Read before you post. - General Topics

Please read through the forum before you post. Your question has probably already been answered.
We now have to wade through countless threads regarding SMS phonebook lookup, where can i get radio 4.16, etc.
I appreciate those who already take a little care.

martinlong1978 said:
Please read through the forum before you post. Your question has probably already been answered.
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This is the key here. If there was an easier way to do this.
My suggestion is start up a FAQ page|post.
With common and upto date news.
Especially the following I believe:
- Latest updates, and where to find or get them (eg ROM)
- SMS problem + patch.
- Un-locking technique (or is this against the rules?)
- hardware problems screen, serial, etc..
You can't stop people posting silly questions, without having the answers easily available.
I spend a lot of time on the madonion site for 3dmark. Yes overclockers and computer destroyers! Newcomers, beginners need to be led. You cannot tell them NO. Never tell somebody no, tell them other things...
Martin
MmF

Hi
Just my 2 pennies worth of comment:
I normally would try a Search for some keywords to get all the posts recently on the topic I am interested in. The search engine is very efficient and it shows you all the posts with that keyword. It can be a little tedious some times to read thru the threads for a topic which has been heavily debated. But the search mechanism is a good point to start for someone interested to get an answer quick as one doesn't have to wait for somebody to answer you especially when the info is already available elsewhere. An FAQ would be a fabulous addition though it would be lots of extra work for the site developer.
This forum is the best support for the xda available in the whole world and we should thank all those who made it possible. As the person with probably the most silly questions it is a great site to get help and I would like to give those guys sweating behind the screen a big thank you !!!
Cheers
Vic

Will do
Sounds fair enough. Thanks for the awesome site!

Was it really necessary to revive a thread that is almost eight years old? Most forums have FAQs and other stickies to help new users find what they need.

Closed
Wasn´t really necessary that you also replied on an old thread?

Related

Need HELP! WisBar Advanced Desktop

Does anyone know how to use WisBar Advanced DEsktop? I got a little bit.. and could really use a little walk through, if you are familiar with this application, please.. IM me at Madcap180 on AIM...
I figured out how to put a dock on my main page but it stays there permanently and doesnt hide itself, and when I make a button and press it what I have to hold it down for it to show what I want it to show and it goes away as soon as I take the stylus off it.. stuff like that I need help with, I can figure the rest out.. Thanks! .. (also need to know how to program a button on my main page to like open settings, or programs or something..) thanks... any help will be greatly appreciated.
This forum is not for WAD. you need to go to
www.lakeridgesoftware.com
There is also a tutorial for WAD (which you should have gotten when you purchased it) you might find helpful. The forum at lakeridge is very helpful, please post your questions there.
Well, I figured the people here are a little smarter than the people on Lakeridge.. I've checked Lakeridge, and they all speak gibbirish... I dont understand the lingo.. but I can do the tasks if layed out in english.. catch my drift?
Have you tried reading the tutotial? Some people here are VERY smart but there is little tolerance in this site for the following:
1. Asking stupid questions
2. Posting in off-topic sections
3. Asking questions that have already been answered.
If you plan on using this forum as a resource, the general rul of thumb is to try to learn everythign you can by yourself. You can do this by:
1. Using the search function
