Why is XDA so unfriendly for new users? - General Questions and Answers

Hi,
I am a dev for Advent Vega and want to post my ROM but because xda is so unfriendly, I have to spam (great I thought this method was to counter this)! Also I have to wait 5 minutes between every post.
Why did you make xda such an unfriendly place?
Areo

There are much Users who just can Spam and think they are Devs because the successfully flashed a Rom or rooted something..
If you are a Dev, follow this link http://www.xda-developers.com/recognized-developer-program/

xda
They're trying to push new users away from posting pointless garb on their forums.

it's a community, not tech support
I think they do it to discourage users that treat the forum as free tech support, rather than a community focused on a common interest.
Obviously that doesn't describe you, but you do benefit from participating in a forum that limits 'how do I ..' and 'help me' type posts and discourages dependence on it's members.
A lot of people want to be held by the hand through every step of a process or problem. That attitude, though perfectly understandable, drains the time and/or patience of everybody around them, resources that are better spent on solving issues that haven't been addressed on numerous other sites.

There is this thing called the general section and noobs can post there
They don't want noobs getting in the way of development
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda premium

As a part time dev myself, I can perfectly understand where they're coming from here. It's easy for a person to assume that somebody is happy to walk them through installing something, but when there's hundreds of people like that a day, and all of them are asking questions that have answers in very easy to find places, it becomes very pissing off.

Areo21 said:
Still spamming sorry!!!!
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why dont you just help 10 ppl instead of spamming thats what xda is about helping others sharing your knowledge

I was also uneasy about the 10 post thing, but I definitely understand why you have to actually prove that you want be on the forums instead of being like I CANT ROOT MI PHONE HELP ME PLZ!!!!!!

Related

Captivte variants.

Is there a single place to go to read about the differences between the Captivate phones (i.e. i9000, armani, us version, european version, etc). It is all very confusing at times.
gsmarena.com and phonearena.com are the two sites I use, but you'll need to know their localized carrier names (e.g. captivate, vibrant, etc) or model #s (i897, i9000).
Have looked at the wiki? Obviously not. Thanks for posting in q&a.
http://pdadb.net/ is probably my fav...
The Wiki that others have suggested is located here. Try to ignore those members who want to be assholes to people trying to learn. In the future, please post any questions you have in in the Q&A section.
Red_81 said:
The Wiki that others have suggested is located here. Try to ignore those members who want to be assholes to people trying to learn. In the future, please post any questions you have in in the Q&A section.
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The real problem is people like you coddling these guys and thinking that we're a holes for pointing out the obvious. All you are doing is spoon feeding the weak and not letting any of em learn from their mistake. You swoop in any time somebody points out a noob mistake and unhook you're bra for the suckling. Well it needs to stop.
I had a witty reply all typed up and then I realized I just don't give a ****. I've got better things to do. Give those newbs hell. Maybe then they'll run to pay $5 for support to a guy who just plagiarizes from XDA anyway.
From the Forum Rules:
2.3 Flaming: XDA was founded as a group of people sharing information about certain mobile phones. Sharing does not involve virtual yelling (flaming) it does involve working together to solve problems in an environment of mutual respect and understanding. Losing your temper and flaming another member, or group of members, is not acceptable behavior.
2.5 New Members: Treat new members the way you would have liked to have been treated when you were a new member. Provide the new members with guidance, advice and instruction always with respect and courtesy.
2.6 All members are expected to read and adhere to the XDA rules.
10. Help others if you can.
If you see posts from others where you can help out, please do. This place exists because people are helping each other, and even if you are relatively new to the matter, there's probably already quite a few people newer than you that would benefit from what you've learned. Don't be shy.
Thanks for everyones help.
http://www.youtube.com/user/xdadevelopers?feature=chclk
this is what they are going to to make the new people watch once becoming a member. and the simple answer is that you only have to be worried about the captivate if your on this form untill you get enough experience to start porting things yourself. The captivate is models i896 and i897 and they have interchangeable roms.
I agree to red81, if u dont like the post/topic, just ignore it and let the other members who wants to respond and help the newbis, imo..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
lyrad12 said:
I agree to red81, if u dont like the post/topic, just ignore it and let the other members who wants to respond and help the newbis, imo..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Watch the video above. I don't think the official xda opinion is that of let happen what may happen.
Thanks for being courteous.
Taz, don't take it personal...this is a great site to ask info and many, many people will be more than happy to help you out...noob or veteran.
Others are just cranky.

