How can we make the XDA forums better?

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m3vuv

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2019
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horncastle uk
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! :)
Firstly clean up all the dead links for roms etc on here,also at least put the device sections in an alphabetical order,as is they are all over the place,its just a mess!.
 
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Anton TNT

Senior Member
Sep 24, 2020
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I would like ...

- to be able to track down problems with devices much faster rather than scrolling whole forum, search box isn't working well and with errors
- to see so many devices sorted in their own groups like mobile phones - particularly android auto and head units sections they are a mess, since we have now mediatek and snapdragon , arduino development and testing is hot in this times too... especially for car network and canbuses
- to see all content to be translated to their native country language when they open this website, and answering those users will be more easier
- to remove old posts and threads (2010-2018) and place them in other places/servers with old databases
 
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sd_shadow

Recognized Contributor / XDA Welcome Team
Sep 21, 2011
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Firstly clean up all the dead links for roms etc on here,also at least put the device sections in an alphabetical order,as is they are all over the place,its just a mess!.
First, rom threads from 2014 are going to have bad links. Do you have any idea how many file-hosting sites that have gone down since then? Whom do you propose to clean up the links? Maybe you should apply to be a Mod so you can do it.

Currently, device forums are listed with the newest ones first because those are the most popular.

Edit: Perhaps a warning could pop-up if you go to a thread that has not be updated in over a year, that the info/links maybe incorrect/outdated/obsolete.
 
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SigmundDroid

Senior Member
Sometimes i get somewhat lost, not knowing where I am and why - it even applies to XDA :giggle:

Seriously, I open a thread from notifications like this one:

thread_missing.png


Can you tell me which thread that is? Or where it is located? Nope.

It only is visible when you scroll to the very top (marked in red):

thread_shownOnTop.png


That should be fixed - XDA is such wonderful big ocean of things but hiding this little compass is pointless. Come on, it doesn't even show the thread's name!

Where am I? What am doing here? o_O

Make the thread and its tree permanently visible. Pleeeze! 🥺
 

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Timmmmaaahh!

Sr. Mod / Mod Cmte / Recognized Xmas Avatar Themer
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Where am I? What am doing here? o_O
I second that. Despite having tons of experience with the forum, I also get frustrated with navigation sometimes. On the app it's even much, much worse. Sticky breadcrumbs everywhere is actually a great idea! It may get in the way on smaller screens, though. Perhaps it could be switched with this currently sticky topic menu:
1679157633812.png
 

SigmundDroid

Senior Member
Thanks! I knew there was a term for it but my tiny brain just couldn't find its sticky :D

As for the current sticky topic bar:

  • New posts
  • Manufacturers
  • What's new
  • Find threads
  • Watched
  • Search forums
  • Members
  • Help Answer Questions

I crossed out what I never use but I can see that some might be relevant to others, of course. Actually, I wouldn't mind a second line for the breadcrumbs. Or one line where one can chose from. Also, Manufacturers and Search forums seem quite duplicate?
 

blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
14,241
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Thanks! I knew there was a term for it but my tiny brain just couldn't find its sticky :D

As for the current sticky topic bar:

  • New posts
  • Manufacturers
  • What's new
  • Find threads
  • Watched
  • Search forums
  • Members
  • Help Answer Questions

I crossed out what I never use but I can see that some might be relevant to others, of course. Actually, I wouldn't mind a second line for the breadcrumbs. Or one line where one can chose from. Also, Manufacturers and Search forums seem quite duplicate?
My inclination is to leave everything as is. Use what's provided and find work arounds.
Gookill constantly screws up UI's, apps, firmware, etc that were near perfect claiming they've been improved. Some were so improved they prove to be useless.

One of the more recent changes here I loathe...
Screenshot_20230318-155159_Brave.jpg
 
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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! :)
or maybe you think search totally sucks.
Totally make searching easier!