2. The wiki (which i linked in the answer to your other post)
3. Lots and Lots of reading
If you have exhausted all of these options, then post a question. From the looks of it you have not tried any of these options.
Well, I thought I had posted the question in General.. which is .. for general stuff...
I have read the tutorial.. but they don't mention anything about the issue I am having.
I read through Lakeridge forums and posted the question.. and haven't gotten a reply.
So I figured I would ask here..
xda-developers > General discussion > General > Need HELP! WisBar Advanced Desktop
Which is the location of this post right?
I have said this before, their ought to be a forum for customisation, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of posts scattered on this website with questions like this. Many come here for support on Wisbar and other products, because there are people who take the time and trouble to make their work available for the good of the XDA-Dev community. Sure most (if not all) software houses have their own supporting forums but there have been times, not many but they have occurred where I have seen answers for specific products that I could not find on the originating companies forum, and yes I have posted the question there too.
There is a growing trend to bash noobs on this site and undermine the quality of the post (not in this case, in general). Maybe new people joining this site on signing up should be sent directly to a page informing the "noob" of the best way to navigate this site and then let them trawl XDA-Dev.
Madcap180 said:
I have read the tutorial.. but they don't mention anything about the issue I am having.
I read through Lakeridge forums and posted the question.. and haven't gotten a reply.
So I figured I would ask here..
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Forums are just that . . . forums. It's not an IM site. It might take some time to get an answer to your question. I've found the Lakeridge forums to be VERY helpful in answering any questions I've ever had. You just have to be patient and wait for an answer, instead of asking the same question in every forum there is. . .
Peezy is right. While we can help here with device issues, you need to find Wisbar help for a specific issue on the Lakeridge forums. They developed the software there and Chris is very helpful in resolving any issues that may come up.
Thnks newbie2.
@Madcap. I was going to answer your post last night, but I didnt because I was about to do some serious flaming. Now thats its a new day, here it goes. I used the search function (unbeleivable...right?) to obtain all of your recent posts. Within 2-3 hours of joining this site, you had posted 9 times, starting three seperate threads... (ALL OF WHICH WERE QUESTIONS THAT HAD NOT BEEN RESEARCHED). We have a huge problem with people googling "htc wm6" or "cingular 8525 wm6" or whatever, then they find this site, sign up, and start clutterring the forums which questions without taking time to absorb the enviornment. Lengthy threads and countless discussions have been started to discuss how to deal with this problem. So, I took it upon myself to 'politely' respond to all of the 'fisrt time posters' with some general rules of conduct regarding this site. Mainly to reduce clutter and partly to save you from getting your @ss cooked from all of the flames headed your way! So dont take it personally, but like I said again, please post questions when you have exhausted all other options.
Again.. I will say .. I posted this.. in GENERAL discussion.. because it wasn't really a TOPIC covered in any of the forums that I have looked on here. So, I apologize AGAIN to you. I am sorry if my insignificat post here has in someway effected your way of life, or your ability to successfully navigate this site. Maybe I'll post some more pathetic questions.. just to spite YOU. No, really, I wouldn't do that.. but it's tempting. Flame away, because what you say really DOES have an effect on my life... no, I mean it.. it does! ... :-\

