New Sub-forum Idea!?!?!

If there was a 'noobie' forum, then nobody who knew anything would visit that forum and help the newbs. So they'd eventually start posting in the experts forums. Unfortunately it has to be mixed, so that the 'smarter' people see the posts from the 'newer' people. Unfortunately theres just SO much information, here, the wiki, etc. and it's hard for a single person to digest. It's so much easier for somebody to click "Post" and ask the specific question they're trying to get answered. I'm a knowledgeable geek, a Linux admin, etc. but sometimes I have a specific question regarding my phone and have been overwhelmed by the amount of information/posts in the forums and the info in the wiki, it's a lot just got get a specific question answered.

GSLEON3 said:

I still ask dumb questions from time to time. My intent is not to slam the new guy, quite the opposite actually. I'm talking about a sub-forum where they can find the answer & a little support to some of the most common questions & issues that arise when entering the world of Flashing & Upgrading.

A place where a few willing people can hook up with the new comer & use tools klike IM & filesharing to walk the new guy through flashing & problem solving, kind of hands on instruction where you can walk the timid newcomer through his issues while using the tools to show him, through his own action, how to figure things out. Again, a sort of less advanced clearing house of sorts. Not a place of punishment for being new, but more of a "Welcome to XDA, figuring this stuff out can be fun & exciting, let me show you how" type of a place.

I like the noobie, & I really like the noobie that has a "I think my phone is bricked" challenge. I just think it would be a nice touch to have a place for the new guy to go where he could not just find the answers, but the reasoning behind them.

I also know that many don't read the stickies, but people do read the forum headers, the name of the forum & sub-forum, & if they saw "This is the place to get answers about how to flash & fix flash issues, that is where he's gonna go. Everybody else has been here long enough to know that if they have a major contribution, where it should be posted.

It would be like tiered service, most noobie problems are similar & can be handled there, if something more advanced pops up, or a bug detemined to affect many, then the mod or admin bumps it up to the next level.

Oh, & mcmexican you think everyone's an idiot

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I have never called anyone an idiot on here. There was no other way to answer no but to choose the one and it had idiot in the answer. I do feel the point of this forum is to share knowledge at all levels if there are useless or repetitive post just ignore them. If the posts are not answered they will be forced to read and learn or leave. I didn't mean to insult anybody.

-McMex

kwlhtx said:

I'm new to the forum, and honestly did not fully understand the title of the forum till now - that the forum was primarily for hard core developers. Given the success and ease of Google, we find a gold mine like xda, and fall in love.
So since there is a Kaiser, Kaiser upgrading, and Kaiser Accessories, why can't there be a Kaiser for rookies (took me a while to figure out what what a noob was). That might be a way for us lesser ones ( juniors) to talk, and the genius's out there (seniors) dont subscribe ! Then u would have every right to FLAME anyone on the upgrading forum. Plus we may be more willing to jump in and answer without the guru's watching.
my 2 cents

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Well, there is another way, If the information is put togeather in a clear, detailed manner, well written, and even somewhat entertaining then you may get more people reading the FAQ. Take Motomodders for example. (www.motomodders.net) In the forums links to "Lord Farkward's Somewhat Detailed n00b Guide" explain everything from how to pair a BT headset to how to flash, flex, and hex edit your Motorola. All written step by step in clear, non technical language. It takes a lot of time and energy to create a FAQ like that though.

-Jay

i like the system where you get an answer if your question is valid and if it has been answered already ten times in the thread and/or the wiki and the stickies you get a link to the wiki. If everyone just kept this rule a little stronger and posted links to the wiki/stickies in stead of answering/flaming I think that should be the fastest school for any noobi.

I've been lurking here for some time now. I've posted a couple times, and I'm sure I've asked newbie-esque questions before. This isn't something that's unique to XDA or mobile device forums.

For what it's worth:
I'm a moderator on SQAForums.com (software quality assurance forum) and we have a forum containing threads of information for new folks. It hasn't solved the problem, but... I think since we implemented it, it helped. We've got the same kind of issues that are here and I do like the Wiki idea (it's kinda like our newbie forum, but more robust).

