Bonsai 4.0.0 thread closed??!?!? WTF? - Epic 4G General

Bonsai team just released v4.0.0 based on EC05. That's awesome!!
The thread was shortly thereafter closed by scotsman with the folling message
Thread closed until it complies with forum rules.
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With all due respect to scotsman and the other mods (and much is due), this sort of moderation is very frustrating to the community, and sure to create more work and headaches for you guys than simply expending a tiny, miniscule bit of additional effort when you take actions like this:
Explain specifically what the non-compliance is/was.
No one probably would care in the case of the five billionth "Samsung sucks" thread. On a thread like the Bonsai release thread, however, or any similarly popular argulably important (to the community) thread, it is only prudent to be a bit more explanatory when such a severe action is taken.
I was able to successfully get the release, of course. That's not the issue. I have some comments I'd like to post; a few questions too. Failing to see what rule violation has taken place, after reading the thread, I'm left confused, frustrated, and (right or wrong) feeling abused by the moderator (mildly so, to be sure).
Second, there seems to be a catch-22 here: If the thread is non-compliant somehow, and has been closed until it can be made compliant, one is left wondering: How can that happen if the thread is closed?
Scotsman, please update your closure post to help the community better understand what is going on. Save yourself, and the community, some grief. The effort is less than it will take to reply to this thread.

From my understanding it is because you have to register on their site to download it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Correct. Download links are not supposed to be posted on sites that require registration. Not to mention the method they do so acts more like a shopping cart/buying system than a download system. It gives a very bad image, and they need to rectify it.

I mean this sincerely, but wouldn't it have been easier to PM the moderator who closed this so that your concerns could be addressed correctly and efficiently?

Honestly I'm glad it was closed. And if you register for that website, you'll see it's money money money, donate here, give us that there... if you want money for it, fine. Sell it. I already have to register for enough crap, I don't need to register for anymore.
Scotsman, keep up the great work that you do!

kelmar13 said:
I mean this sincerely, but wouldn't it have been easier to PM the moderator who closed this so that your concerns could be addressed correctly and efficiently?
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No.
Further, the answers provided here would not have been available to the community. I would have had to post a thread anyway with the answer, hence "not easier".
You may disagree that this information justifies public airing. That's fair. We simply disagree with each other.

But the moderator already said that it wasn't in compliance with forum rules....
Oh well, I'm not worried about it....

Seems petty that XDA is so closed a forum, considering it supports Android, which is supposed to be open source
I "may" understand if it was linking to somewhere where you HAD to pay, but the website only required you to register, not pay.
Seems no one is "allowed" to provide helpful links to anywhere else, kinda sad for an "open source" website.
Actions like that by Mods devastate a community even worse then even the harshest of trolls
Just another example why XDA has the bad rep it does.

byersbw said:
Honestly I'm glad it was closed. And if you register for that website, you'll see it's money money money, donate here, give us that there... if you want money for it, fine. Sell it. I already have to register for enough crap, I don't need to register for anymore.
Scotsman, keep up the great work that you do!
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I completely understand your POV, and it has merit. I don't agree with it (I find it quite easy to spend maybe 30 seconds registering and clicking past the entreaties to donate).
If it violates the forum rules, they should be enforced. I have no problem with that.
What I do have a problem with is mysterious closures of threads. While some here are well-versed on the forum rules, most are not. And even those of us that have read through them in their entirety do not necessarily spot the reason for a closure.
When the specific reason can be so easily put in the closure post, and of course the mod that made the decision knows precisely why they are closing it, it simply is not reasonable to expect thousands of other members to have to go back and commit the equivalent of legal research in the forum rules to figure out what the mod could simply have articulated with a short sentence.
The latter would serve the community far better -- and isn't that a core responsibility of mods?
The forum has the rules it does, and frankly, I don't think the issue of the Bonsai team's approach here to distribution is worth arguing about. It would be an exercise in mental masturbation that would never come to any resolution. Some people are highly irritated by their approach to soliciting donations, some aren't bothered at all (me, for instance). Regardless, they should follow the rules when posting here.
None of that has anything to do with how moderators do their jobs. I have no particularly pointed criticism for scotsman, or any other mod w.r.t. to this issue. Rather, I am suggesting a way to better serve their "customers", and make their own job here easier. They can consider it, or ignore it.

dwallersv said:
(I find it quite easy to spend maybe 30 seconds registering and clicking past the entreaties to donate).
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For what it's worth, I had issues registering and actually getting to the download when I tested it. That has nothing to do with the merit of an off-site download or the need to register, of course.

kelmar13 said:
But the moderator already said that it wasn't in compliance with forum rules....
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An entirely informationless reason.
That's the reason that every closed thread gets closed. It isn't enlightening at all.

dwallersv said:
An entirely informationless reason.
That's the reason that every closed thread gets closed. It isn't enlightening at all.
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Well, the Forum Rules state that
Forum Rules said:
Off-site downloads from sites requiring registration are NOT encouraged but may be permitted if the following conditions are met:
A) the site belongs to a member of XDA-Developers with at least 1500 posts and 2 years membership who actively maintains XDA-Developers' support thread(s) / posts, related to the download,
B) the site is a relatively small personal website without commercial advertising/links (i.e. not a competitor forum-based site with purposes and aims similar to those of XDA-Developers.com.)
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It appears as though Mammon doesn't have 1500 posts which would make him in violation of the rules and thus the reason for his thread being closed.
I'm sure that all of this was explained to him via PM though.

the real issue here is that people with issues can't post them now. but i gotta agree, while registering wasn't that much of a hassle, try downloading the thing from your phone, you gotta go through 16 prompts and 666 other things, speak to satan, make sure jesus is on your side and then you can finally download it. thats a lot of hassle from a phone browser. or you can download it to your computer. connect your phone, speak to satan, make sure jesus is on your side and maybe the computer will decide it llikes the phone enough to show the drive where you can copy it.
but I can go to ACS, click download and have it on my phone in 2 seconds.
I do agree that forums shouldn't get closed like this without explanation, but we saw the same thing with epic experience and frankly usually the quality gets worse not better once this starts to happen. With Epic experience, the rom went from superstable to so buggy it was unusable and the heads started to get quite swelled.

robl45 said:
the real issue here is that people with issues can't post them now. but i gotta agree, while registering wasn't that much of a hassle, try downloading the thing from your phone, you gotta go through 16 prompts and 666 other things, speak to satan, make sure jesus is on your side and then you can finally download it. thats a lot of hassle from a phone browser.
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You're problem, obviously, clearly is that you are not already pre-qualified with Satan and Jesus, as I am, thereby supernaturally being silently led around 15 of the prompts and 665 of the links. Much like a VIP passing the line at a hot nightclub.
Go and register at http://SatanIsMyBud.com and http://JesusDigsMe.com, and you'll avoid these problems. Don't worry about the apparent conflict -- they're enemies, and don't share databases.
I do agree that forums shouldn't get closed like this without explanation, but we saw the same thing with epic experience and frankly usually the quality gets worse not better once this starts to happen. With Epic experience, the rom went from superstable to so buggy it was unusable and the heads started to get quite swelled.
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I understand. At the same time, this is all free, the "providers" are donating their time and effort to us "consumers", so a certain degree of forebearance seems appropriate, IMO.
This is all very personal and subjective, similar in many ways to one's musical tastes. There's no point in arguing "is not! is too!" over such things -- I really don't mind jumping through some hoops for a few minutes to get something awesome for free. But that's just me, and my personality. Others do, and I bear no criticism or ill-will for their perspective.
The one criticism I do have is for those that slag on the guys. If you were paying for a product/service, sure, you have some standing. However, if you're simply taking advantage of their donated work, you certainly have the option not to, and go somewhere else (like ACS, for example). There seem to me nothing good to be accomplished by anyone being so critical, and appearing like a selfish ingrate.