A Newie thread request

I have noticed that this forum is beginning to look like HERMES once did. A lot of new people who just got the phone and asks a lot of questions before reading and searching for an answer.
I remember that there was a lot of badmouth in HERMES forum and some of the REAL developers went away due to all those questions asked again and again and then again.
We have all been NEW - and we are not all developers (I am not) but I love this forum and spend lots of time in here reading and becoming clever on my phone.
I am just sorry to see that things are repeated again and again.
The point is. No one has anything against any new people asking questions - BUT PLEASE use the search button first - then READ the proper THREADS, and THEN ask if INFO cannot be found.
REMEMBER - its quite possible that some have had the same problem before.
NOW: Should we have a STICKY thread for NEW guys??? MODS get on track and set some RULES please. (Lets keep it a developers forum where we new guys can become clever)
Martinhdk said:
I have noticed that this forum is beginning to look like HERMES once did. A lot of new people who just got the phone and asks a lot of questions before reading and searching for an answer.
I remember that there was a lot of badmouth in HERMES forum and some of the REAL developers went away due to all those questions asked again and again and then again.
We have all been NEW - and we are not all developers (I am not) but I love this forum and spend lots of time in here reading and becoming clever on my phone.
I am just sorry to see that things are repeated again and again.
The point is. No one has anything against any new people asking questions - BUT PLEASE use the search button first - then READ the proper THREADS, and THEN ask if INFO cannot be found.
REMEMBER - its quite possible that some have had the same problem before.
NOW: Should we have a STICKY thread for NEW guys??? MODS get on track and set some RULES please. (Lets keep it a developers forum where we new guys can become clever)
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Yes SIR Create some rules.I don't want to be a bad guy I am also not so skilled but at list I try to read .I flash for 2 years from this forum (starting with Hermes-TyTn and noe Kaiser-TyTn II) and always I find the answer in some thread on XDA.
Newbe at list think that you can easily brick your devices and forget about warranty if you don't read before.For shure you will find the answear at list 10 times .
Developers keep the good work !!!
Martinhdk said:
I have noticed that this forum is beginning to look like HERMES once did. A lot of new people who just got the phone and asks a lot of questions before reading and searching for an answer.
I remember that there was a lot of badmouth in HERMES forum and some of the REAL developers went away due to all those questions asked again and again and then again.
We have all been NEW - and we are not all developers (I am not) but I love this forum and spend lots of time in here reading and becoming clever on my phone.
I am just sorry to see that things are repeated again and again.
The point is. No one has anything against any new people asking questions - BUT PLEASE use the search button first - then READ the proper THREADS, and THEN ask if INFO cannot be found.
REMEMBER - its quite possible that some have had the same problem before.
NOW: Should we have a STICKY thread for NEW guys??? MODS get on track and set some RULES please. (Lets keep it a developers forum where we new guys can become clever)
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Not to be rude but have you searched yourself? There is already like few threads addressing this same concern. It does not matter how many threads/sections we create, n00bs will always ask the questions again.
*ggggg* ---> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=356895
If you have some ideas to add there, just PM me. ^^
In my humble opinion....
WARNING.... Long messge ahead....
Since day one of reading this and other "groups" I've thought how chaotic and difficult it is to be involved in this. Speaking from an engineering perspective, the problems discussed on this board may be difficult to solve, but once solved it shouldn't be difficult for others to find the answers. But it often is!
Yes, the repeated asking of the same question is a problem. But the suggestion in the original message thread won't solve it. Yes, people (and not just newies) will continue to repeat the already answered questions.
So let's take the original question (with a little editorial license)
How to make it easy to find answers to problems/questions after the discussion is over?
And how about this one to make it easy for the developers as well.
How to make it easy to get the latest information on custom cooked ROMs and other software such as features, bugs, etc.?
Here's my take on getting to the answer...
1) What are the root causes of the problem?
2) How to solve each one of them direcrly?
3) What's reasonable to get the results you want?
---------------- My thoughts on question 1 ------------------
If I may take a stab at it at a high level...
1) What are the root causes of the problem?
a) Infrastructure - Simplistic and fairly free form tool
b) Mechanisims - almost none, system depends solely on humans following guidelines, monitoring and enforcing guidelines
c) Guidelines - minimum, focused on relavance and "goodwill"
------------------ My thoughts on question 2 ----------------------
2) How to solve each one of them direcrly? (using different examples)
a) Problem: How to make it easy to find answers to problems/questions after the discussion is over?
