing it, etc.

I'm sure many people will think it's a waste of space and bandwidth, but if 2 out of 100 people find it worthwhile and learn something, then I've done more good then 1000 different "Use MyKewlROMandDonateToMe" threads.

I suspect it'll be other developer-type who will find it most useful. There are lots of people who are skilled enough to do this kind of thing, but aren't quite sure how to get started with it. As well, I'm *****ing that XDA has too many threads "selling" firmware and kernels and very few discussing - so I had better practice what I preach. ;)

(I also intend to keep the kernel modifications fairly limited and even regressive in some cases to keep it a learning and discussion tool and NOT a product.)

Take care
Gary
 
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Fallen Spartan

Moderator Emeritus- Irish Pride, Spartan Legacy
That's interesting. This thread is the first time I've heard of "XDA University." (I stopped reading the homepage long ago due to some.. umm.. low quality posts - and the refusal of the poster to correct issues.)

Anyway, XDAU appears similar to something I'm trying to do with my posts in the i317 section: Instead of posting finished work, I'm posting things that explain what I'm doing, why, etc.

Sometime in the next week (when my paying job eases up a bit) I'll be starting a new kernel. However, instead of a "Here's a kernel that does wonderful things", I was thinking of starting with a stock samsung kernel and documenting for people how to get it from github, how to compile it, how to set up the ramdisk, etc.

Then, a little bit a time, modify the kernel while explaining what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, how I'm doing it, etc.

I'm sure many people will think it's a waste of space and bandwidth, but if 2 out of 100 people find it worthwhile and learn something, then I've done more good then 1000 different "Use MyKewlROMandDonateToMe" threads.

I suspect it'll be other developer-type who will find it most useful. There are lots of people who are skilled enough to do this kind of thing, but aren't quite sure how to get started with it. As well, I'm posting in this thread *****ing that XDA has more about people "selling" firmware and kernels and not about discussing - so I had better practice what I preach. ;)

(I also intend to keep the kernel modifications fairly limited and even regressive in some cases to keep it a learning and discussion tool and NOT a product.)

Take care
Gary

XDAU is a work in progress to try and educate people. Surprised its the first time you heard about it tbh, but that will hopefully change across thr whole forum
 

boborone

Senior Member
That's interesting. This thread is the first time I've heard of "XDA University." (I stopped reading the homepage long ago due to some.. umm.. low quality posts - and the refusal of the poster to correct issues.)

Anyway, XDAU appears similar to something I'm trying to do with my posts in the i317 section: Instead of posting finished work, I'm posting things that explain what I'm doing, why, etc.

Sometime in the next week (when my paying job eases up a bit) I'll be starting a new kernel. However, instead of a "Here's a kernel that does wonderful things", I was thinking of starting with a stock samsung kernel and documenting for people how to get it from github, how to compile it, how to set up the ramdisk, etc.

Then, a little bit a time, modify the kernel while explaining what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, how I'm doing it, etc.

I'm sure many people will think it's a waste of space and bandwidth, but if 2 out of 100 people find it worthwhile and learn something, then I've done more good then 1000 different "Use MyKewlROMandDonateToMe" threads.

I suspect it'll be other developer-type who will find it most useful. There are lots of people who are skilled enough to do this kind of thing, but aren't quite sure how to get started with it. As well, I'm posting in this thread *****ing that XDA has more about people "selling" firmware and kernels and not about discussing - so I had better practice what I preach. ;)

(I also intend to keep the kernel modifications fairly limited and even regressive in some cases to keep it a learning and discussion tool and NOT a product.)

Take care
Gary

Nice man, I look forward to seeing it. I read all over the forums to learn, not just what I own. I'm not a hardware guy, but I love learning the code and how it works. Most of the old timers have moved on from teaching and sharing. I love reading and learning new code and how it works. That was what I miss about the old days. I read, because people shared, so when I had a problem, I dug into the code and manilla files to tweak and figure out what I needed to do. It's a big reason why I hate One-Click mods. My first Android, I had to flash an update.zip with the stock recovery, then dig in the build prop, change values, then flash a new kernal and recovery. If you don't know what is going on, then you don't how to fix it yourself. It's too easy nowadays.

