Dusting off iPhone-Developers.com

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Recently we've been the target (via PM and email) of a coordinated effort by some users to get XDA to add an iPhone forum. This intensified a bit recently with the "jailbreaking is legal" news that came out a few weeks ago. We also recently “lost” a behind-the-scenes guy at XDA to the iPhone (someone who had donated countless hours to helping with site development and bug fixes).

Despite his pleading, some of the mods and I decided earlier this month that xda-developers is NOT the place for detailed iPhone discussion. There's just too much going on here. XDA is still digesting the move to add non-HTC WinMo/Android devices. And the site is just too darn big already!

With all that said: many of you know that we also own the iPhone-Developers.com domain. It was purchased years ago—mostly as a joke. Now, with the maturation of the iPhone community (in particular, the independent developer and jailbreak community) we are going to dust it off and launch an XDA sister site. The goal is to try to replicate the XDA feel while keeping XDA itself free of iPhone-related clutter. We see it as a win/win for everyone (iPhone lovers and haters alike). The aim of the site is to demystify jailbreaking and to make iPhone development more mainstream. Millions of people have benefited from the development work that has taken place at XDA over the last decade, and we want to bring these same benefits to iPhone owners.

If you are excited by this move, please keep your expectations in check: The site will be totally separate from XDA (separate mods, servers, everything) and will probably be somewhat "Wild West" to start out (like XDA in the early years). We have assigned a new admin—the former XDA tech volunteer referenced above. His user name is Arbre, and he also is doing all the tech development for the site. He hopes to have it launched (at least in beta form) in September.

We are looking for a few people to help get things started in the new forums. If you’ve got any jailbreak/development experience on the iPhone and want to help out just PM Arbre and he’ll get in touch with you when we’re closer to a beta launch.

PM'd him already

Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?

I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.

Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.


I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?

Originally Posted by lemonspeakers

Is there another thread where others are discussing this?

Looks like nobody cares.

Originally Posted by lemonspeakers

Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?

I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.

Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.


I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?

Maybe you're right. But the launch of the site has been totally funded by a donor. We hope we create a somewhat unique vibe over there. But if not, then it hasn't hurt anyone.

Originally Posted by lemonspeakers

Is there anyway to make a poll to see if anyone else is interested to the success of iphone-developers.com?

I already feel as though making another forum for iphone users is redundant since there is already tons of other ones light-years ahead on the web.

Think about how many successful "xda" look-a-likes are out there **Coughs... htc-pedia** <<-- NotMuch.


I just don't think it will be worth the effort, to be honest. Is there another thread where others are discussing this?

As the one who is actually building and running iphone-developers, I can tell you that for me it is definitely worth the effort. To even have the chance at creating something like xda for the iphone is incredibly exciting.

The only reason I got svetius and the site owners to consider this project in the first place was because of the number of requests we've gotten to add iphone forums -- it turns out a lot of xda users have iphones, and many have even switched altogether. Creating a new site for these people makes a lot of sense (to me at least).

Plus, as svetius said, there is really nothing to lose by trying. I'm the one bearing all of the work, and if you're not interested in apple products then xda will be the exact same as usual :)

-- Arbre

I'm just wondering if you are going to bridge the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.

Originally Posted by MordyT

I'm just wondering if you are going to bride the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.

I doubt it...he said they will be completely separate, including separate servers etc...

I'm not an iphone person at all, but sounds like it will be very successful, with the xda name behind it!

Originally Posted by MordyT

I'm just wondering if you are going to bride the two sites together, so that registered on one is registered on the other etc.

That is a great question. I hope that this is possible. This way it also retains our reputation instead of starting from scratch while claiming that you are so and so.

Excelent news!!!!

I'm slowly porting my apps (adding some more bling) to the iPhone with flash CS5, only made a beta of flashlight so far, but was hopping for the greatness of a XDA forum-like to "bind" all scatered users out there, in a way that only XDA can.


Cant wait for it...