I'm curious to what happened to the noobnl thread where he I believe he called out mammon on the website stuff or something of that nature I didn't get to see his actual post cuz he edited it and today I can't find it anywhere.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Maybe its just me, but I really didn't need an explanation to figure it out.
Here are the relevant parts exactly how they appear on each of two bonsai threads that were closed:
Current Version Download Links(Please register in-order to download) : mod edit: links removed
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from:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=976864
and:
Please register in-order to download.
Download: mod edit: link removed
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from:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1001469
Hmm, I wonder why they were closed. Maybe I am just a master of deduction.

muyoso said:
Maybe its just me, but I really didn't need an explanation to figure it out.
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I'm sure it's not just you.
But then, I didn't, and I'm certain there are plenty of others like me too.
What I don't get is the (seeming) arrogance of some in the former camp that lack the basic civility to understand that both outcomes are entirely reasonable, and that intelligent, competent members of the community can arrive at either conclusion.
By "seeming arrogance" I refer to meaningless statements like, "Maybe it's just me", where the intended meaning is culturally well-established, and in my 49 years of life has never -- not once -- been said with any intent other than to denigrate others.
But then, maybe that's just me...

Mammon, Randy, et. al.: I have a suggestion for how to solve this problem.
Post a link to the Wiki, as you've done before, and then put the link to the "offending" site there, instead of a direct download.
I believe that would satisfy the Forum Rules, but of course defer to the moderators. Would any of them -- particularly scotsman -- care to weigh in?

What he needs to do is set it up like midnite rom. How he offers the rom on both sites and keeps the main support at his site and add ons. But that type of stuff irritates me. Just offer all of it here. I hate having to be redirected to another site.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I was going to try midnight, but I couldn't even find the rom to download. direct downloads really are best, especially from the phone perspective.
jbadboy2007 said:
What he needs to do is set it up like midnite rom. How he offers the rom on both sites and keeps the main support at his site and add ons. But that type of stuff irritates me. Just offer all of it here. I hate having to be redirected to another site.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
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Related

Xda you can't silence me!

Hero, good to see you back on here boss. Your work is "epic"
As for everyone on here that is complaining about heros "attitude" towards others, look at your posts to anyone who is a dubbed "noob" or to anyone who has posted something in the wrong section.
As far as the monetary stand point, hero posts stuff on his site first. He let's you know you can get it early at his site for a small donation for his work. He gives you the option to wait a few days for the free release on here. If your stingy, patience is a virtue. If you can't wait, cough up 5 bucks. Don't go get krispee kremes in the am and donate for an early release. Its his roms/kernels. He made them himself, i.e. he can do what he wants with them. At least he makes not only a good product, but the f'n best one there is.
That is all.
Post edited for attacking another member (moderator). If you wish to raise an issue with moderation, please contact a senior moderator, member of the moderator comittee, or the site admin. This is not the correct way to voice such concerns.
Dang soo much hype. Well I just installed his rom and I like it more than the rest idk if he is a major a$$ or not but let him do what He is good at guys. Id just like to say 1.3Ghz FTW!!!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
I sense the ban hammer coming down at record speed..
For what? Speaking my mind? Go figure. Ill just make another user name. Banning is a useless attempt to throw some weight around
i would let him vent, its an open forum, and his allowed to express himself (minus the not necessary bad language)
Donateware sucks. Also, he isn't posting sources for his kernels, which is a GPL violation. But all he cares about is getting credit and getting his 'donations', so of course, he wouldn't give a **** about something silly like violating the kernel's license.
Getting donations for your work is cool. The problem is when you start requiring it to get access.
Extremes people go to just a make a buck. Haha
I vote keep his vapor/delayed/donatewares threads closed/removed til he learns to play nice in the Epic section.
Firon said:
Donateware sucks. Also, he isn't posting sources for his kernels, which is a GPL violation. But all he cares about is getting credit and getting his 'donations', so of course, he wouldn't give a **** about something silly like violating the kernel's license.
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Tis true, i'd venture to say if his products were to be audited, there would be numerous GPL violations.
What you all are somehow missing is how bad this section is without him. What have we accomplished so far? An apk port for a music player, a theme port, and some "insert here" aosp apks... stellar. We need hero
This is not development. Moved to general. Also, removed flaming against another mod. If you have a concern, follow the instructions I left regarding contacting another mod or admin.
Thread closed.
whosthat123 said:
What you all are somehow missing is how bad this section is without him. What have we accomplished so far? An apk port for a music player, a theme port, and some "insert here" aosp apks... stellar. We need hero
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Really? We've accomplished nothing? He changed a few PNGs to make it look something like Sense. He built a kernel. I have a kernel here that many people report as exemplary. How about you start doing something instead of belittling what those of us who actually follow XDA rules do here.
Either that or go troll in Hero's forums, and don't use any of our hard work. But I'm sure you don't like that idea.
(Btw, I have nothing against Hero. I don't like the way he operates, and his ROM just isn't for me, but I have nothing against the guy)

