How can we make the XDA forums better?

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svetius

Retired User Experience Admin
Dec 23, 2009
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I figured since we turned this forum into a Questions forum with up and down voting for each answer, I'd ask:

How can we make the XDA forums better?


No answer is too outlandish...be creative. We're listening!

Maybe you think we have too many ads, or maybe you think search totally sucks. Perhaps you want more theme options, or you want more ways to learn development. Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it! :)
 

blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
13,209
5,643
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.

Source: an old user who used to participate more.

"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.
 

DSA

Senior Member
May 15, 2011
4,757
5,783
Can't easily find the Galaxy S4+ or S4+ in fact I didn't find either.
It's convoluted, at best.
Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too

all the s4 forums:

 

blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
13,209
5,643
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Ive never heard of the s4plus, i used to own and develop for the s4 too

all the s4 forums:


It's the active variant of the S4 made exclusively for AT&T. Hence little support.
 

Jaxidian

Senior Member
Sep 19, 2010
906
300
Indianapolis
"Elites"? Buzz words are useless; specific details/incidents/threads please.
Anytime everyone agrees, something is usually very wrong.
Censorship kills sites.
Losing "elite" keystone members kills sites.
Censorship kills sites... an occasional flamewar is desirable. Real life is much worse; dumbing down a site kills it every time.

Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".
 

blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
13,209
5,643
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Here you go. I just quoted an elitist response. The OP asked for "Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it!" and when I offered an idea, this response called it "useless".

You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.
 

Jaxidian

Senior Member
Sep 19, 2010
906
300
Indianapolis
You generalized. An invalid argument because of your statement's ubiquity.
No example, no details, then attack me for pointing out your flawed reasoning. Perfect.

I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.

And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.
 

blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
13,209
5,643
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.

And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.

You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.
 

svetius

Retired User Experience Admin
Dec 23, 2009
4,968
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I simply offered an opinion in response to the OP asking for opinions. I'm sorry my opinion has offended you so much. I stand by it. Elitist behaviors where people attack another just because they think their opinion is inferior is the exact kind of thing I was referring to. And you are demonstrating it admirably.

And by the way, I never once argued anything. You are the one doing the arguing. And you're welcome to continue. I'm done with you.

You offered no tangible problems or solutions just a buzzword for something you alleged to exist here. No evidence to back you your claim or specifically what the "elitists" do to destroy the site.
That offends me. Vagueness is a common troll and political tactic.

Guys, please stay on topic :)
 

indestructible master

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2015
143
45
Huawei Y5 (2017)
I would like, to have some sections, where people can learn modding, learn how to do proggraming for type of stuff we do here on xda.
usualy, someone post some amaizing tool, but it would be even more amaizing if there is separate section for developers who want to learn, deep inside of android system, how to mod it, code some useful software for it, etc
in these times, where all manufacturers are locking bootloaders, or completely ditching bootloader, so it can be unclocked, it encourages lack of experimentation android was before, because people have locked phones and xda forums isn't popular as it once was, there are no more amaizing things, and even if you want to try to make amaizing thing, you can't because there are no resources to learn android. manufacturers, make everything more locked, android is becoming iOS for some reason.

so basically, i would like to have section, like on stackoverflow, but to be focused on android modding, and questions people ask, how they can learn it. (as stackexchange android enthusiasts suck, and it's just that, enthusiasts, but not developers, programmers who want to learn and ask qusetions)

that would make this community useful, for developers.

usual questions, like Q&A is okay, but just want separate section, where real professional people look. (just look, at Q&A, full of regular people who have no clue, and not even read guide, all those questions can be solved with existing guides on XDA, and even if can't, then phone is hard bricked, or question is just trash, and that me, and i believe many others, programmers, professionals, drive back from it, we need quality questions where programmers can look for to help fellow programmer.

and, with this, upwote and downwote, it would be a good idea, as, in those special programming threads, programmers would be able to see most useful answer.

with all people bashing here, this became some low quality, chat forum, i wish we can make it more quality focused, but still noob frinendly, so it have sections for noobs (existing Q&A), and expert section

And what @Jaxidian complained, this would be solution, as sometimes experienced people don't have patience for noob question (they just say "why you don't search first before posting"), those people who answer that way, just wish they could answer and help someone more experienced struggling and not answer same questions from noobs that don't research before posting. (if someone is noob, he becomes even bigger noob if he ask for something that has been asked milion times on same platform)

:)

my 50 cents
 
Last edited:

sd_shadow

Recognized Contributor / XDA Welcome Team
Sep 21, 2011
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A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
Or limit the forums new members can post to just Q and A subforums.
 
D

Deleted member 1890170

Guest
My observation is that in the Q&A forum regularly - almost daily - the same problem (e.g. data recovery for bricked device, rooting device, bypass FRP lock) is presented by different users and asked for a solution proposal: in my eyes a nonsense.
My recommendation: The Q&A forum should have sub-forums for this.

Also, I do not understand why 2 Q&A forums exist, namely Q&A and Q&A->H&T. Users do not distinguish between them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

svetius

Retired User Experience Admin
Dec 23, 2009
4,968
9,320
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2
OnePlus 9 Pro
A 2-7 day waiting period to post for new members would discourage one thread wonders looking for a quick fix here rather than simple doing a Google search(s).
Help dissuade spammers as well.
Those with a sincere interest would suck up the wait...
I think that's an interesting idea, but nothing will make a new user more upset than a waiting period. In 2021, people expect instant access and quick gratification. If we were the only phones community, I would agree with you, but if I was a newb and registered then had a waiting period, I'd say "screw it, my problem is important. i'm going to reddit/AndroidCentral/somewhere else"

Please bring back the XDA Labs app.
That's not going to happen unless a team of developers steps forth to fully take over its development.
 