And man, there are more than 2 out of 100 people who want to learn, we are just a silent voice who get drowned out by the whining of babies.
 

bigbobtk

Member
Jul 27, 2010
13
1
Nice man, I look forward to seeing it. I read all over the forums to learn, not just what I own. I'm not a hardware guy, but I love learning the code and how it works. Most of the old timers have moved on from teaching and sharing. I love reading and learning new code and how it works. That was what I miss about the old days. I read, because people shared, so when I had a problem, I dug into the code and manilla files to tweak and figure out what I needed to do. It's a big reason why I hate One-Click mods. My first Android, I had to flash an update.zip with the stock recovery, then dig in the build prop, change values, then flash a new kernal and recovery. If you don't know what is going on, then you don't how to fix it yourself. It's too easy nowadays.

And man, there are more than 2 out of 100 people who want to learn, we are just a silent voice who get drowned out by the whining of babies.

The only reason why it has come so far is because it is easy now. I don't think it would have been as good had it not been easy for the general public, therefore making it popular. Hopefully that makes sense. I know almost nothing about programming, but I am very appreciative of what this community has done, making my phone much better.
 

KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
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The only reason why it has come so far is because it is easy now. I don't think it would have been as good had it not been easy for the general public, therefore making it popular. Hopefully that makes sense. I know almost nothing about programming, but I am very appreciative of what this community has done, making my phone much better.
To be honest, I don't really agree with when you say "I don't think it would have been as good had it not been easy for the general public" and here's why.
Fair enough I'm only a recent member of this forum in comparison to those who have seen the true path XDA has taken, but based on what most of the "old-timers" have said it used to be a much better site because it was more based around development and not a support site.
While I can't argue that one way or the other, I can understand that it must have been a much nicer environment back then simply because there wasn't as many 'noobs' with smart phones.
So, with all that being said, I think it would've been a better place beforehand but you're right about the fact that XDA wouldn't as much of a popular site without smartphones being owned by a big majority of the general public and the guides etc that this site has, to make it inevitably easier for them.


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''
 

boborone

Senior Member
To be honest, I don't really agree with when you say "I don't think it would have been as good had it not been easy for the general public" and here's why.
Fair enough I'm only a recent member of this forum in comparison to those who have seen the true path XDA has taken, but based on what most of the "old-timers" have said it used to be a much better site because it was more based around development and not a support site.
While I can't argue that one way or the other, I can understand that it must have been a much nicer environment back then simply because there wasn't as many 'noobs' with smart phones.
So, with all that being said, I think it would've been a better place beforehand but you're right about the fact that XDA wouldn't as much of a popular site without smartphones being owned by a big majority of the general public and the guides etc that this site has, to make it inevitably easier for them.


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''

Nah I see what the new guy is talking about. It's because it's so easy to mod your phone, everyone is doing it. I know a couple ERDs that wished AdamOutler wouldn't have released the unbrickable mod for the SGSI. To me, that started a wave of people taking chances that should never have had a phone in the first place. If people would have had to go through what I went through to flash my first WinMo, this site would be still a place of sparse membership. I was so scarred to flash my Touch Pro, I waited till I had 2 to HSPL it. Now, you get a phone, download a zip file, plug your phone up, and 3 mins later, you have a rooted custom ROM kernal on your phone ready to ask questions as to why wifi doesn't work. Back then, because there was the danger and work to get that thing hacked, you read and read some more. You knew what to expect after a flash, and how to deal with it. Now it's so easy, you can buy a phone in the morning, flash 15 ROMs on it, revert back to stock, clean bootloader and all, and take it back to the store. It's a lil different now. Things need to be hard imho.

of-course-it-is-hard.jpg


EDIT
sht man, sorry, I said new guy only cause I saw you had 11 posts. Didn't see you'd been here since '10. Sorry man.
 
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KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
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Yeah I agree with what he said about it all being too easy for members now, but the main point I was disputing was about how it's became better with the influx of new users. I don't truly think that's the case at all, but of course each to their own :p


''Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but absolute powerlessness does the same''
 

garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
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Pittsburgh, PA
We can't go back in time. The genie is out of the bottle and the entire world uses smartphones (and many already know about xda-developers.) Said once, it's feedback. Said twice, it's complaining. Don't complain without having a realistic plan to develop a fix. (Otherwise, you're just as bad as the newbie *****ing that he flashed the wrong firmware and now his wifi is broken.)

The past is done and we can't change it. The present is already here and we HAVE to (eventually) accept it for what it is. The real question (and I think the target of this thread) is to work towards the future.