Keeping it real

Like many, I was more than saddened with what happenned on XDA/X10 forii regarding some development threads yesterday.
Without wanting to start yet another flame war, some suggestions to help to try to prevent this and other nastiness from repeating itself in the future:
TO ALL USERS
- XDA is a space meant for collaboration and sharing information. Use it for that
- XDA is not a chat room. Posts just to thank or put down another user do nothing to help its purpose (There is a reason for the "Thanks" button).
...Nor do posts whose only content is "Use the search tool" or "posted previously in this thread" (w/o further information) or similar - while some people may in fact be lazy enough to not to search/look in some cases it's kind of hard to look through 300+ pages of posts to find 1 link or piece of information. Or to sort through hundreds of hits to a search. If you know the answer to a question, please share it. If not, welll....don't say anything.
- USE THE SEARCH TOOL and HAVE A LOOK AT A FEW PAGES of the thread of interest before posting the question .Likely you will find your answer and it helps PREVENTING threads from reaching the aforementioned 300+ pages, of which maybe like 30 pages actually contain INFORMATION.
- REMEMBER that what you are getting, you are getting for free. That applies both to stuff developed and put up on XDA, be it ROMS, tweaks, patches, whatever and to the wonderful people behind XDA - moderators, etc... whose work is often forgotten. If we as users can't be expected to read through all posts in a forum, why should we expect mods to have to act as if they had the time to do this?
- Having said that, if you like a development/tip/tweak, whatever, use the thanks button and leave it at that. If you don't like something, leave it at that. Posts to the effect of "You are God" or "You sleep with the devil" do nothing but mess with egos. And this forum is about messing with mobile computing platforms, not egos.
TO MODERATORS
- Please refrain from deleting threads. If they get out of hand (and they sometimes do) I humbly suggest that you (a) close them and/or (b) ban any offending users, albeit if only temporarily (aka "suspension").
For all the crap that may have gotten into a thread, most if not all threads contain a lot of useful information that may/will get lost if the thread is deleted. so the non-guilty parties get shafted as badly as the guilty. And I prefer to think that the majority of users are actually interested in moving things forward.
- Just an idea - but rather than having a simple requirement to have an account to post, would it be possible for you guys to set up a system whereby certain forums could only be posted to by users of a certain seniority - and preferably with a distinction to starting new threads or replying to existing threads.
Following on to this, I believe that the seniority requirements can be improved in a relatively easy way - maturity comes from experience, which is not necessarily related to # of posts (any fool can type 30 irrelevant posts in a day). What would you say to a system where, in addition to a minimum # of posts, a user needs to have been a member/at his previous seniority level for a certain amount of time? That should not be too difficult to implement and would help people get into the feel of things before blabbing off. Short tempers usually can't hold off a couple of weeks/months...
- THANKS for this great place!!!! Your efforts are too often forgotten.
TO DEVELOPERS
- Thanks for your time, effort, patience and hard work. We really appreciate it!
- Please consider that the strongest point of Android (hey, I'm posting this to the X10 forum, which is Android, no beef against WM or any other platforms) is that it is OPEN, meaning we can ALL work on it, improve it, tweak it, etc...
- That means that users can by default consider whatever is posted as being OPEN and can do likewise. If you feel that whatever you have developed/done is NOT open, then say so. And if you want a stronger protection for your work, or users aren't respecting your work, then publish it under some kind of license so everyone else knows what to expect and you have legal grounds - GPL, LGPL, ASL, Berkeley, etc... there are a number of them to choose from.
- Collaboration means being open to new ideas, praise and constructive criticism. Attitudes like "THIS **** IS MINE AND NOONE TOUCHES IT" (pardon the profanity) isn't really very constructive in an open source environment. You are not god. Help and inspiration may come from even the least probable places.
Well, that was long-winded. If I have offended anyone (I hope not) pardonnez-moi
"
...Nor do posts whose only content is "Use the search tool" or "posted previously in this thread" (w/o further information) or similar - while some people may in fact be lazy enough to not to search/look in some cases it's kind of hard to look through 300+ pages of posts to find 1 link or piece of information. Or to sort through hundreds of hits to a search. If you know the answer to a question, please share it. If not, welll....don't say anything."
actually. members are supposed to read the thread and look for answers. thus eliminating redundant and repeat posts
All in all though ideas that are already in place
If people respect the rules then good things happen
And as for not deleting threads
if the dev leaves then there no point leaving it open. otherwise we jsut clean them
as someone who runs a forum and moderates, deleting people's posts for no reason, is pretty poor. Mine was deleted for no reason and no explanation. The situation in the end was to the poorer for XDA. As a DEV left, and could be followed up by more. Instead of a calm hand, all members got was a heavey handed approach, threatening bans. Sorry that is a crap way. and in end has lost XDA many members. how sad
-PiLoT- said:
actually. members are supposed to read the thread and look for answers. thus eliminating redundant and repeat posts
All in all though ideas that are already in place
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Sure thing - but adding an additional post to JUST say "look in the thread" only makes it longer. No need since the rule is already in place, right?
-PiLoT- said:
And as for not deleting threads
if the dev leaves then there no point leaving it open. otherwise we jsut clean them
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Precisely - CLOSE them - they will take up some disk space and trickle down through the thread (being closed).
Cleaning some threads would take you guys ages (500+ pages in some cases).
Deleting them however loses information, whether the dev has left or not (he may always come back as has happened...) and only fans flames for conspiracy theories and other idiocies...I do concede that leaving them there may also spur more garbage initially, but that will stop as the (closed) thread ages.
acmbc said:
Sure thing - but adding an additional post to JUST say "look in the thread" only makes it longer. No need since the rule is already in place, right?
yes but sometime sits the steps that people need to take since people will not read the rules
Precisely - CLOSE them - they will take up some disk space and trickle down through the thread (being closed).
Cleaning some threads would take you guys ages (500+ pages in some cases).
Deleting them however loses information, whether the dev has left or not (he may always come back as has happened...) and only fans flames for conspiracy theories and other idiocies...I do concede that leaving them there may also spur more garbage initially, but that will stop as the (closed) thread ages.
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the last lot of threads were closed not deleted
Crocodile1973 said:
as someone who runs a forum and moderates, deleting people's posts for no reason, is pretty poor. Mine was deleted for no reason and no explanation. The situation in the end was to the poorer for XDA. As a DEV left, and could be followed up by more. Instead of a calm hand, all members got was a heavey handed approach, threatening bans. Sorry that is a crap way. and in end has lost XDA many members. how sad
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some posts are deleted during a routine thread cleanup
Im not saying your suggestions have no merit.
im saying that some of them are already looked into and some wont work as weve tried them in the past
-PiLoT- said:
Im not saying your suggestions have no merit.
im saying that some of them are already looked into and some wont work as weve tried them in the past
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Kudos to that. If it's been tried and not worked, my bad.
acmbc said:
Like many, I was more than saddened with what happenned on XDA/X10 forii regarding some development threads yesterday.
Without wanting to start yet another flame war, some suggestions to help to try to prevent this and other nastiness from repeating itself in the future:
TO ALL USERS
TO MODERATORS
TO DEVELOPERS
- Thanks for your time, effort, patience and hard work. We really appreciate it!
- Please consider that the strongest point of Android (hey, I'm posting this to the X10 forum, which is Android, no beef against WM or any other platforms) is that it is OPEN, meaning we can ALL work on it, improve it, tweak it, etc...
- That means that users can by default consider whatever is posted as being OPEN and can do likewise. If you feel that whatever you have developed/done is NOT open, then say so. And if you want a stronger protection for your work, or users aren't respecting your work, then publish it under some kind of license so everyone else knows what to expect and you have legal grounds - GPL, LGPL, ASL, Berkeley, etc... there are a number of them to choose from.
- Collaboration means being open to new ideas, praise and constructive criticism. Attitudes like "THIS **** IS MINE AND NOONE TOUCHES IT" (pardon the profanity) isn't really very constructive in an open source environment. You are not god. Help and inspiration may come from even the least probable places.
Well, that was long-winded. If I have offended anyone (I hope not) pardonnez-moi
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well, my 2 cents
i agree on the "users" part
on the "to moderators" part, i disagree
mods don't need to "refrain" from deleting threads, that's what mods do. they do it for specific reasons, not just because they are self-proclaimed e-gods with a ban hammer. if threads need closed or deleted, that's what mods are here for. also, this site is not a democracy. a lot of members don't seem to understand that petitions and moral support for offending members who were banned or threads closed/deleted, will not exactly unban/reopen. granted, i'm sure if there was a collaborated majority between the mods, it will. but users making 30+ separate threads on the same subject (or lately the same dev) only makes things worse. all of these trip apostles are doing more harm than good. i know all these recent trip threads annoy the crap out of me, i can only imagine the work and annoyance it brings moderators.
as far as the dev section of your post goes
you can't take info/sources from some, then accuse EVERY dev for using yours, making comments like "i'm going to download this and check the files for my sources". seriously, it's unprofessional and immature.
as far as the trip situation goes
i have no idea what happened last night, but, where as he may be a great dev, being a dev is NOT for him. he cannot take criticism, he wants to share nothing with other devs, he was not working collabratively with anyone to benefit the community, and honestly, he seems the have the attitude of a 14 y/o girl. how many times does one person need to "threaten with leaving", then never doing so. then upon realizing that not enough begs to stay filled his ego, actually leave only to make a sudden reappearance because, there's really no other dev site out there to the extent of xda.
this isn't the first time he's been gone, although i this time was not his choice, i'm sure he will be back again.
oh, one other thing, you go to any other sub-forum on xda, and there is no drama like there is on the x10 sections. seriously, did SE market these things specifically to 14 y/o drama queens?
svtfmook said:
well, my 2 cents
i agree on the "users" part
on the "to moderators" part, i disagree
mods don't need to "refrain" from deleting threads, that's what mods do. they do it for specific reasons, not just because they are self-proclaimed e-gods with a ban hammer. if threads need closed or deleted, that's what mods are here for. also, this site is not a democracy. a lot of members don't seem to understand that petitions and moral support for offending members who were banned or threads closed/deleted, will not exactly unban/reopen. granted, i'm sure if there was a collaborated majority between the mods, it will. but users making 30+ separate threads on the same subject (or lately the same dev) only makes things worse. all of these trip apostles are doing more harm than good. i know all these recent trip threads annoy the crap out of me, i can only imagine the work and annoyance it brings moderators.
as far as the dev section of your post goes
you can't take info/sources from some, then accuse EVERY dev for using yours, making comments like "i'm going to download this and check the files for my sources". seriously, it's unprofessional and immature.
as far as the trip situation goes
i have no idea what happened last night, but, where as he may be a great dev, being a dev is NOT for him. he cannot take criticism, he wants to share nothing with other devs, he was not working collabratively with anyone to benefit the community, and honestly, he seems the have the attitude of a 14 y/o girl. how many times does one person need to "threaten with leaving", then never doing so. then upon realizing that not enough begs to stay filled his ego, actually leave only to make a sudden reappearance because, there's really no other dev site out there to the extent of xda.
this isn't the first time he's been gone, although i this time was not his choice, i'm sure he will be back again.
oh, one other thing, you go to any other sub-forum on xda, and there is no drama like there is on the x10 sections. seriously, did SE market these things specifically to 14 y/o drama queens?
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I agree with you.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Trip's work, heck, I even use it on my phone these past months.
There's a post I made in "News about current circumstances" thread that explains my point extensively.
Also, I know it in my gut that he will be back for sure.
You know why?
He feeds on publicity and Modaco forums are too low-populated for his huge ego.
I hope though, that upon his return he will be much more sophisticated and reasonable,
for the sake of every one here.
One can always dream...
PS: I was a 14 year old girl 10 years ago and, man, I'm telling you, I was a major drama queen.
I want to believe I've grown out of it though.
I really think the ideas from the original post would be used in some way at least. Good post OP. Hope xda considers this. There are some great ideas here.
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App