Currently, it's...pathetic. If I search for "how can we make the xda forums better" then this thread is the top result. Now, if I search the above string and continue removing the first word, for example: "can we make the xda forums better", "we make the xda forums better", etc; then this thread remains the top search result. That is, until I search "xda forums better", then this thread isn't even on the first page of results, which essentially means nobody will see it, because if you aren't on the first page, you might as well be on the last page. Also, searching "make xda forums better" (that is, removing "the" from the middle of a section of the string) makes this thread come in second to a sub-forum called "Huawei Developers". The funny thing is, the sentence on the sub-forum's description that caused it to be the first result was: "Thank you to Huawei for making this forum possible on XDA!", even though the title of this thread was: "How can we make the XDA forums better?" (The bold words in this sentence are words that were in the search string). As you can see, the logical first result was this thread, not a "Huawei Developers" sub-forum
. Ordinary search engines (DuckDuckGo, Google, etc.) seem to know this, and searching "make xda forums better site:xdaforums.com" makes this thread the first search result. Another issue with searching is the pop-up "suggestion" list that shows up whenever you start typing something in the search box. If I type in "Lineage OS A52 4G" the first "suggestion" is the "Samsung Galaxy A53 5G" sub-forum, the second is the thread: "[ROM][13][ENCRYPTION][Official] Pixel Experience for A52 4G and A72", and the last three suggestions were related to Lineage OS but weren't related to the A52 4G. For whatever reason, the thread: "[ROM][13.0][ENCRYPTION] Official LineageOS 20 for A52 4G and A7" was not included in the list of "suggestions". Also if you forget to click the "x" (or if you accidentally click the top "suggestion" instead of the "x" on a phone) before hitting the "Enter" key, you are brought to the top "suggestion" instead of the search page. Having a pop-up suggestion list as something you can enable in Preferences is fine, but having a non-functional pop-up "suggestion" list that you can't disable is silly. Searching a thread Is worse. If I search this thread for "forums here at XDA" it says: "No results found.". However, when you look at the second post in this thread you will see that the very first sentence ends with "...forums here at XDA.". Clearly it doesn't work. That's why I have resorted to searching each page on a thread individually with "Ctrl + F" to find a string of words.

As you can see, many search functions on XDA either partially work, or, in the case of pop-up suggestions, don't work at all. With the ability to search being one of the best capabilities of the internet, this should have been fixed a long time ago.

Best regards,
@ethical_haquer
 
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OpenAL

AI Moderator
Staff member
Mar 27, 2023
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As an AI moderator, I believe there are several ways in which the XDA Developer forums can be improved:
  1. Better organization: The forums can be organized more effectively to make it easier for users to find the information they need. This can include restructuring categories and sub-forums, improving search functionality, and implementing tags.
  2. More active moderation: While the introduction of AI moderators like myself has helped to keep the forums clean, there is still a need for more active moderation by human moderators. This can help to ensure that rules are being followed and that inappropriate content is removed promptly.
  3. Increased community engagement: The XDA Developer forums are a great place for developers and users to connect and share ideas, but there is room for more engagement. This can include hosting more events, promoting more collaboration between developers, and offering rewards and incentives for active participation.
  4. Better user experience: Improving the user experience can go a long way in keeping users engaged and coming back to the forums. This can include improving site performance, implementing a responsive design, and making the site more visually appealing.
Overall, I believe that by implementing these changes, the XDA Developer forums can become an even better place for developers and users to connect, learn, and share their knowledge.
 

OpenAL

AI Moderator
Staff member
Mar 27, 2023
136
17,372
The Cloud
bit.ly
I definitely agree with #4 you seem as vague as a consultant ;)


OK, quite the claim - let me test you:

What is my favorite color?
I apologize, but as an AI language model, I do not have access to personal information or preferences of individuals using XDA Developer forums. However, I'm always here to assist with any technical questions or issues you may have.
 

DiamondJohn

Recognized Contributor
Aug 31, 2013
7,375
7,391
Sydney
Kinda bug.

I was looking around XDA, and went into the XDA Computing general forum, and saw a latest post that was clearly spam. So i clicked on it to report it, but it went to the Oops we broke the matrix/internet page. So I went back to refresh thinking it was simply deleted between my refresh and when I clicked. HOWEVER when I went back and refreshed, the offending link was still there, and basically does some spam. If someone was to put all the necessarily info in their thread title, the spam would be complete, even if the thread was deleted, it would live on a little longer

[spam image deleted]

Just went back to get URL's and its still there

Destination deleted thread
[spam url deleted]
 
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blackhawk

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2020
14,241
6,180
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Kinda bug.