- Have an infrastructure that supports.....
Question/Problem description:
Discussion:
Answer/Solution:
..... As opposed to what's here now
Question/Problem/Discussion/Answer/Solution in one big thread
b) Problem: How to make it easy to get the latest information on custom cooked ROMs and other software such as features, bugs, etc.?
- Have mechanisms to support versioning, bug tracking, documentation, etc....
Release [naming conventions, date, etc]
Features
Docs
Support [same infrastructure as 2a above]
Bug Tracking
..... As opposed to what's here now
Release announcement/Question/Problem/Discussion/Answer/Solution in one big thread.
c) Guidlines is a tough one because once you get past the "goodwill" stuff you have to find balance between being too rigid and too loose while maximizing effectiveness. A steering group is often used to do this sort of thing. It could be comprised of different interests to help ensure a better outcome.
In the end, I think the solution is either - deal with it the way it is, or make it a forum-wide issue to address.
Well, a solution, like you describe it, could be a hierarchical step by step information system... but... Who'd be able to administrate this? I can't even follow all threads in the Kaiser forum, although i am reading hours every day.
The problem are those, who cannot/don't want to use the search function. But this problem exists everywhere...
And that takes me back to a NUMERO UNO thread about search, rules and so on where a general code of conduct could be present...
Perhaps the real problem is - that we dont write enough info in the WIKI....
Another suggestion: At 4winmobile there was some threads reserved for stuff related to specific subjects (testing and so) and threads reserved for questions and "thank you" stuff.. Perhaps we should make a new SUB FORUM under KAISER related to questions that are NOT related to developement / testing and stuff like that.
Could be KAISER QUESTIONS where every question/discussion is accepted.
In that way we could open the door for all questions and more without any getting irritated with the number of repeated questions.
??
With all do respect (sincerely) it is easy to dismiss, but I think it is still worth discussing/considering.
bmueller77 said:
but... Who'd be able to administrate this? I can't even follow all threads in the Kaiser forum, although i am reading hours every day....
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The answer to your question (at least in my opinion) is if someone (question originator) asks a question and an answer is provided or problem solved, they (question originator) should properly document it per the infrastructure and guidelines provided.
Even with the current freeform system this is doable.
bmueller77 said:
...The problem are those, who cannot/don't want to use the search function.....
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While there is no doubt this happens, I believe it happens much less than commonly thought. Dredging through threads, search after search for someone new is challenging when they often have a hard time forming the question properly, let alone piecing the various technospeak notes.
tomsenna said:
With all do respect (sincerely) it is easy to dismiss, but I think it is still worth discussing/considering.
The answer to your question (at least in my opinion) is if someone (question originator) asks a question and an answer is provided or problem solved, they (question originator) should properly document it per the infrastructure and guidelines provided.
Even with the current freeform system this is doable.
While there is no doubt this happens, I believe it happens much less than commonly thought. Dredging through threads, search after search for someone new is challenging when they often have a hard time forming the question properly, let alone piecing the various technospeak notes.
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Most do not READ or SEARCH... it is becoming a mojor problem... the same posts over adn over... and then the n00ns ge upset when the people helping them point the to a place to read thier answer rather just handing them the answer straight up.... getting help by asking a question is great but save the rest of us from answering the sames questions over and over when there are stickys and WIKIS to help them..... I don't know alot about this but I search and search and when I can answer questions for people.. most of which I do not know the answer to the question but I can search and find it in about 10 seconds........
Just my 2 cents
This is my first post; I could be considered a super newbie.
I just ordered the Tilt and can hardly wait, I am preparing a folder with all the stuff I need to do including Dutty's V4.
The problem with searching for a noob is, you don't know exactly what to search for. This forum is very overwhelming at first with all the different version talk, different lingo, problems, etc. I almost gave up and said screw changing it, I have spent hours upon hours reading here the last few days and I am starting to get it figured out. The problem is it is a little dis-organized, and what would seem to be the most basic and obvious question to you is a stumper to some one like me (it is actually harder to find basic answers then it is to find more technical ones because no one wants to answered the basic ones, thinking that answered is too obvious).
A Newb Board would be perfect, with a few stickies (not the nine million that the other threads have) with the most basic FAQ and guides. From there you can link to the other FAQ or threads.