Respect, decency, and etiquette

I love XDA.
I've been lurking for about a year now in a few different device forums as I contemplated buying a Viewsonic Gtablet, then a Notion Ink, then a Moto Xoom, before finally settling on the Transformer
It seems regardless of platform, there is at least a handful of talented, patient, and damn smart developers making cool things happen, a bunch more tinkerer-by-nature hobbyists trying all the cool stuff the devs put out (and showing their gratitude any way they can), another handful of eager but clueless -- sometimes young, ESL, or whatever -- people asking dumb questions, and finally, the few self-righteous bullies that make every visit to XDA a jarring reminder of how rude people can be.
Moderators (and self-envisioned moderators)...stop being jerks! I understand the importance of keeping threads in their respective categories and of cleaning up duplicate threads and asking people to search before creating another thread, and I appreciate the work you do. But don't say something to someone you wouldn't say to them in person, just because you can't see their face!
Succinctly make your point, shut it down, and move on. Snark is the nails on a chalkboard of personality traits; we'll all benefit and improve ourselves by growing out of it.
A) The search function sucks. It does. The only reason I know where anything is on these forums is because I spent ~20 hours reading every single thread that looked important before I even bought my tablet. I don't think the oft-thrown-in-people's-faces search bar has ever helped me find something I wanted to know. Is that an excuse for people to be too lazy to do some research on their own before making a post filled with questions they could've answered simply by browsing the front page of threads? No. But it is something to consider next time you want to jump down someone's throat for having a specific question about drivers while trying to figure out NVFlash.
B) There are three different deprecated "stock to rom" walkthroughs still stickied! (See the "Eee pad reference thread.") Rooting and rom-ing is an undertaking, and people are willing and want to learn/teach themselves, but don't keep three contradicting textbooks on the shelf and then get pissy when people don't know whether the current "best practice" is this or that. If you want to keep the house clean of annoying re-post questions, maybe someone should take a day and streamline that "Eee pad reference thread" into something useful/usable again. Looks like the f***** tax code!
C) I'm not a developer -- I can't make anything cool, port this, or deodex that. But I can help these clueless, lost people figure out what went wrong in their attempt to gain root. And often, I'd like to answer their questions...but you already locked the thread and told them to pack their bags because they're not smart enough for the wild west of XDA!
Anyway, it'll be easy for you to dismiss (or lock and delete) this, because it isn't really "Transformer General," I've only posted five times, and/or because no one likes to turn a critical eye upon themselves, but I hope you don't.
I'm just a guest here, and not much of a contributing one at that, but just be respectful to people.
Searching before posting is a rule of this site, not a suggestion. I have seen plenty of people do fine searching for things on their own, myself included. Those that complain about the search function either don't know how to use it right or don't actually use it and claim they did. If your job was to remind people of rules they should already know and are blatantly obvious, but choose to ignore, you would be tired of it too; honestly those people deserve more than a slight reminding of the rules (temp ban sounds more appealing). Consider it a favor that a slap on the wrist is all that happens.
If you don't like XDA search function, use google. If you can't use google, rid yourself of the Internet, save yourself the trouble, and save us from you. Welcome to Earth.
Sent from my creaky Thunderbolt
One reason that the search function doesn't work as anticipated (at least for me) is that the default is "search titles only" and if you just blindly type a search term in and hit "go" then you almost always won't get a hit.
I've had to hit "advanced search" and choose "in titles and posts" to get anything.
So that's my comment and now I have a question..lol...
How do I make the default to search titles and posts and not just titles?
I've already tried saving my search preferences; that seems to do nothing.
mb02 said:
Searching before posting is a rule of this site, not a suggestion. I have seen plenty of people do fine searching for things on their own, myself included. Those that complain about the search function either don't know how to use it right or don't actually use it and claim they did. If your job was to remind people of rules they should already know and are blatantly obvious, but choose to ignore, you would be tired of it too; honestly those people deserve more than a slight reminding of the rules (temp ban sounds more appealing). Consider it a favor that a slap on the wrist is all that happens.
If you don't like XDA search function, use google. If you can't use google, rid yourself of the Internet, save yourself the trouble, and save us from you. Welcome to Earth.
Sent from my creaky Thunderbolt
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Wow. Way to prove OP's point. You know you could have just not commented, but the fact that you expended the effort just to be a snarky, sniping jackass not only showcases exactly what OP was talking about, but also tells us everything we need to know about you as a person. Why don't you go **** yourself and the horse you rode in on?
Thanks
KoNP said:
Wow. Way to prove OP's point. You know you could have just not commented, but the fact that you expended the effort just to be a snarky, sniping jackass not only showcases exactly what OP was talking about, but also tells us everything we need to know about you as a person.
Thanks
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And
KoNP said:
Why don't you go **** yourself and the horse you rode in on?
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This has got to be the funniest "pot-calling-the-kettle-black" moment I've seen on the XDA in a long time....
Why do these two sentences not go together?
I've seen funny...and that's funny.
rpavich said:
I've seen funny...and that's funny.
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Thanks, I try.
Also, it's not the pot calling the kettle black to call someone else out on their ****ty behaviour. Additionally, I'm not the one sitting here acting like I'm infallible and taking cheap shots at the OP who made valid points. If mb02 had had something legitimate to say in response to OP, hell something halfway contributory, then he wouldn't have had to respond the way he did. I think he's forgotten that old adage "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" somewhere along the way.
You get to choose which side of the fence to sit on. The side with elitist circlejerkers who practice exclusion like mb02, or the side with people who would rather spend their posting effort helping others and not being a total cockjockey.
Yeah right...you're correcting is WAAAAYYY different than anybody else's....
Read the Policy Announcement to get a feel for why XDA is here.
Also the XDA MANTRA
(begin paraphrase from a former Senior Moderator)
This is not a site to make people popular. I don't care how many people use a specific kernel/ROM/mod/hack/bicycle - act like a fool and demand something from a developer who has put their time and energy and effort - and you deserve to be called out for it. The rules are here for a reason. You either follow them or leave, your choice.
What XDA is:
XDA is a developers site
XDA is a free forum you are ALLOWED to use. We could make it invite only
XDA is and always will be about the developers. And before you say without the users there would be no XDA, Bull****, who do you think used the stuff before normal people even knew what a smartphone was......wait for it.........other developers. People that could give good feedback with relavent info. Not just "dahhh this is broken, please fix".
What XDA is NOT:
XDA is not a place to come and make your phone cool.
XDA is not the cool place for idiots to hang out.
XDA is not your friends house
XDA is not a democracy
XDA is not a place to make Money.
XDA IS a place to come to learn and share your knowledge. If you are not here for those reasons then you are here for the wrong ones.
XDA has become a place where every dumbass in the world has a smartphone and comes here thinking they have the right to anything. Well guess what? You dont have the right to s**t. We share it because we want to and we dont if we dont feel like it. Are the Developers or the Mods required to make you happy? Nope not in the least. Wanna leave. Go ahead. I beg you, please do. The less people that are asking dumb question because they dont know what they are doing (this is understand, but at least look) or are too lazy to look for it the better.
[/end paraphrase]
@OP:You are right most of times, however you can see many people making posts/threads without reading anything. For a MOD/ADMIN who see this again and again and again, I can assume that will be pissed.