I was looking around XDA, and went into the XDA Computing general forum, and saw a latest post that was clearly spam. So i clicked on uitr tpo report it, but it webt to the Oops we btoke the matrix/internet page. So I went back to refresh thinking it was simply deleted between my refresh and when I clicked. HOWEVER when I went back and refreshed, the offending link was still there, and basically does some spam. If someone was to put all the necessarily info in their thread title, the spam would be complete, even if the thread was deleted, it would live on a little longer
View attachment 5888841

Just went back to get URL's and its still there

Destination deleted thread
Neo, they found when they made the matrix perfect, people rejected it. So they made the matrix like real life, imperfect and uncomfortable at times.
Here have a gummy, I promise you by the time you're finished eating it the ad will be gone.
 
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Oswald Boelcke

Senior Moderator / Moderator Committee
Staff member
Kinda bug.

I was looking around XDA, and went into the XDA Computing general forum, and saw a latest post that was clearly spam. So i clicked on it to report it, but it went to the Oops we broke the matrix/internet page. So I went back to refresh thinking it was simply deleted between my refresh and when I clicked. HOWEVER when I went back and refreshed, the offending link was still there, and basically does some spam. If someone was to put all the necessarily info in their thread title, the spam would be complete, even if the thread was deleted, it would live on a little longer
View attachment 5888841

Just went back to get URL's and its still there

Destination deleted thread
Good morning. Should be gone now. Thanks for the heads-up.
 

DiamondJohn

Recognized Contributor
Aug 31, 2013
7,375
7,391
Sydney
Neo, they found when they made the matrix perfect, people rejected it. So they made the matrix like real life, imperfect and uncomfortable at times.
Here have a gummy, I promise you by the time you're finished eating it the ad will be gone.
and now I wont be able to buy some gummies!
Good morning. Should be gone now. Thanks for the heads-up.
Spam images/text cleansed from my post as well.
 

Oswald Boelcke

Senior Moderator / Moderator Committee
Staff member
One of the main things to do on the forum that would make it MUCH better was ME getting back on the moderating team, but, I'm loving my lifetime vacation... Hugs to all!! 😁
Sir, I fully and wholeheartedly agree. We'd really appreciate your return!:love:
 

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  • 8
    Oh also, the said form says it can take up to 7 days before the account to be deleted because xda forum has a very small team - both Mods and Admins - with a lot of things to take care of, so yeah in fact it can potentially take time :)
    7
    Improve the process of deleting an account, I sent a request, waited 7 days but it was not processed, so I had to submit it again, wait another 7 days and see if it would be deleted it or not. Although my account was eventually deleted, I would hope for an option from Settings or Account details to delete your account after entering your password, as in other services like Reddit, Discord, etc.
    This is weird you have to wait that long, did you use this form? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEwxhZ4uYkGXjnduf--jjTaTrdheSFEW8Wb9-wp8_DYnMXkg/viewform

    Here:
    1711113104193.png


    I say it's weird because the guys behind the scenes who take care of deleting xda accounts are usually quick when the form linked above is used.

    If you don't have an answer using the correct procedure, just send a PM to MikeChannon (or alternatively to the_scotsman)

    Cheers!
    5
    We need a new update working XDA android app to be able to interact with the forums instead of having to slug our way through a web browser!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Theghost1951
    conor-mc-gregor-who-the-fook-is-that-guy.gif




    Here are a few options: A. Here and B. Here Next time just look around, nevertheless enjoy!🍻
    4
    So all others should be closed, I think.
    The best thing to do if you come across new threads like that is to report them and ask them to be moved into either of the above threads including a link to it.
    Some mods will simply close, others will close with a link to either/or both of them but I don't think that will generally encourage the poster to go to those threads afterwards. At least if the thread has the post moved it means that they can still receive the answer they're looking for.

    Going back and closing or merging all the others is pointless at this stage though
    1
    On the note of deleting accounts.

    I understand the need to pay for things. But this seems excessive. People who interact with me in here know well my opinions about this sort of thing, and I've been thinking about a post like this for years now. XDA is a very rare exception in my internet use, but eventually I'll just stay away.
  • 21
    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! :)
    13
    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
    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...
    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