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  • 6
    Why I'm expiriencing problem with searching my own posts? What is going on ?
    I can't hook up with my old posts and find previous solutions that I wrote for users.
    How are you trying to do this?

    I just tried by typing your name in search:
    1694675366012.png


    Then select it and click search:
    1694675386012.png


    This is what I get (all your posts):
    1694675354843.png


    I also tried searching for the keyword "solutions":
    1694675480822.png


    Which returns the expected result of your above post:
    1694675518366.png


    Perhaps you're experiencing issues on mobile? Make sure to detail the exact steps and include screenshots when applicable.
    5
    How are you trying to do this?

    I just tried by typing your name in search:
    View attachment 6001943

    Then select it and click search:
    View attachment 6001945

    This is what I get (all your posts):
    View attachment 6001941

    I also tried searching for the keyword "solutions":
    View attachment 6001947

    Which returns the expected result of your above post:
    View attachment 6001949

    Perhaps you're experiencing issues on mobile? Make sure to detail the exact steps and include screenshots when applicable.
    apparently it was cache folder of Chrome browser that made web errors, I fixed it , thanks ...
    2
    Technically speaking that forum_engine is garbage.
    I'm no friend of JavaScript, but people's expectations make it necessary.
    xda gets a lot of traffic and CloudFlare reduces the traffic to the backend.
  • 18
    I figured since we turned this forum into a Questions forum with up and down voting for each answer, I'd ask:

    How can we make the XDA forums better?


    No answer is too outlandish...be creative. We're listening!

    Maybe you think we have too many ads, or maybe you think search totally sucks. Perhaps you want more theme options, or you want more ways to learn development. Whatever your idea is, we want to hear it! :)
    11
    Do something to get rid of the elitism that permeates so many forums here at XDA. This drives away new users who would otherwise want to participate in the community. It also drives away old users who used to participate more.

    Source: an old user who used to participate more.
    11
    Suggestion : I would like to implement Teamviewer or any similar free program to this forum or it's certain section to help others in that manners directly rather than write whole set of pages for one thing. It would be great for Android head units section.
    One of the cornerstones of XDA is learning how to mod one's device, this is not a remote support service. There can of course be 1-on-1 support but that should just be set up between those members privately, including assuming the liability of all security implications. Above all, it defeats the purpose of the community: sharing knowledge.

    "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
    10
    There are a few ways to potentially improve the XDA forums:
    1. Encourage more active moderation to keep discussions on topic and to remove spam or offensive posts.
    2. Consider implementing a system for a rating or flagging posts to make it easier for users to identify high-quality content.
    3. Increase user engagement by encouraging users to participate in community-building activities, such as hackathons or coding competitions.
    4. Introduce new features and functionalities, such as a mobile app or integration with other platforms, to make it easier for users to access and participate in discussions.
    5. Consider creating a more personalized user experience by implementing a system that suggests content based on the user's interests.
    6. Make sure that the forum is easy to navigate, search and understand.
    7. Create a clear and detailed guideline on how to post and engage in the forum.
    Hey Emily!

    Thank you. Some great ideas there! Despite the title, I don't have much say in the direction our XDA ship is sailing but from experience I can provide a little feedback.
    1. We're currently a strong team of amazing people (here's a list) I have the honour of working with to keep this forum clean. You can't imagine the number of spam and such that doesn't even reach public view. Every single day our team makes vast efforts for the love of community. Of course, we can always use an extra hand. By all means, people, become a moderator!
    2. Some things are already in place. On the homepage there's the Top Forums, which is perhaps a bit too general. There's also a What's New to see what's currently going on. When viewing a thread, there's a 'TOP LIKED POSTS' on the right side that gives you a general idea of the most relevant posts in that thread. An interesting page is Notable Members, which gives you an overview of the most popular contributors. The current like-system should already give an indication of content quality.
    3. Very much a fan of this! Hear her out, XDA! 😃
    4. The XDA app is a whole other category... I think there's currently a pretty low threshold to participate in discussions but ideas are always welcome!
    5. Not a fan of this myself. Do we want to become another social media platform? I'm not sure people want to be subjected to yet another algorithm. It would also defeat the purpose of many privacy focused projects here.
    6. We've already transitioned to a newer system that can better handle the mountains of data that XDA holds. It's still just a crazy amount so keeping a clean overview is a massive task. I personally think it's not too bad but there's always room for improvement. Search could be much better indeed.
    7. You may have spotted this gem on the Notable Members page, @sd_shadow has your back! Make sure to check out the [Index] XDA 2021: How to Navigate the New Site Layout thread, a masterful guide of all things XDA. Oh and don't forget the Forum Rules! :cowboy:
    I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you and I'm sure your ideas won't go unnoticed :)
    10
    Yes, it's a "Trans" forum. It can compete in the forum olympics as a device because it identifies as a "device" despite not packing any internal or external device characteristics from birth.

    This is in accordance with our more tolerant ways of thinking these days.
    We have moved beyond HTC exclusivity and we are now LGHTC+

    We've also sucked the chocolate off the chocolate coated nuts making us just plain nuts, but crazy as we are, we're not so deluded as to keep XDA Assist as a device
    .... so I've cancelled its device membership.

    Mike