Unfortunately, it takes the people who run the forum to recognize what is and what isn't broken. Perhaps they WANT this to be support website where nearly every OP in the so-called "development" subforums looks like an advertisement for a product (and not discussion about development.) I hope not, but I really don't know.

So, I'm going to push back at Fallen Spartan, svetius, and the other "senior" people here: What is the current goal for XDA-Developers? What is its purpose?

I've offered some suggestions on how to "fix" things, but those assume that my ideas match the folks who run the forum. That assumption might be wrong.

(Wow.. I'm being reasonable. I must be drunk.)
 

pulser_g2

Admin Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Nov 27, 2009
19,544
11,629
We can't go back in time. The genie is out of the bottle and the entire world uses smartphones (and many already know about xda-developers.) Said once, it's feedback. Said twice, it's complaining. Don't complain without having a realistic plan to develop a fix. (Otherwise, you're just as bad as the newbie *****ing that he flashed the wrong firmware and now his wifi is broken.)

The past is done and we can't change it. The present is already here and we HAVE to (eventually) accept it for what it is. The real question (and I think the target of this thread) is to work towards the future.

Unfortunately, it takes the people who run the forum to recognize what is and what isn't broken. Perhaps they WANT this to be support website where nearly every OP in the so-called "development" subforums looks like an advertisement for a product (and not discussion about development.) I hope not, but I really don't know.

So, I'm going to push back at Fallen Spartan, svetius, and the other "senior" people here: What is the current goal for XDA-Developers? What is its purpose?

I've offered some suggestions on how to "fix" things, but those assume that my ideas match the folks who run the forum. That assumption might be wrong.

(Wow.. I'm being reasonable. I must be drunk.)

Hi,

First off, I should introduce myself. I'm one of the people who is pretty quiet here and doesn't say much... But I take a big interest in feedback from users, and what they feel we are doing right or wrong. Particularly when it comes to development or noobization.

Why? Because I'm an old grouch who absolutely can't stand idiots who can't read. I'm fairly new here in the grand scheme of things, getting my first smartphone the week before I registered... (Yes, my registration date is real). But when I joined, I spent over a week, choosing to read every post in every thread in the first 10 pages of the HTC Hero forum.

This is what we want and need to encourage. Unfortunately the Internet is now seen by most to be an interactive, time sensitive, get my answers now medium. Partly due to the prevalence of cesspits such as YouTube comments, and 4chan, where people have a false impression of their perceived right to comment, it's been getting worse lately.

The ten-post rule works. A bit.

I should add we leave no stone unturned in thinking about these things - I recall even discussing the idea of sandboxing every user into a "playpen" for noobs, and only letting accounts leave it once the playpen agreed in general that they were ready...

The addition of original android development forums came about became I was sick of seeing good development involving registers or decompiling to be overrun on the listings by some guy who thinks his unzip/rezip of the stock ROM is better than someone else's rezip...

At one time I used to have a custom ROM on the go for the i9100. I didn't agree with the mad winzipping game - I preferred to go for the measured approach, fixing bugs in the Samsung rom. Or rather removing annoying "features" which simply served to annoy users, like loud notifications of fully charged batteries...

While everyone else leapt to zip the latest rom, I'd often sit there waiting on the new rom to be discussed. If it was good, it would be updated. That rom is now not updated for over a year, as I still don't feel Samsung have managed to release a stock ICS rom of suitable quality to justify the change.

A lot of people couldn't see any reason it was different, but I do recall seeing specific feedback from a leading tech journalist, asking how we were able to boost battery life by roughly 15 to 30 percent on the same handset... Some developers use snake oil claims... But really it was the educated choice of base rom, which mattered.

Anyway if you have ideas please let us know. You can pm or email me (pulser at xda-developers.com) and we can discuss anything you want to bring up, from a technical perspective of what's feasible.

Obviously on a site this size, the scalability of a solution is key, both technically and logistically... But that's part of the fun I look for!
 

garyd9

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 13, 2006
2,643
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Pittsburgh, PA
This is what we want and need to encourage.
Good - that's very good to hear. So far, the one suggestion of allowing development discussion, and allowing the OP/RD to hide spam/disruptive posts in their discussion threads (subject to moderator review) seems to be one that no one has disagreed with. It's doesn't solve all the problems, but it's a step in the right direction.