More over if some one reads a stickie about flashing and has no idea why/how for his own sake please do not proceed and brick/destroy the equipment.
@OP careful your going to be iron fisted.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
One thought on the search function. It works fairly well if you take the time to learn it. My only suggestion is to investigate removing or lowering the required wait time between searches. I am wondering of the additional load on the system from more searches would be less than the load caused by creating a new thread after the initial search failed to provide expected results and frustration set in.
Rumbleweed said:
One thought on the search function. It works fairly well if you take the time to learn it.
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When you start typing a search in the box is your default "titles only"?
mb02,
I understand and appreciate the "search first" rule; and I actually agree that a temp-ban for breaking forum rules is appropriate. What is inappropriate is dishing out smug keyboard-lashings. Someone creates a new post asking something that's been covered a million times before? "Sorry, you've been temp-banned for violation of forum rules. Please read these two threads (blahblah) to understand why and help you become a quality contributor. Hope to see you back."
Not, 'Is the search bar missing, or are you just an idiot? Disconnect your router, crawl in a corner, and die.'
Also, who doesn't have a job that involves dealing with frustrating people while remaining civil?
Moderation is important. Enforcing forum rules is important. Stuff like this, "if you can't use google, rid yourself of the Internet, save yourself the trouble, and save us from you. Welcome to Earth." is disrespectful garbage. I'm an adult with an education, job, and family. If you spoke like that to me in person, we would have an issue.
Jerdog,
I actually already read both of those before I joined -- and they did help me better understand XDA's history. I'm not defending the entitled, "this isn't working, fix it," and "when is the next release???," etc. crowd. Far from it. Those people are guilty of the same disrespect I'm so tired of seeing, and I'm glad the moderators stay on top of that. I know I get tired of reading development threads to figure out how the guys are doing on a particular project and wading through a soup of worthless posts (following the "Virtuous Galaxy" rom development in the Iconia forum was a perfect example of this).
I can only imagine how annoying that is for Mike, Gnufabio, Roach, Rothnic, et al. (That said, I also doubt these guys would be as amazingly prolific as they are if they didn't know that thousands of us non-dev muggles love and appreciate their work.)
If XDA is in fact a place to "learn and share knowledge" (and I hope I eventually can absorb enough know-how from these guys to make and share something of my own...even if it's just a simple framework button/battery mod), that abhors "disrespect, rudeness and fun-ruining"...why so much of that from moderators? It seems Iron Fist simply flipped the script on who gets to be rude. (Again, I have no issue with closing/moving threads and forum housekeeping.)
But this kind of stuff: "Wanna leave? Go ahead. I beg you, please do" ?
Why would you be that hostile?
I understand that this is a free, could-be-invite-only forum, I don't have to pay a thing to use it, XDA has more registered users than it wants, and you have every right to tell me to pound sand. But why would you? I've been learning here, and do my best to share my limited knowledge (even it it means PMing someone the thread that would help them solve their issue because the thread is closed and I can't post in it).
Keep the Development sub-forum limited to the dev elite, but if people stick around (in the General and Questions sub-forums) and learn because their first misstep was corrected respectfully (rather than brutally), maybe they'll be developing a popular rom or theme in a year or two!
rpavich said:
When you start typing a search in the box is your default "titles only"?
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I almost always use Advanced search. Much more effective.
Because honestly.......Abuse seems to be the only thing that slows the creaping tide of every n00b who jumps on here with his new device and want s to be spoon fed every detail on rooting and roming and theming and overclocking.....etc.....etc....
Instead of looking for the answer they just keep starting new threads for every little issue they have. This is not a customer service forum.
Agree on the advance search. took me a moment to realize the "titles only" option.
However, if im not on my computer its damn near impossible to search anything on the tablet. Anytime i click the search button, it opens, and quickly closes. Not form friendly..
I dont know.
And not trying to derail the conversation here but i have tried different browsers and classic xda option. So, sometimes in a dev thread with over 200 pages, searching isnt an option.
Not XDAs prob. I know. Just saying
Search can take time and hardly ever gets me to where I need on the first try. Fortunately I am on all day, every day flipping through forums so what really works for me is simply searching for my username+search term. Helps narrow down threads I've been in and looking for.
I do think Mods can be "too hostile" sometimes. A simple "Thread Closed" works or "Moved to Appropriate Forum".
It would be nice if threads could be "CLOSED" by users once a solution is found
DaveRichardson said:
If XDA is in fact a place to "learn and share knowledge" (and I hope I eventually can absorb enough know-how from these guys to make and share something of my own...even if it's just a simple framework button/battery mod), that abhors "disrespect, rudeness and fun-ruining"...why so much of that from moderators? It seems Iron Fist simply flipped the script on who gets to be rude. (Again, I have no issue with closing/moving threads and forum housekeeping.)
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Mod Edit: I am an idiot and I cannot properly structure an argument without resorting to vulgar language.
KoNP said:
Uh, yeah... you didn't realise that was precisely the reason they did it?
Moderators have no real power or achievements outside of the little boxes they push around on here. Iron Fist will slowly kill this place - all that'll be left are a bunch of power-crazy gits and the toolbags who clamour to fellate them.
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ahhhhhhh.....someone sounds a little butthurt
jerdog said:
Read the Policy Announcement to get a feel for why XDA is here.
Also the XDA MANTRA
(begin paraphrase from a former Senior Moderator)
This is not a site to make people popular. I don't care how many people use a specific kernel/ROM/mod/hack/bicycle - act like a fool and demand something from a developer who has put their time and energy and effort - and you deserve to be called out for it. The rules are here for a reason. You either follow them or leave, your choice.
What XDA is:
XDA is a developers site
XDA is a free forum you are ALLOWED to use. We could make it invite only
XDA is and always will be about the developers. And before you say without the users there would be no XDA, Bull****, who do you think used the stuff before normal people even knew what a smartphone was......wait for it.........other developers. People that could give good feedback with relavent info. Not just "dahhh this is broken, please fix".
What XDA is NOT:
XDA is not a place to come and make your phone cool.
XDA is not the cool place for idiots to hang out.
XDA is not your friends house
XDA is not a democracy
XDA is not a place to make Money.
XDA IS a place to come to learn and share your knowledge. If you are not here for those reasons then you are here for the wrong ones.
XDA has become a place where every dumbass in the world has a smartphone and comes here thinking they have the right to anything. Well guess what? You dont have the right to s**t. We share it because we want to and we dont if we dont feel like it. Are the Developers or the Mods required to make you happy? Nope not in the least. Wanna leave. Go ahead. I beg you, please do. The less people that are asking dumb question because they dont know what they are doing (this is understand, but at least look) or are too lazy to look for it the better.
[/end paraphrase]
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Exactly. Thread closed.
This is a development forum, not an end-user support forum. Although many developers are kind enough to answer questions regarding their releases, this is in no way expected from them. Also, development sections must be kept clean in order to allow our valued developers to do what they do without the intrusion of noobish "entitled" attitudes.
If you have a problem with the way the XDA moderation team handles the forums (either general or more specific), you have two choices: you can either leave or you can message MikeChannon, our forum administrator, to suggest a different modus operandi. This thread is useless and off topic, as it's not even peripherally related to the Transformer.