Questions that I had at first (I ordered a Tilt so they are all based on that):
1) Why do some ROM's have a AT&T Tilt Version, and are these the only ones that will work on my Tilt?-----The Tilt version of ROM's tend to include all of the "bloat" ware that came from AT&T (software trials, etc.).
-----No, you do not have to have a "Tilt" ROM
2) What is the AT&T Tilt missing that other verisons of the "Kaiser" have.
-----AT&T Strips out neat features that come stock on the phone like TouchFlo (an almost iPhone like interface for media) and also includes lots of memory hogging un-needed programs
3)Which ROM should I get?
-----Simply put there is no way to keep this up-to-date enough to answere this question. ROM's are constantly comming out and being updated.
-----Your best bet would be to stick to the most popular ROM's, Dutty's seams to have the most support. You can also look at peoples signatures.
Resources:
--Must Haves:
-----Hard SPL
-----Tilt Keyboard Fix
--Usefull Links (also check stickies)
-----XDA Wiki
-----ROM Flashing FAQ
-----Revert back to Original ROM
-----CHECK THE STICKIES!
If a Newb Board is made I would be more then happy to help create FAQ's/Stickies.
EDIT: I would like to add that the stickies are crazy, way to many replies, what would be good, and an easy solution, would be to split the sticky topics so that the Sticky only has posts from the original auther, he/she can update that sticky with new fixes/updates, and the sticky could contain a link to the discussion thread, that way the sticky stays clean, and every thing can be discussed in a non sticky thread.
Long hours of reading same question over and over again
This is my first post and this is why:
I joined the forum quite a while ago just so I could download the sim unlock for my wizard. I read everything I could find because if it bricked my phone - I knew it would be my fault. I did not have to ask any questions and the unlock process was successful. (it wasn't an easy process for a first timer)
I have been away from the forum for a while, until I got my tilt back in October. I have been hooked ever since. Before I download and install a ROM, I read. When I have issues with a ROM, I read. By the time I am done with the reading, there is nothing for me to ask. I still don't know how the cooks do it, but when I'm ready to find out - I'll read.
The repeated questions have really gotten monotonous. I will get 50 pages into a thread and find myself skimming through because I already know what is going to be asked next.
Warning.... here I go again... ignore at will
Alaskan_awd said:
This forum is very overwhelming at first with all the different version talk, different lingo, problems, etc. I almost gave up and said screw changing it, I have spent hours upon hours reading here the last few days and I am starting to get it figured out. The problem is it is a little dis-organized, and what would seem to be the most basic and obvious question to you is a stumper to some one like me (it is actually harder to find basic answers then it is to find more technical ones because no one wants to answered the basic ones, thinking that answered is too obvious).
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Exactly, couldn't agree more. If this didn't strike an emotional cord with people, I think the answer would be... yes there are people who don't do thier homework first, but there are at least as many who do. So let's focus on the ones that do and perhaps it will give fewer excuses for those who don't.
Having a so called "newbie" area.... sorry that I'm a doubting Thomas, but what would be the change? Okay, let's say it exists. First good thing, get the newbs out of your hair. Now they have a sandbox to play in. Are the information, conversations and all else different? Same structure, just a different sandbox. What happens when they play in your sandbox when they can't find what they are looking for in thier's? I can hear it already (no one in particular of course, but the flames do happen already). After a while, who's playing in the newb sandbox? Some of those with the expertise may conclude "all the newb questions have been answered" and tend not to visit the newb sandbox. And look out... less help... here come the newbs trickling in for help again.
Okay, enough of my drama. My point is, without fixing the real problem you're just fooling yourself (IMHO). Why is it always necessary to to things over and over again rather than do it correctly the first time?
This happens in software and hardware development everyday. There's a difference between managing constraints and good enough. I suppose it happens in every industry doesn't it? I guess it's a human thing
navyguy said:
The repeated questions have really gotten monotonous. I will get 50 pages into a thread and find myself skimming through because I already know what is going to be asked next.
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Couldn't agree more! And the skimming (which is normal) happens when there is no perceived value or frustration or whatever. Then you could miss a minute detail if you were looking for an answer. This happened in the last few days to someone who read and read and read. He asked a question after doing so, was told to go back an read and he did. After a couple of time it was discovered he missed one simple thing.... "cd to the directory". how many messages later burried in a bunch of other conversations were there? Only the next person who has the same problem and dredges through it will know for sure. Just one of many example out there..... and the beat goes on.