I think XDA might be starting to encourage people to share not just the end results of their efforts, but also the process. At least XDAU seems to be a step in that direction, and the examples set by many of the ERD's is encouraging. More steps in that direction would be good, and I'm trying to even move my own posts in that direction.

However, I see too many people who seem to abuse XDA as a money machine via that "donation" button. That is very opposed to open source development and community. I'd like to offer an extreme on this: Anyone ASKING for a "donation" be warned once and banned the second time. (Or perhaps disable the donation button for them the second time.) You'd have to give notice of this, as many will need time to get "Please donate!" and "Feel free to donate!" out of their sig files. Leave the donation button in-place, but with no pressure to use it.

disclaimer: I did accept a "donation" on XDA once, and that was for code someone asked me to add to a kernel to support higher current charging over USB to be used in a commercial environment. I was opposed to doing it (as I don't want to be responsible for someone burning up a netbook USB port) so he bribed me. ;)

With less money soliciting, perhaps we'll see less MyRomIsTheSameAsTheRest, and more sharing of "how to do this for yourself." (Or, perhaps we won't. I don't know.) At the very least, I would hope it would give people less incentive of posting as many things as possible.

listings by some guy who thinks his unzip/rezip of the stock ROM is better than someone else's rezip...
...but the OP's are usually SO pretty with lots of oversized pictures and banners! (Ever try to view one of those posts on a netbook tethered to a phone with only an EDGE connection? heh.)

Anyway if you have ideas please let us know. You can pm or email me (pulser at xda-developers.com) and we can discuss anything you want to bring up, from a technical perspective of what's feasible.
I hope you won't mind if, at least while this thread is unspammed, we discuss in the open. I need other, non-engineer, people to read my suggestions and point out the flaws. Sometimes I get too obsessed with the puzzle and forget that the solution has to exist in the real world.

Thanks for listening
Gary
 

a.cid

RC / Retired Mod / Portal Team
Nov 18, 2011
4,868
2,964
Mumbai
Ah well, I was waiting for a cue to post...

I had a suggestion to make with regards to the dev fora being used for dev discussion...

Why not have a discussion sticky (made by a mod) present in the original development section, where interested people can come forth for dev related discussions?

This way, people do have a place to just discuss various core problems with the device (and possible solutions), and also doesn't give any random person with 10 posts to just make up a thread in the name of "dev discussion"...
The mod can follow this thread, and if it seems that a grave issue would warrant a personal thread, then the mod can give permission for one to be made in the original dev fora...


"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, Man and Knife"
 

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  • 8
    of course but no matter what iam tryin to search i always get no results

    i made a search for "Magisk"
    am i doin it right?! :(

    in xda app of ketan
    View attachment 6073197

    and in opera browser
    View attachment 6073199

    and both the same result
    View attachment 6073198
    View attachment 6073200

    @dipseeet
    Have you managed to fix it?

    It seems like this kind of issue was discussed by @Nimueh and @IronTechmonkey in somewhere else.
    Try to change the XDA Forum Style to XDA - Dark.
    Go to this post if you don't know how to change it.
    5
    @MikeChannon (or even @the_scotsman if you'd take this on) is there a particular reason this is/should-be happening? I imagine it's might be the double redundancy of searching the term "Magisk" in a "Magisk" titled thread...?
    Works fine for me using my desktop browser, Chrome.

    Tested on Chrome mobile browser, also works fine.

    As mentioned above, maybe try clearing your browser cache?
    5
    @dipseeet
    Have you managed to fix it?

    It seems like this kind of issue was discussed by @Nimueh and @IronTechmonkey in somewhere else.
    Try to change the XDA Forum Style to XDA - Dark.
    Go to this post if you don't know how to change it.

    Since switching From one of the old App templates to one of the newer ones I have been able to search "this thread" but there is a quirk and the behavior might not be the same when search is invoked by different buttons. Here I'm speaking to Firefox and the search button in the top bar. The order in which "this thread" is selected and the actual search criteria is entered seems to be a factor, possibly due to the dynamic nature of the search box as text is entered. IIRC: This thread > Criteria > search works best in my case but might not in all cases.
    3
    sry for this question but
    are u guys able to use the search function of xda?
    Although it is severely limited, I am able to....
    3
    when i try to search i get the message that the matrix is broken ...
    may I ask what exactly you are trying to search, so I may try myself?
  • 44
    After reading a few threads and comments from our members I thought it may be worthwhile to create a Feedback, Recommendations or Idea's thread for XDA. We want to improve our forum for developers and the normal users.