More Understanding of newcomers.

More and more i see in the forums newcomers asking for legitimate advice and guidance, and some even preface there lack of english, and yet i see other relative newcomers flame them, and sometimes even members/senior members also join the band wagon.
Some moderators have no qualms in flaming also... you know who you are.
Sure, there are those newcomers that have nothing better to do than start a thread for the enjoyment of pissing people off...I am confident the Mods will nuke them quickly.
I joined the site for the camaraderie and knowledge that is brought to the table.
Friendly banter is healthy , but abusive and racist comments should stop.
My 2 cents worth here, Don't respond to flamers as they want to bask in their glory and if we bite back we are no better than them.
I want my forums back to how they used to be. friendly, helpful, humourous.
The only way to get the respect we deserve is to lead by example.
Gets off my soapbox.
Waits to be flamed for this post...lol
+ 1
Your post should be stickied and copied to all the forums.
Thanks for your two cents.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App.
I agree with you, but on the other hand teasing noobs is healthy for them. It's like in highschool, freshmans get teased, and it toughens them up.
A lot of new users seemingly post threads without doing any searching or reading any stickies. Making them aware of these options bluntly is good imo and saves the forum of clutter.
I haven't seen much noob bashing on here though, correct me if I'm wrong.
You are right. New phone, new rooting method, threads that aren't 100 pages long, plus we are all to some degree noobs here has made an exemplary forum.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
I can't stand it when people jump all over noobs. All the time I see people getting their heads bitten off & actually being called names by senior members just for asking simple questions. It's positively shameful & it needs to stop. If they're asking stupid questions or being rude, yeah I can understand some backlash for that but sometimes it seems like the senior members just wanna chase off new people. XDA is supposed to be a community of smart people with an interest in phone modding but sometimes we act like an 8th grade class.
We were all noobs once & we need to remember that before we scream at someone for asking a question that- *GASP*- may have been answered before. A gentle reminder to search will suffice, no need to rip them a new one. And we also need to consider that not everyone knows exactly what terms to search for & that search is down for maintenance half the time to begin with.
moh0 said:
I agree with you, but on the other hand teasing noobs is healthy for them. It's like in highschool, freshmans get teased, and it toughens them up.
A lot of new users seemingly post threads without doing any searching or reading any stickies. Making them aware of these options bluntly is good imo and saves the forum of clutter.
I haven't seen much noob bashing on here though, correct me if I'm wrong.
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The search function as on any forum is not infallible and the way some new posters are treated is less than great, people don't come on here to be toughened up but to gain knowledge.
Well said OP! Most of the XDA gang usually helps one another...
APPLAUSE ...APPLAUSE
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Super Chimp said:
The search function as on any forum is not infallible and the way some new posters are treated is less than great, people don't come on here to be toughened up but to gain knowledge.
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XDA is more a community than a school. In order to be a functioning part of a community, you must go through the motions of becoming a valuable member. I'm not condoning the bashing of noobs. But if new users constantly ask silly questions, something has to be said about it.

Flaming for questions?