Non XDA hosted roms in general and Thor in particular

Ok
Having had a number of threads crapped, locked and deleted I am now asking (since mods dont answer PMs with the question)
Why can we have threads asking for help getting Thors mod running but we can not have threads discussing Thors upcoming Roms and cornerstone?
Not flaming, not causing controversy, just asking. So far I have seen multiple threads locked and my very polite, very clear, very 100% legal thread deleted with no notice or explanation and no response from mods.
I and others would just like to see a constant and even hand when it comes to Thor. Can we or can we not discuss his work, and if so, then can we have the mods remove the offenders and not the threads.
yeah, I saw this too. It seems the only time a thread gets attention from a mod is if Thor is mentioned. The rules are followed, yet the thread gets locked or deleted. Yet the rest of the sub forums are a mess. It is definitely clear that it's a vendetta now. Thread to disappear in 3,2,....
Sent from my Acer Iconia A500 using Tapatalk
Remember that XDA is huge... so some things slip through. If they do, you can always flag a post for review... That said, removing the offenders would be even worse, as (particularly new) members might violate the rules without noticing... Of course, some people just won't accept the rules, and I guess they are eventually banned. Other than that, the forum rules clearly say "no warez" -- and, from a purely legal point of view, Thor's kernel qualifies.
I would say purely because the moderation of the a500 forums has been so lacking for so long. Now they finally get sick of flame threads being flagged they decide to just nuke anything to do with the cause of 95% of the nuisance posts: THOR and anything to do with him.
OP Really has come across as a Troll account to me though TBH, sorry if I am wrong but can't you just let it go? You are like a dog with a bone, go to his unmentionable forums and hang out there if you don't like the rules?
He has followed the rules, even directly from the horses mouth. The rules state no links may be posted, that's it, that's all. Discussion is fine. There's even an ICS theme thread that's been going on for awhile for thors Rom.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
Yep.
I created an account 3 (!!) years ago just so I could be a "troll".
Looking at post counts vs time we seem to be about the same......lurkers who post when meaningful. I do spend a lot of time at the "unmentionable" forum. I also keep tabs here to see if there is anything worthwhile...unfortunately less and less recently. Show me one post (other than 1 deleted one that was a clean call by the mod) where I did NOT 100% address the topic of the thread. Just because some one does not like the answer does not make it a troll post.... those whos some total of input is "sputter sputter GPL sputter stammer froth sputter" those are trolls.
Personally I have zero interest in Thor's stuff and I find his behaviour to be petty, childish and, again, hypocritical -- "I use other devs' stuff but I don't want other people to use my stuff!" -- but I still think people should be allowed to discuss his stuff here. We do not lose anything as a community even if we allow people to discuss topics they find interesting, but we certainly do lose something if we start censoring discussions just on the basis of who they are about!
Just my 2 cents, here.
Aaron Camp said:
Yep.
I created an account 3 (!!) years ago just so I could be a "troll".
Looking at post counts vs time we seem to be about the same......lurkers who post when meaningful. I do spend a lot of time at the "unmentionable" forum. I also keep tabs here to see if there is anything worthwhile...unfortunately less and less recently. Show me one post (other than 1 deleted one that was a clean call by the mod) where I did NOT 100% address the topic of the thread. Just because some one does not like the answer does not make it a troll post.... those whos some total of input is "sputter sputter GPL sputter stammer froth sputter" those are trolls.
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Hey I did say sorry if I was wrong!
Maybe one of the mods rubbed you the wrong way and you decided to be defiant? I don't actually disagree with any of your points, I just don't see the point in constantly questioning the mods or the rules when it won't get you anywhere?
Correct me if I missed something but it pretty much went
*Getting a thread closed due to mentioning Thor and people jumped in and started **** (as most mentions of him tend to do).
*Then instead of letting it go, posted a similar topic saying go to Thors site...he's working on stuff you want!
* Now after that thread failed you go ahead and call out the Moderators to what end? An apology?
It does seem the Moderators are more active in here now though, which can only be a good thing...if you are to blame in some way, thank you! lol
Update to reply to WereCatf instead of double posting: I agree 100% the mods deleting the threads is silly, they should only delete clear violations or flame wars. People will behave if the Mods stay as active as they have been the last couple of days and we can all discuss anything without starting **** storms and having threads deleted or people banned.
Great summation for the past 2 week "thor gate".
Honestly trying to understand the rules. I am a long time lurker/poster. I was actually around when thor was deving here. There is zero consistency so no one knows the rules. Tth thread that was deleted had over 500 views and was 2 pages long. I ddint see anything in it that was flamebate and I was very very careful to keep it 100% legit by all posted rules and previous mod comments. All of a sudden....poof. Add to that a complete lack of response via pm from the mod and it did leave a bad taste.
To be honest the whole thor issue comes down to opinion on who's right and who's wrong. It could go either way. He is clearly outside the bounds of xda though....no grey there, but from a personal level as to people stealing his hard work, I am behind him 100%.
Hell its been 2 days on this thread and no mod or "authority" has responded at all. In my book a poorly modded forum is worse than an unmodded one every time.
Aaron Camp said:
Hell its been 2 days on this thread and no mod or "authority" has responded at all. In my book a poorly modded forum is worse than an unmodded one every time.
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Mate, just let go. Don't expect a response from mods, they are likely busy, plus they likely have better things to do than to respond to threads like this. I mean, man, let go now and go do something useful. If they respond to this thread then good, if they don't you're just wasting your time at being unproductive.
I'm new to the community so I don't have an opinion about a certain hammer wielding developer. However, why the F*** do people want XDA to support his stuff when he has a whole site devoted to that?
Jim
Aaron Camp said:
Ok
Having had a number of threads crapped, locked and deleted I am now asking (since mods dont answer PMs with the question)
Why can we have threads asking for help getting Thors mod running but we can not have threads discussing Thors upcoming Roms and cornerstone?
Not flaming, not causing controversy, just asking. So far I have seen multiple threads locked and my very polite, very clear, very 100% legal thread deleted with no notice or explanation and no response from mods.
I and others would just like to see a constant and even hand when it comes to Thor. Can we or can we not discuss his work, and if so, then can we have the mods remove the offenders and not the threads.
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He has a forum use his forum to discuss how mods installed etc
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Thats kinda the point of this and other threads. There are other Roms out there beyond XDA. XDA in almost all other cases has no problem discussing them, referencing them, and even helping troublshoot them. XDA is very clear on what a ROM must be to be hosted here. Thor can not be hosted. No one argues that. We (and yes there are many who agree with me) just want to be able to discuss Thor here without the rabid anti-Thor crowd running in and crapping threads. As someone above said its become clear that it is a vendetta against Thor for some. If it is great, admit it, come clean and post clearly to all that XDA will not allow discussion of Thor, or moderate those who are crapping threads and let the discussion continue.
Aaron Camp said:
Thats kinda the point of this and other threads. There are other Roms out there beyond XDA. XDA in almost all other cases has no problem discussing them, referencing them, and even helping troublshoot them. XDA is very clear on what a ROM must be to be hosted here. Thor can not be hosted. No one argues that. We (and yes there are many who agree with me) just want to be able to discuss Thor here without the rabid anti-Thor crowd running in and crapping threads. As someone above said its become clear that it is a vendetta against Thor for some. If it is great, admit it, come clean and post clearly to all that XDA will not allow discussion of Thor, or moderate those who are crapping threads and let the discussion continue.
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One of the things about XDA, is that you can discuss general things regardless. And of people have issues with a rom, no matter who it comes from, then that falls under the apache license. Not GPL which has to do with the kernel itself. Something to that effect.
Discussing Thors rom, does not violate any license agreement, nor XDA policy. Direct links to Thors kernel, or rom or code containing such kernel, does.
This has been stated by Mod's time and time again. Some people, just don't get it, and use any mention of the name, as an excuse to "carry on the crusade", most of whom have not an inkling of what happened in the first place. They just react on what is recently known, and then again, only "hearsay".
So to discuss problem with an android rom, regardless of where it came from, is quite ok. But if the "crusaders" (on both ends) cause too much of a ruckus, which normally happens, the Mods will shut it down.
If people keep it civil, then things will be ok. Discuss the problems at hand, and ignore those who get their jollies trying to turn it into something else.
Not another Erica Post!!!!!!! Ohhh no!!!!
I Totally agree with Moscow..For me the biggest issue is . I see and post to all the threads Asking for Acer to release ICS. Then there are threads asking for GPL Compliant ICS. In those threads the flaming starts when people come in shouting there is ics and im running it now. Go to Here xxxxx to get it.. Its perfect its good the dev is above and beyond all..
The above is what has started this flaming war.. IF someone starts posting that he is so great so much above and better then everyone else. The flaming will start. As stated above i kinda agree that discussing issues solving basic android apps and issues on his rom is likely ok. But when People start putting xxxx as being better then everyone else is again when it will become a flaming thread. Unfortunately xda is a community for all.Everyone will give there opinion.Its a two sided story.I was using the above mentioned stuff until way back.I seen everything that went wrong.it would have took one Tiny Link to Source code solve this whole mess.
so keep this thread clean from the he has the right to not share and you MIGHT NOT GET FLAMED. IF you are lucky.. Whats right is Right.and there is a huge wrong happening.As i FLAME If you will ACER Everyday in email facebook twitter there automated help on there website. Over the boot loader . Will it help NO. But like equality for all in the US. sitting on your butt surely will fail..
Just my 3.well maybe 4 pennies..
Sorry if this is considered out of line for your Thread..
As far as cornerstone. I really do hope he gets its Working within his rom.As this is something that can be stripped out and Used in the Acer rom when pushed.Thou im not sure how will it will work with the acer ring as that also makes major changes to the same files as cornerstone.
Peacefully .. Me
Moscow Desire said:
Discussing Thors rom, does not violate any license agreement, nor XDA policy. Direct links to Thors kernel, or rom or code containing such kernel, does.
This has been stated by Mod's time and time again. Some people, just don't get it,....
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And this is the issue I am bringing up! I miss read the policy. The thread where I posted the direct link to Thor was locked. That was fine. I created a new thread that did not LINK. It DISCUSSED. It was 100% within the posted and stated rules of XDA, but that thread was DELETED!!
As for what really happened, I too was around, and read all the same threads you read. The issue of hosting the ROM is very cut and dry, it is not XDA material. The issue of if Thors ROM is legal, warez, violation of GPL etc is NOT cut and dry and is very much in a grey area. You can argue all you want about the rights or wrongs (ok, maybe not on this board!! ) of how Thor was treated by XDA mods etc.
I just want to make sure people passing through know about another GREAT ROM for a great tablet, and would also like to see XDA get back to being a well moderated (even handed) forum that is open to all discussion on relevant topics.
Aaron Camp said:
The issue of if Thors ROM is legal, warez, violation of GPL etc is NOT cut and dry and is very much in a grey area.
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Just pointing out that that is not true. It is in violation of GPL, that's that. It is a fact, not "grey area."
WereCatf said:
Just pointing out that that is not true. It is in violation of GPL, that's that. It is a fact, not "grey area."
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Well, you stretch the truth. To suit your needs.
Discussing of Thors rom breaks no rule. The "rom" itself does not fall under GPL, but under Apache. Only the specific kernel falls under GPL.
Now, if I flash RTripps kernel, using Thor's rom, are you to say I am violating GPL? No, and neither is RTripp or Thor.
GPL specifically states "Kernel".
So if a user, wants to ask questions, about a specific rom, well, nobody is violating any rules. Which is why the mods, have not intervened.
Of course if the cross comes to bear,,, well, that's just the way it is.
Moscow Desire said:
Discussing of Thors rom breaks no rule.
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I never claimed that. Just look at the previous page where I said people should be allowed to discuss it.
The "rom" itself does not fall under GPL, but under Apache. Only the specific kernel falls under GPL.
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As long as the kernel is distributed as part of it, then yes, it does. If he were to distribute them separately then what you claim would be true.
GPL specifically states "Kernel".
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No, it doesn't. GPL applies to any GPL-licensed software.
So if a user, wants to ask questions, about a specific rom, well, nobody is violating any rules. Which is why the mods, have not intervened.
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Again, you're barking up the wrong tree there.
Aaron Camp said:
And this is the issue I am bringing up! I miss read the policy. The thread where I posted the direct link to Thor was locked. That was fine. I created a new thread that did not LINK. It DISCUSSED. It was 100% within the posted and stated rules of XDA, but that thread was DELETED!!
As for what really happened, I too was around, and read all the same threads you read. The issue of hosting the ROM is very cut and dry, it is not XDA material. The issue of if Thors ROM is legal, warez, violation of GPL etc is NOT cut and dry and is very much in a grey area. You can argue all you want about the rights or wrongs (ok, maybe not on this board!! ) of how Thor was treated by XDA mods etc.
I just want to make sure people passing through know about another GREAT ROM for a great tablet, and would also like to see XDA get back to being a well moderated (even handed) forum that is open to all discussion on relevant topics.
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The real problem is the fact that any discussions on Thor or his works immediately brings about the heated arguments from both sides of the fence. There is just very little possibility that people here can carry on a discussion that is JUST about the ROM and issues/experiences using it. There are only a few ways it can be carried out here (and seriously correct me if you think I am wrong):
You start your nice thread to discuss issues with Thor's ICS ROM, you put in your OP that this is simply a discussion, no linking allowed, you can even put a disclaimer like "If anyone has an issue with this discussion, please bring to a MOD's attention instead of posting your opposition here". But...
1. someone feels it is their responsibility to post why they are against this. Or...
2. someone is going to post asking why we cannot provide a link, or where to find the ROM, or why isn't it in the development section... or...
3. someone is going to feel they need to retaliate when someone does one of the above.
Either way, one outcome, the argument will get heated, and the mods will be forced to step in and take action. If they feel there is no salvation for the thread, they will close or delete it. End of discussion.
So, really, the content of the discussion is not really the issue at hand, but how the discussions are generally (always?) carried out.