New Sub-forum Idea!?!?!

I've been seeing a lot of hostility & berating in the Kaiser forum lately. A lot of it stems from noobies with posts about things that have already been resolved, or about fearfully wanting to flash a new ROM.
A lot of the people with the really advanced CE knowledge are always busy & subtracting from their time affects all of us because they have less time to innovate & create.
I was thinking what if we created a new Sub-forum for Noobies with issues or with a desire to flash, but not the knowledge. We could have a few people there as Mods or some sort of assistant mod as a clearing house for the noobies that are coming everyday.
This could be a introduction to XDA & a way for the Noobie to learn good community principles & basic beginer knowledge. Learn how to post, search & where & how to find the information they need. A way to break them in, with a few patient people helping & guiding them.
If there were more serious issues you would then only have one or two persons bugging everyone else, (& the gods like Oli, Jocky, Dutty, Chainfire, & all the others I'm forgeting) instead of every noobie with the same question every day.
I am up for doing something like this, I've learned a lot here, & I'm sure one or two others would also be willing to give some of their time to make this place better.
With the tools available through IM & File Sharing thru MSN Messenger, I think we could cut the number of duplicate posts, & flame responses in half easily making it easier for everyone to find the information they need.
What do you think?
1. Is a noobie flashing & problem sub-forum a good idea?
2. Are you willing to help out & give back?
Yes and Yes
Every forum goes through this crap whenever a new flashing starts. Just realise that you were a noob once and get over it.
Just ignore noob posts if you don't want to help them.
That won't fix the problem. Why? The n00bs that post repeatedly answered questions don't read...and if they don't read then they'll post in the wrong forum because they "didn't know any better"...
This comes back to the same thing I've said all along...you can't fix stupid. Yes, we were all n00bs at one point. In many ways we will always be n00bs because tech changes so fast. But the majority of us take the time to read and research a bit to make sure the question hasn't been asked or to make sure we have all the information we need before embarking on the addictive ride of ROM Flashing. The ones that aren't willing to do that will most likely not bother asking questions in the n00b forum...they'll just post away in the Upgrading forum without a care in the world.
I understand the frustration with seeing so many of us lose it and unleash the fury of a thousand flames upon the unsuspecting n00b...and I apologize for my part in that...sorta...because I think they do deserve to have their brains bashed in by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick for not reading...
Agree with jarek91, can't fix stupid, just have to hope that they evolve quick enough to not be a consistent nuisance or hope they end up on the darwin awards email.
well, if we keep ignoring, soon, we'll get tire and stop coming here because the forum is flooded w/ noob questions (those questions have been answered numerous of time). They start the question with "I've searched, but could NOT find anything" eventhough the answer is in the stickies just above their questions.
BTW, before you criticize me, GSLEON3, or anyone for supporting the new sub forum for newbie, remember that, this forums is xda-developers, we develop and share knowledge. We welcome noob, but dont want to spend too much time with noob questions (most of the time I ignore )
xultar said:
Every forum goes through this crap whenever a new flashing starts. Just realise that you were a noob once and get over it.
Just ignore noob posts if you don't want to help them.
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Click to collapse
I DO REALIZE THAT! I'm talking about centralizing it & am willing to help. I don't think that this is part of "Every Forum", this is the Kaiser Forum & includes the best & brightest from XDA. So why not make it a different forum, set it apart from the others & make it a better community through helping others. I think this would not only help the noobie, but everyone as a whole would benefit because the upgrading forum would be less cluttered making the search function actually usable to the new guy that doesn't undestand how to narrow his searches.
I understand about not reading, but they'd learn quickly if they see they only get answers if they go to the big bold "NOOBIES START HERE" forum. Especially if there's a sticky that says "Your post WILL be DELETED unless".
GSLEON3 said:
I understand about not reading, but they'd learn quickly if they see they only get answers if they go to the big bold "NOOBIES START HERE" forum. Especially if there's a sticky that says "Your post WILL be DELETED unless".
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There was a stickie?
Which is exactly how that would be met. (So I'm a pessimist...)
We've all asked "n00b" questions, and we should be allowed to do so. If you make a forum called "n00b questions" the same people who don't read the stickies will STILL post in the main forum, and say they didn't see the "n00b questions" forum.
It's unavoidable, and the best thing we can do is help the people who ask these questions by telling them to search, but also providing them the answer, so that they learn and get their answer.
met3ora said:
We've all asked "n00b" questions, and we should be allowed to do so. If you make a forum called "n00b questions" the same people who don't read the stickies will STILL post in the main forum, and say they didn't see the "n00b questions" forum.
It's unavoidable, and the best thing we can do is help the people who ask these questions by telling them to search, but also providing them the answer, so that they learn and get their answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Maybe this is material for a new thread, but...
I think we should use a new wiki.
1. The wiki software used here is pretty bad.
2. The wiki here takes up bandwidth.
Using something like wetpaint.com (there are many others) provides a place that's different from here, using someone else's bandwidth.
Also, they have easier-to-edit wiki's. I think the more attractive, organized, and navigable the wiki is, the less newbie problems we'll have.
nevermind...