Take solace in the fact that you don't have people asking for answers to interview questions so they can get a job.

Anyway, I'm not sure about the whole post restricting idea... you block out the people that you want making posts that have newly found their way here.

Personally, I've learned a lot since I've gotten here...and I look forward to learning more.

GSLEON3 said:

I didn't mean to implicate you that you really call everyone or anyone here an idiot & I appologize if I've offended you. I used the little tounge smilley hoping you would realize I was just razzing you a bit. That was the whole intent of posing the first answer selection that way. You get to, or are stuck, calling me an idiot by design if you disagree. A little self imposed razzing if you will.

I've seen you be very helpful in posts that warrant it, & firm in posts that were made out of laziness.

I also know you want to help, as do I, but I think there has to be some middle ground somewhere that will free up the flow of important information & end the bottleneck of redundant & ill-concieved posts.

My intent is to channel the common information required by a noobie into a new forum that will leave the current for it's intent, Development, while creating a space where the new guy can learn & ask questions & know he'll get guidance, instead of having to read thru half a dozen flames before someone actually posts a link to where he can find a place to start.

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If you were just giving me a little bit of a hard time its all good. I just didn't want to insult. The way I see it a lot of the info is already posted or in the Wiki and not read by some people rather they just post their question. I think a seperate area will just prove the same they will just post the threads in that forum not get an answer then post in this one. The people that would benefit by reading that other forum will be the same that dont post much and just read in this one. Just my opinion.

-McMex

I monitor and contribute to the Linux kernel development list. I compile and try out new patches to the mainstream kernel. I can guarantee you that if a bunch of newbies to Linux came on the mailing list and started asking questions like "HOW DO I USE THE GCC COMPILER?" that the Linux developers would quickly make the mailing list private amongst themselves disallowing input from people such as myself and others.

Developers need their users, but they cannot work in an environment where they are having to hold hand for the clueless. If all they get is questions, they cannot develop. They also cannot communicate with users who have legitimate issues such as bug reports.

I've only been here a short time, and only have a few posts. However, it has become apparent that the lack of organization is the one thing that could kill this site. Developers are having problems getting things out to people because there's too many questions by new users flooding the pages.

This site was not made for Joe Sixpack. I know the site administrators want this site to grow and become larger, but failure to manage the growth could result in the key contributers leaving. In the end all you would have is people asking for help. This forum is growing and it's going to need to have a way to deal with the grow. They are going to need to segregate the development stuff from the baseless questions being asked.

The end result of all developers is to get their product out to the clueless joe sixpack, but discussions on how to install a program are not meant to be discussed in the place that new releases/bug reports are to be handled. The admins here need to try to find a way to give a tier to the type of discussions going on. That way the newbies can get their information, and the developers can communicate with other developers and work on fixing bugs.

Posts like:
"the hinge broke on my tilt! how do i fix it!?"
"how do i get all the ATT cabs that were in my original rom?"
"how do i block all SMS's?"

Should not be welcomed nor answered here. These are questions that belong on the ATT Wireless forums, or any other general-discussion cell phone forum. It has nothing to do with hacking or development, and it only stands to clutter the boards we have here. Those examples above were real threads that were created. It's getting ridiculous.

The solution Read this if nothing else of my post.
I don't think people should be *****ing unless they have a plan to fix the problem. If you're complaining without a plan of action, you're just asinine.

I believe that if the board got more moderators per-subforum, and had very strict and clear posting guidelines, they could handle the junk. Anything off topic would strictly be moved, locked, or deleted, preferably with a post by the moderator saying 'This is better asked on ATT WIRELESS FORUMS, not on a development board'

This would drive the totally clueless away to the other forums to ask petty questions at. They are welcome here, but only if it is questions about the products developed here, or questions about the internals of the OS, etc. Everything has to be about development or hacking in some remote fashion.

We can still have accessory boards and such, but on the development sub forums there is NO small talk and NO off topic posts. That would keep the development sections clean of general questions.

It's ultimately up to the site admins, but that's the only solution I can see. Perhaps the site admins can start up another forum for general discussion/questions about the phones, so that the newbies can be directed there.

man, it's really getting out of control.