    So, rather than sending a PM to a Moderator, please feel free to leave any feedback or idea's you may have to improve XDA, so we can discuss them properly, openly, with the plan to hopefully implement the ideas which are good.

    It's sole purpose is to improve XDA and collect your thoughts and idea's.

    We will all be monitoring this thread, and someone will hopefully reply without much delay.

    Thanks

    Rick
    Moderator/Developer Committee

    Edits done by Clark Joseph Kent to better support XDA.
    30
    XDA-Developers needs to be more about developers

    While I see that time and users have made XDA less about development and more about user support, I think XDA has gone too far in that direction.

    Developers need a place to DISCUSS development.

    The "General" subforums are too overwhelmed with threads like "Post pictures of your phone", "list of threads linked from other places" and other random "general user" stuff.

    The "Q&A" subforums are now a place where moderators chase newbies to. The most technical question you might find in the Q&A section these days is "I just bricked my phone, what do I do?" (Usually, the answers are either making fun of the OP or telling him/her to search.)

    The "Development" subforums, which seems like a logical place to discuss development, is now reserved for people to post finish products only and beg for donations - It's the XDA version of the "app store." There's no actual "development" discussion allowed.

    Here's what we don't have anymore (but desperately need):

    A place where a kernel developer could start a thread discussing the pitfalls of turning off processor cores on a particular device when the device is idle. That would likely lead into a discussion on possible ways to optimize the IN/OUT code for the cores, which would actually *gasp* promote development.

    A place where a person might post a "HOW TO" document describing how to modify a stock firmware for a specific device to override carrier controlled lock downs. (For example, editing the CSC for a samsung device.)

    A place for development related DISCUSSION - not just a subform for "I cobbled together mods I copied from other people into a so-called ROM and will now beg you to donate to me and press my "thanks" button."

    XDA promotes itself as a DEVELOPERS FORUM. The definition of "forum" is "A meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged." Doesn't that seem to indicate that development related discussion would be encouraged here?

    (continued...)

    ---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------

    So, the obvious question about my post above is how do you moderate a "developers discussion" subforum?

    I honestly don't see a problem with that. You make posting access to that subforum by request only. The access should be granted pretty freely but with a note reminding the user that any non-development discussions will result in loss of access to those subforums. Plain and simple. Any RD's or ERD's would automatically be given access without the need to post a request.

    Only developers should moderate those subforums, as the fact is that XDA has some moderators that have no clue whatsoever what "development" is.

    I'd even go so far as to suggest that XDA's ERDs would be given final say in moderating those subforums. Actually, it might be a good idea to give ERDs final say in moderating all the development related forums - including the existing so-called "development" and "original development" subforums.

    ...

    I'll have one more post to discuss the current vagueness of the rules and the random enforcement of them...
    19
    Seriously tempted to just ban the next person who talks about the 10 post rule in here. Obviously they don't read the OP and don't care. They just want to complain. Well maybe I don't care about their accounts any more and will just delete them.
    16
    I don't read this thread for over a day and all hell breaks loose.

    Unfortunately, the last few pages is not the way I intended this thread to go. Instead of being suggestings to improve XDA, it has been steered down the road of "should we have OT threads in device forums or not"

    Can we try and steer away from this for a second and get back to the threads purpose with sensible suggestions. Now with all suggestions, discussion needs to take place so we can decide if the proposal is worthwhile or not. This is not us (mods & admin) ruling out your suggestions, it is us discussing your suggestion to see whether or not it would work with XDA.

    I personally value all suggestions, unfortunately we can not implement them all, but we (XDA) will do our best to listen, communicate with you and move forward with suggestions which will work

    Thanks
    14
    I think every overlooks one thing - if they try to spam OT, it's easy to find and remove, and reset their accounts. Our FSMs will spot it in device forums.

    I think in general we catch spammers faster in OT than elsewhere... So surely that helps, given it keeps OT clean..

    Regards to OT, I think the perceived problem is one of maturity. I know most of those involved claim to be adults, but some of the pointless threads about banana and llama are frankly a waste of space... OT used to be about mature debate and humour, but now it seems dominated by a highly insular group who spend inordinate amounts of time there, which would be more productively spent getting a job, or constructively posting to help people having problems..