Why is it that people that have been part of the community for a while are such dicks? I don't understand why people are so inconsiderate when someone new asks a question. I understand there is a Q/A section and that people should read but when someone asks a "nebbish" question is a thread that it is OBVIOUSLY pertaining to people jump right on top of them and say stuff like "read it dumbass" or "google it". In the time that it takes to make such an a$$whole remark you could be a nice individual and help the person out. I understand it probably gets frustrating when people ask the same questions over and over but grow up. If your going to be part of a "hacking" community new people are going to come into the game and ask the tried and true questions. I for one asked plenty of question when I first started modding my phones and came across plenty of jerkoffs with snide remarks. It's very frustrating when you're getting used to a new system and have to spends hours and hours reading to try and find 1 answer to a simple question instead of being able to just ask. This is a community which by definition is a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership, and we should act like it. Help your fellow modders don't curb stomp their new excitement of having a new nifty phone.
I do agree that people are much, MUCH harsher on people than they should be, but I also believe that there is an etiquette for posting. In my book, if someone labels a thread as [Q] in general, no big deal. I don't give a crap what section it's in, just so it has some kind of order to it. Threads titled DEEZ NUTZ MAH PHONE IZ BROKE usually are begging to be flamed.
And on that note, I will simply say this:
treat others politely, and they will do the same. Unless they are doushecanoes. In which case you probably wouldn't want their advice anyway.
/rant
I'll offer my 2 cents on this topic. What I'd like to know is what are the repercussions of having numerous thrends of the same or similar topic, will the forum lag, will our cool phones spontaneously combust right before our very eyes, ill say non of the above. So who really gives a [email protected]$ if we have repeat topics...instead of replying "Google it or use the search option" (which sucks by the way) all you have to do is NOTHING, just use the back button on your phone and release yourself from the topic.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
It isn't just forum etiquette. In a forum as large and widely used as XDA, not following the rules severely inhibits the functionality of the site. Creating a new thread on an existing topic doesn't just create a duplicate search result; it splinters the conversation, making it harder for those very newbies - or even more advanced users - find the information they need. XDA Developers is a resource not just for new users who want to know how the change the background on their phone, but for advanced developers and everyone in between.
If I have an issue with a specific application, and I search for that application, but there are 20, 50, or 100+ threads, the amount of information I have to wade through to find the answers I'm looking for increases almost exponentially, since the same questions will undoubtedly be repeated in each and every thread. On top of that, the likelihood that a user (new or otherwise) will miss the one nugget they are looking for increases even more significantly.
Some of the harshness is indeed childish, but XDA isn't your personal butler or tech support for your new device. It is an online forum that needs people to follow the rules to continue to be as useful as we have all known it to be. Otherwise, it's usefulness will degrade to the point of uselessness, and those flamers don't want to see that happen.
I can't figure it out myself.
Sent from my SGS II
I think the only reason why a lot of people are like that is because most of this stuff can be learned without asking any questions at all. Of course, there will be times when someone has a weird question and it has to be asked but if everyone would just review the rules and follow them there wouldn't be any problems.
beatblaster said:
I think the only reason why a lot of people are like that is because most of this stuff can be learned without asking any questions at all. Of course, there will be times when someone has a weird question and it has to be asked but if everyone would just review the rules and follow them there wouldn't be any problems.
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I agree, I had my phone running Infused GB before I ever even posted on the forum. I simply researched my questions and made sure I knew exactly how to do what I wanted to before I changed anything on my phone. Some people are just lazy...95% percent of the time, the question has been answered.
Focustom said:
Why is it that people that have been part of the community for a while are such dicks? I don't understand why people are so inconsiderate when someone new asks a question. I understand there is a Q/A section and that people should read but when someone asks a "nebbish" question is a thread that it is OBVIOUSLY pertaining to people jump right on top of them and say stuff like "read it dumbass" or "google it". In the time that it takes to make such an a$$whole remark you could be a nice individual and help the person out. I understand it probably gets frustrating when people ask the same questions over and over but grow up. If your going to be part of a "hacking" community new people are going to come into the game and ask the tried and true questions. I for one asked plenty of question when I first started modding my phones and came across plenty of jerkoffs with snide remarks. It's very frustrating when you're getting used to a new system and have to spends hours and hours reading to try and find 1 answer to a simple question instead of being able to just ask. This is a community which by definition is a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership, and we should act like it. Help your fellow modders don't curb stomp their new excitement of having a new nifty phone.
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I believe the scientific term is called NERD RAGE. But while it is excessive, it's to prove a point. An organized forum is a happy forum.
Yeah but organization and common courtesy can coexist. Help each other instead of cutting each down. I understand the forum becomes a cluster fack when people post a crap load of stuff about the same topic
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Is there a way to adjust the search function to search the infuse forum rather than the entire forum (all devices) because that's the problem, I for one have tried countless times to search for something that I've read when the thrend was new but the search gives me topics from every device, and most of the time the search doesnt even locate what I'm looking for. So either look thru 100's of pages while guessing if the thrend was made in general or Q&A or post a new topic. I feel advanced search options would greatly reduce the repeat topic issue.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
SolusCado said:
It isn't just forum etiquette. In a forum as large and widely used as XDA, not following the rules severely inhibits the functionality of the site. Creating a new thread on an existing topic doesn't just create a duplicate search result; it splinters the conversation, making it harder for those very newbies - or even more advanced users - find the information they need. XDA Developers is a resource not just for new users who want to know how the change the background on their phone, but for advanced developers and everyone in between.
If I have an issue with a specific application, and I search for that application, but there are 20, 50, or 100+ threads, the amount of information I have to wade through to find the answers I'm looking for increases almost exponentially, since the same questions will undoubtedly be repeated in each and every thread. On top of that, the likelihood that a user (new or otherwise) will miss the one nugget they are looking for increases even more significantly.
Some of the harshness is indeed childish, but XDA isn't your personal butler or tech support for your new device. It is an online forum that needs people to follow the rules to continue to be as useful as we have all known it to be. Otherwise, it's usefulness will degrade to the point of uselessness, and those flamers don't want to see that happen.
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Have you seen how many posts are in some of these threads. We have threads in here that have over 1000 posts in them with prob 20% tell people to read the whole tread. I might be easier on the folks if the devs would start a new thread with a new version of their ROM or Kernel. I know most of the Dev in the captivate forum used to do that when I was on a cappy.
Just my two cents.
Erik
nash2000 said:
Is there a way to adjust the search function to search the infuse forum rather than the entire forum
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YES!!! Near the top of a sub fourm, such as the infuse section, there is a SEARCH THIS FOURM link. You can even, from there, do an advanced search and really customize/narrow down your search results! Also within a thread at the top there is a SEARCH THIS THREAD link, which helps in those 100+ page threads.
As to why people jump all over "stupid" questions... IDk possibly mother issues???
shiftylock said:
...
treat others politely, and they will do the same. Unless they are doushecanoes.
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This pretty much summed up the thread for me.
Tomdg07 said:
YES!!! Near the top of a sub fourm, such as the infuse section, there is a SEARCH THIS FOURM link. You can even, from there, do an advanced search and really customize/narrow down your search results! Also within a thread at the top there is a SEARCH THIS THREAD link, which helps in those 100+ page threads.
As to why people jump all over "stupid" questions... IDk possibly mother issues???
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Those must be for the PC, the app search doesn't offer those features, unless I'm blind.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
nash2000 said:
Those must be for the PC, the app search doesn't offer those features, unless I'm blind.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
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Yup, desktop site, app search blows....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium
Thread closed.
Its off topic