I think the subforum sounds like an excellent idea. I'm not nearly an expert but have done some flashing and so on and would gladly help out if I have the time. Only problem as I can see is that it will be hard to draw the line between the "noob forum" and the regular one.
i am trying for ten minutes to put my thoughts into words...English is not my native language. i hope i am gonna be able to make myself understood...
here is how to do it:
1. create something like a gate or tunnel where newbies have to go through. some thing, where they cant right away post something. they can read.
and if they want to post a tread, they have to go through some kind of selection menu or so. just like on ebay when you want to sell something.
so lets say someone wants to post a tread, there is a selection of main toppings they have to go through. and so on. till they get automatically redirected to the answer of what they were going to ask in the first place...
they are forced to go through some kind of multiple choice thing...
2. i think its super annoying when someone like dutty brings out a new ROM and you want to read through it, to find out what might be wrong with it, just to read a million people saying: cool man, thanks dude blablabla.
don't get me wrong. i love his ROMs. but i should sent him a pm or create a poll thing so people vote on how much they like it. his treads reach easily 2000 replies. 1900 are thank you notes...
thanks dutty,
georgios
I agree. The same people not searching the forums, nor reading stickies, the Wiki, or any FAQ's will post in the regular forums anyway. I think when you get some of these people new to the forum there is so much information they get overwhelmed and just ask in the first place they find.
In another forum I'm a member of we have people asking Verizon questions in the AT&T forum, people asking about CDMA phones in the GSM forum, and such. We really divided it up... there are separate forums for each carrier, and forums for each of the major device manufacturers, then there's the Motorola forum with the Razr subfourm, and then there's the CDMA models and GSM model subforums under that. The vague questions still come... "I want to hack my phone, how do I do that???" When you finally get them to reply back with the model and carrier they have they have almost always posted in the wrong forum.
I guess what I'm saying is that it sounds like a good idea, but the problem will still be there, and seem even worse, because those that post first and read the FAQ's later (If at all) will be posting in the main forum anyway.
-Jay
I am a brand new guy to the board and have only had my Tilt little over a week and have really enjoyed testing and learning all this stuff that a ton of you guys have already mastered. I like the idea of giving us new guys a area where we can try and hash things out ourselves. When you are new you don't mind if guys ask the same questions you just ask 10 mins ago, but I know that must be a pain in the butt to some of the more skilled and seasoned guys around here. I believe if you just leave us on our own where we can go back and read what you guys have already posted for us and then come back and ask questions that we might still have between ourselves then we will figure it out soon enough and lets face it, that is how we all learn. Just my 2 cents, but please make sure you pros do stop by and check on us ever so often so we don't blow up the mobile phone world.
Thanks,
JMan
I like the sub-forum idea. Just to point out, Modaco does something like this... they have a beginner forum. Not that xda has to be like Modaco, but there is a precedent for this...
Absolute Beginners
New to Windows Mobile? New to MoDaCo? Lost and don't know where to start? Post in here and a member of our team will point you in the right direction, and move your post to the appropriate area!
http://www.modaco.com/forum.html
You could make people who like to direct and assist others as the moderators of this forum to act as traffic cops... so to speak. This will leave the cooks to focus on doing great ROMs.
I have a question for a Mod or Admin if they read this... maybe the search problem is a admin setting problem. Can someone verify that vBulletin Search to FULLTEXT inside the admincp of vBulletin?
There are also ways to embed google search into the forum:
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=171042
why not create a new one?
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
I think a noobie forum is a good idea. I too have seen alot of hostility towards "stupid" or repeat questions. While I am not exactly a noobie, I still have a dumb question every now and then, that's just the way it goes when one is learning I guess. I often can't find things when I search, when you are very new this is especially hard, because sometimes you don't even know what to search for.
I have received excellent help here from many kind people, and just don't know what I would have done without this forum. But even I, who am not a COMPLETE noobie, got made fun of the other day by a poster, because after reading something several times, I missed something on a page. The poster not only posted twice to point out my stupidity, but even took the time and energy to create a photoshop graphic to show what an idiot I was for missing the information. I thought it was sad that attitude was taken. I ALWAYS go out of my way to help others, with what limited knowledge I have. I often receive PMs of can you help me..., and I try my best to explain things as clearly as I can.
I totally understand that there are many here, who are way too advanced for questions like "how do I make my today look like yours?" And I would never expect them to spend time answering, when there time would be much better spent on more advanced things (and I'm not being sarcastic at all, I really do completely understand more advanced members should spend their time on more advanced things). There are some of us here with some knowledge able to help those with simple questions, so I'd say maybe people who are bothered by others posts, could just ignore the dumb questions. LOL, I've never even flashed a ROM (too chicken and broke to void my warranty), but I sure can put together a great looking and functioning Today screen. An I surely know how to install every tweak and cab to make my phone function as efficiently as possible. And, I will be more than happy to answer questions of that caliber
Maybe a noobie forum could cut down on some of the hostility, and we could help out beginners. I for one would be more than willing to answer any questions that I am capable of answering, and leave those who are more knowledgeable to deal with the hard stuff