replying to a thread in development forum

i have been a member of xda forums for 1 1/2 years, as well as other android forums around the net. i'm usually the type of person that reads the threads more than i post in them, unless i truly have a helpful answer for someone or i genuinely need help with something. bc of this i have only two posts here at xda, as it's not my go-to forum. nonetheless, i still look through threads here for info and help and occasionally i know the answer to someone's question. upon trying to help someone out earlier in the vzw gnex development forum i was presented with a v-bulletin message telling me i'm not allowed to post there because it's for 'advanced users' who have 'more than ten posts.' i find this to be a ridiculous policy, based solely on my prior activity, or lack thereof. i consider myself to be pretty proficient with android, and basically i would have to make seven other posts in addition to this one (which would have no merit as i don't need to make seven other posts at this time) and clog up other sections of the forums just so i can reply to someone in a development thread. is there no way around this? or do i truly have to come up with some bs posts elsewhere just to help someone?
The reason is they don't want time wasters taking up the time of the developers or people asking questions which have already been asked and answered. Where all it would take is a little effort to search. It fairly easy to get your ten posts look for other forums where you could help. With the amount of members xda all ready has and the amount that sign up everyday, there no way of knowing or determining what expertise the new member may or not have.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
i understand what you mean, but I'm far off from being a new member. As stated in the op I've been a member for a year and a half (since Feb 2011.) Oh well. Thanks for the reply
All I can suggest is u look about some of the other forum's where u can post and see if there are people in their u can help.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
As chris170569 said, it really isn't difficult to write 10 posts around these forums. If indeed you've done a lot of reading here and are a proficient android user, as you say, then even though you may not feel the need to make other posts, but there are always users here who need help.
The best place to start of is in the forums for your device and look through the General and Q&A sections of said forum to see if you can help anyone.
There's always the option of helping out in the General and Q&A subforums of the General forum.
The posts really won't take long to build up.
Sent from Stephen Hawking's rooted wheelchair
What you post was absolutely ryt bro::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Sent from my HTC Explorer A310e using xda app-developers app
Just like KidCarter93 and chris170569 have said it is pretty easy to get 10 thanked posted. As you can see I'm a pretty new member and already have gotten 10+ thanked post. However, when I first came to XDA I didn't even get a thanked post in a forum until almost a month later. After that I post at least once a day, to see if I can help someone out. Just saying you get in what you put out.
Since you're proficient in android, make a thread on answering people's question (if there isn't one already). But to answer your question the only way to answer people's question that you come across is to private message them.
running into the same issue ... need help big time on my EVO
Go to the discussion forum for your device. Should find someone there. Or start a new thread in the Q & A section for your device. Make sure u have really really searched first, if your problem can be sorted by a quick search n u not done that you will get flamed mercessilly
Sent from my Jelly Bean eating sending thing using xda-developers app

Please help, I'm struggling to get this..

Honestly, I'm finding the whole XDA forums to be a completely hellish experience. I am not allowed to ask questions about programming on the Android platform (which is the only reason I joined the forum in the first place), until I make 10 'helpful posts'.
Under such conditions, these posts are bound to be artificial and contrived. This is only human nature, you can't force people to be helpful and giving, and trying to do so only creates the opposite, plus a load of frustration and resentment.
Yet, if you do make artificial or contrived posts, these will be deleted! But, of course they will be contrived, the only reason for making them, is to meet the 10 post requirement. How can they not be contrived, could somebody explain that to me, I genuinely don't get it.
I've been making games for over 25 years now, and I've never come across anything so fiendishly hellish before, as this 10 post rule. As much as I would love to be a member of this community, I just can't get me head around it. There is no possibly for me to make 10 helpful posts, without being dishonest and trying to deceive you.
Is dishonestly and deceit a requirement of being a member of this community?
Earn your rep. This is my first post. 9 more til i can jump up a rung.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
buffal0b1ll said:
Earn your rep. This is my first post. 9 more til i can jump up a rung.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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But if you're honest, isn't every post you make (to get to the 10) contrived, and you're only making it because it's another step along the way?
I know mine are. Only difference with me, is I'm being honest about it.
Of course every post we make is another step along the way.
Everything we do in life is another step along the way.
Is it really so much to ask that you make 10 helpful posts?
It's really not hard to do if you go to your devices forum and help some people out in either General or Q&A. There's also posts in this very section which can be answered even with only limited knowledge.
And if you don't feel like being helpful, then this is probably the wrong site for you considering this site has developers, themes etc. who put in countless hours of their own personal time making mods and decide to share them for the benefit of everyone.
Successful troll is successful
KidCarter93 said:
Of course every post we make is another step along the way.
Everything we do in life is another step along the way.
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Well, when we get to 10, it's a game changer; and we are then free to be natural and in a position to *freely* give and share our knowledge.
Before we get to the 10 post count, we're not freely giving and sharing our knowledge; we're doing so, in order to achieve the 10 post point.
I'm not trying to be belligerent or obtrusive at all. Honestly, I'm not.
KidCarter93 said:
Is it really so much to ask that you make 10 helpful posts?
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Nope, the problem is when you ask that they are not contrived. It's like pointing a shotgun at someones head, and telling them 'act natural, or I shoot'. Under such circumstances, a person cannot act natural. If there were no shotgun, then it wouldn't be a problem and I would be free to respond naturally, and as I'm a helpful soul, I'd do what comes natural to me, and help people (as I do elsewhere in life, and on the internet).
KidCarter93 said:
It's really not hard to do if you go to your devices forum and help some people out in either General or Q&A. There's also posts in this very section which can be answered even with only limited knowledge.
And if you don't feel like being helpful, then this is probably the wrong site for you considering this site has developers, themes etc. who put in countless hours of their own personal time making mods and decide to share them for the benefit of everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try.
Also, please understand, it's not that I don't feel like being helpful (in fact, I believe I am a very helpful and considerate soul); it's more that I feel incapable of making contrived helpful posts, when there is a shotgun to my head. It feels to me, as if I am being asked to act dishonestly.
It's not at all, that I just don't want to be helpful.
I have also put in countless hours, crafting my skill.
I'm actually also wondering if this is the right place for me. I'm a game developer, and in the process of porting a game to the Android platform (mostly I work on iOS). The kind of advice I'm looking for pertains to game development on Android, and I'm not sure if that's the focus of this forum?
The question I posted in the Q&A section, was related to sluggish touch input in a game I'm porting. I'm not sue the Q&A section is at all related to programming, though I could be wrong?
There are a bunch of debates/indignant threads, if you care
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1424
You're freely available to share your knowledge already. You don't need go have 10 posts to do that. It can be done by doing as I suggested before, answering peoples questions regarding the device you have.
The rules of xda ask that the posts new users make be helpful, because if they didn't, there would just be posts everywhere saying "thanks" or "good post" etc. As you can probably already see, there's loads of these posts as it is, so imagine how many there would be had these rules not been in place.
Each and every rule would've been thoroughly thought through and contemplated hundreds of times (at least) before they came into effect.
They're there because they work, while also bog driving away too many people.
There is a place for game development on here because as you may of may not have noticed, the majority of these device forums have a themes and apps section.
In there, you can find many a game which have been created by other members of xda.
On a final note, I won't discuss this further with you on this thread, because otherwise that's helping you get to 10 posts without actually helping out or contributing. That would defeat the purpose of my posts here.
If you wish to discuss it further, please feel free to PM me about it and I'll be glad to help you with any queries you have about this rule.
Successful troll is successful
I was frustrated too at first, but really? It is only ten posts man. Just refresh the general forum and find posts you can give a decent answer to. It isn't as bad as your making it seem.
KidCarter93 said:
If you wish to discuss it further, please feel free to PM me about it and I'll be glad to help you with any queries you have about this rule.
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Click to collapse
I will do, I'll send you a PM, thanks. It may be in a few days though, just need to cool down a little. Have been frustrated at a number of things (not just this place), also super-frustrated regarding the technical issue I'm having with multi-touches.
I don't mind if you delete this post; I appreciate if could be construed as an attempt to sneak in an extra post. Ironically, it's not, it's just me honestly expressing myself.
So yeah, may well leave if for a few days to cool down, and come back to it.
Best Regards,
J.
Wrong section, topic has beaten to death, etc. Thread closed.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium

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