Can we have a Glossary page at WIKI

Hi Moderators and Senior Memers and all the lovely people of this forum,
I wish if we can have a glossary page at the Wiki for all the new ppl which can have some commonly used terms or Words defined. like OEM, PIE and others..
Though I am quite old to this forum now, but still i find it difficult many times to decipher a particular term used in the forum by Senior people who at times used very technical term.
if we have a glossary, we can avioid new bees posting same old queries again and again..also this way we can aware ppl here about the product they are using.
please respond to this thread, and tell me if i am asking something extra or if we have a glossary page already, Can someone please send me a link.. i will like that to be a bookmarked page.
Many thanks
Loku
I will go ahead and write one up over the next few days and post it. Hopefully it can be sticked and then merged into the Wiki. Perhaps you can post any questions you have to this thread so they can be answered and included.
Thanks for your input.
Thanks much h4waii,
i specifically interested in understanding the USPL and Kitchen terminologies... though i have flashed my VOX with all the Dr. Gonzo's Rom and all versions of NEO by secable. but i really don't understand those pure technical words you ppl use... Its more like Follow the instruction like bible
Thanks again for finding my post a worth
take care
Loku
Wiki has been slightly updated. Please write any and all questions you have about SPL, kitchen, flashing, ROM/RADIO questions you might have. Aboslutely anything, if you thought of them - other people might have and it can be a great help to them. So don't hold back, ask all the 'silly questions' you can think of!
Nice idea...
don't know if it already exists but also including a F.A.Q wuold not be so bad...including the most usual questions like:
Q:"I was trying to flash the XXX rom and i got Image corruption or whatever is..."
A: Have you flashed your SPL.....?
P:S Maybe we would never say RTFM..but we could say RTW( Read The Wiki) LoL...
@h4waii:
Just for the future, when you add a page to the wiki and want to link to it you don't need the full link, just [Glossary|vox_glossary]! Looks better and is easier. OK now start asking questions (never thought I would ever write this)!
Thanks much members..Give me time this coming sunday.. i'll have my list prepare.
Just to share my VOX would have been just abother phone of mine, had i not discovered this forum. It made me love my phone just too much
thanks all
loku
@frauhottelmann:
Ah, thanks and thank you for changing it.
Once a good amount of questions are put and answered, I will contact a moderator to have the title adjusted and stickied.
@lokeshmudgal:
We await your questions to fill you with knowledge! Teehee.

[Q] Threads that get too LARGE

I understan the futility of the following thought, but here it goes. Is it possible to some how consolidate threads wheather by removing old content and just keep the Q and the answer replys short. I try to follow the rules and read alot. When a thread covers a developers various ROMs it can be hard to find what info you need about something specific. who wants or hase the time for a 600 page thread. alot of times you have several responses to a Q that is not an answer of any help but just a rant or silly comment. I know right now the MODS are all saying yea right moron. LOL I know your time is valuable too and this would take some time.
superman2112ms said:
I understan the futility of the following thought, but here it goes. Is it possible to some how consolidate threads wheather by removing old content and just keep the Q and the answer replys short. I try to follow the rules and read alot. When a thread covers a developers various ROMs it can be hard to find what info you need about something specific. who wants or hase the time for a 600 page thread. alot of times you have several responses to a Q that is not an answer of any help but just a rant or silly comment. I know right now the MODS are all saying yea right moron. LOL I know your time is valuable too and this would take some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what your trying to say. I like it the way it is. To the person that knows how to properly search, it doesn't really take that much extra time to weed through everything. In fact that is how I learned so much about android to quickly! I would search for one thing and ended up learning 5 other things while getting my answer. Yes there is a lot of non rom stuff (I'm guilty of it too), but there is a wealth of information in these treads...even mixed in with the BS.
I got your 10 char right here
Rocking bacon...ics style
superman2112ms said:
I understan the futility of the following thought, but here it goes. Is it possible to some how consolidate threads wheather by removing old content and just keep the Q and the answer replys short. I try to follow the rules and read alot. When a thread covers a developers various ROMs it can be hard to find what info you need about something specific. who wants or hase the time for a 600 page thread. alot of times you have several responses to a Q that is not an answer of any help but just a rant or silly comment. I know right now the MODS are all saying yea right moron. LOL I know your time is valuable too and this would take some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree 100% here man, it is very overwhelming when you get to a new development thread and you see there are 600+ pages. But like CW said, searching is an art and is only perfected through doing it a lot. Lucky for us you can search within the thread for specific answers or topics. I think the toughest thing about cutting down the slack, especially with ROM threads, is because there are sooo many new releases of specific ROM, you see a lot of different bugs and questions which add up. Top that off with all the new ICS and base changes and you get yourself a whole mess of comments and requests and questions and answers. It's just inevitable that there will be a lot of pages. It would take a numerous mods to keep things so clean. One can dream though
This thread is pointless
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
Can't wait until this thread gets really long and impossible to read!
kimtyson said:
Can't wait until this thread gets really long and impossible to read!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO
kimtyson said:
Can't wait until this thread gets really long and impossible to read!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't happen. Lol.
To be honest if people did more searching and less posting then they would get as long. Mods already spends hours everyday cleaning up spam and pointless posts and this is all before we can do anything with our own devices. With over 4 million users and alot of them new it is almost not a possibility. We are working on ways to help with this though.
Thread closed

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