[discussion] moderators being excessive

Is it just me or does everyone else think the mods are being way more hurtful than helpful with the way they are monitoring the threads here. I haven't ever seen a group of mods close threads and clean threads so much or so randomly in my life.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
Ah NO, they are not. They are doing their job and are clearing out the junk. Actually, I would like them to be more aggressive in their cleaning of the useless posts. For example the one that type I am pressing F5 till root hits. Really what does that have to do with obtaining root? Nothing and when the Mods delete those type of posts they do all of us a favor.
This is a forum. Expecting people to discuss things and not go off on tangents is like expecting a fat guy and an all you can eat buffet to only eat one french fry.
If you have to constantly close threads and clean them there are two problems:
1. You are not removing trouble posters that use personal attacks and act like asses
2. Your expectations for how much control you should expect on a forum is out of whack
I think both of those are the problems, not any actual discussion. This site is a far cry from what it used to be.
Moderators are trained on how to do their jobs. But what you don't know, is most of that is up to them to use their best judgement. Please try to remember, moderators do not see every single post being made. We rely strongly on the members to point us to trouble. From there, it's up to the individual moderator to handle things the best way they see fit.
I encourage everyone to report anything they feel is a violation of our rules or contact me directly. My PM inbox is always open for any concerns. This goes for just about any moderator or administrator of xda. We are here to help, not be forum police. You also don't always see all sides to the story. If it seems one thread is getting a lot of attention, then there's most likely a problem there.
Hope this helps,
The Merovingian
Senior Moderator
daizoninc said:
Is it just me or does everyone else think the mods are being way more hurtful than helpful with the way they are monitoring the threads here. I haven't ever seen a group of mods close threads and clean threads so much or so randomly in my life.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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I think it's overall quite balanced. They actually show some patience when some threads are getting out of topic, they could even more swiftly without it being shocking (There are really some threads getting completely messed up and they do a great job cleaning them up). I have seen much more arguable behaviors a few years go.
I just feel that a thread being cleaned should only be at the request of the OP period. And moderators need to use logic instead of their best judgement. Sometimes going off on a tangent is exactly what needs to happen for a developer to get an idea. All of a sudden someone is talking about Verizon FiOS and then fiber comes I to talks, from fiber the dev thinks of the food he eats, from there he remembers he had an idea at breakfast. I just feel that with the s8(+) forums specifically there are a few moderators who have gone full on post police for no reason. They have deleted nearly as much helpful information as hurtful.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
daizoninc said:
I just feel that a thread being cleaned should only be at the request of the OP period. And moderators need to use logic instead of their best judgement. Sometimes going off on a tangent is exactly what needs to happen for a developer to get an idea. All of a sudden someone is talking about Verizon FiOS and then fiber comes I to talks, from fiber the dev thinks of the food he eats, from there he remembers he had an idea at breakfast. I just feel that with the s8(+) forums specifically there are a few moderators who have gone full on post police for no reason. They have deleted nearly as much helpful information as hurtful.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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A lot of the time we do clean up at the request of the OP. You might be surprised about the cleaning we have done and who reported the issue. And we do use our logic. My logic might be different to your logic, and that is where our judgement comes in. We are using our judgement or common sense to try to keep the forums tidy and welcoming . But if someone other than the OP reports abuse or spamming(or any posts that are against XDA rules), we shouldn't clean those posts?
People going off on tangents is not something we generally worry too much about, but again, a lot of times the OP will report it and request we remove those posts. The other thing is, people read those threads to get whatever information they are seeking. Not everyone wants to read through pages of posts that have no relation to the subject of the thread. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who agree and disagree with that. But that is our problem, we will never keep everyone happy.
You're welcome to your opinion, but our goal as moderators is to tread the fine line between letting everyone have their say and enforcing the rules that we all agreed to when we joined.
noppy22 said:
A lot of the time we do clean up at the request of the OP. You might be surprised about the cleaning we have done and who reported the issue. And we do use our logic. My logic might be different to your logic, and that is where our judgement comes in. We are using our judgement or common sense to try to keep the forums tidy and welcoming . But if someone other than the OP reports abuse or spamming(or any posts that are against XDA rules), we shouldn't clean those posts?
People going off on tangents is not something we generally worry too much about, but again, a lot of times the OP will report it and request we remove those posts. The other thing is, people read those threads to get whatever information they are seeking. Not everyone wants to read through pages of posts that have no relation to the subject of the thread. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who agree and disagree with that. But that is our problem, we will never keep everyone happy.
You're welcome to your opinion, but our goal as moderators is to tread the fine line between letting everyone have their say and enforcing the rules that we all agreed to when we joined.
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I can respect that. Maybe there needs to be a double moderator system or something, where not just one moderator cleans it, but 2 or more working together. Would need more mods, but would likely result in more accurate cleaning?
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
I've been op of some big threads in the past and commend the work the mods do to clean up the threads over and over. It's not an easy job to keep up with.
I personally appreciate the effort moderators are putting here and the time they spend clearing out the junk. Every report I send is dealt with quickly.
It's not about them being "forum police"... but some sort of order has to be in place since threads get derailed, spammed and completely swamped with random discussions from time to time. A forum with no control is a mess.
TL : DR; To any mod reading this, thank you. You're doing great.
daizoninc said:
I can respect that. Maybe there needs to be a double moderator system or something, where not just one moderator cleans it, but 2 or more working together. Would need more mods, but would likely result in more accurate cleaning?
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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To be honest, if we felt that was needed, that would be like us saying we don't trust our moderators to operate independently.
But we do. 100%. Every one of them. The current "cleaning" is more than accurate enough in our eyes.
I think noppy's response gave a good explanation of why things are done the way they are.
But if you think mods are being too heavy handed or excessive, then by all means, let us know (via private medium, not in the public forum). Provide some examples, and we will look into them. We take all feedback and complaints very seriously.
But from what you've been describing here, it seems this is more a matter of personal opinion than cold, hard over moderation.
It's difficult for those not on the moderation team to grasp just how many reports we deal with on a daily basis. (bearing in mind we have over 8 million members). Reports that get submitted by users like yourself, using the Report Post button. You'll actually find that most actions that a moderator takes on a thread are because of a report, not because of something they are doing off their own back.
daizoninc said:
I just feel that a thread being cleaned should only be at the request of the OP period. And moderators need to use logic instead of their best judgement. Sometimes going off on a tangent is exactly what needs to happen for a developer to get an idea. All of a sudden someone is talking about Verizon FiOS and then fiber comes I to talks, from fiber the dev thinks of the food he eats, from there he remembers he had an idea at breakfast. I just feel that with the s8(+) forums specifically there are a few moderators who have gone full on post police for no reason. They have deleted nearly as much helpful information as hurtful.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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Ok, you have a point on helping, and agree sometimes a blind squirrel sometimes finds the nut. However, if you look at 99.9999% of the posts they have zero to do with the subject at hand. Again, I use my example of the multiple "I am pressing F5 till root drops". Honestly, what does that have to do with the root discussion? Nothing, so deleting them is the best thing. Also to your point, how many times does thread have to have the announcement somebody found the way to root snapdragon Galaxy S8+ by using dirtycow (which does not work by the way, but did not stop 500 people from posting they found root)? And to come full circle, the mods do not delete useful content, it is just there are some many folks with zero skill thinking their input has value when it doesn't. To thank a person hit the thanks button or donate to them. Don't waste a post on thanking them. Again to my example, no I and the other 7 billion humans that live on planet Earth do not care that you are hitting the f5 button till root drops, so don't waste a post saying so, and to the fool that bumped that post, stop. In closing, the mods in my opinion don't clean the threads enough, just because the plethora of useless posts that occur in a very short amount of time. For them to keep up it would require them to have no life, no family, no job......
It's every day bro.... "Jake Paul Voice"
I almost never have issue with a mod. I have seen a lot of cleaning and closing on the S8/+ root threads, but I show up after the fact. So I can't say whether or not if they were being excessive. I think they are doing about as well as you could expect a human to.
daizoninc said:
Is it just me or does everyone else think the mods are being way more hurtful than helpful with the way they are monitoring the threads here. I haven't ever seen a group of mods close threads and clean threads so much or so randomly in my life.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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No i think they should actually be far more agressive in some ways
There are WAY too many lazy, entitled no search/ no read idiots in here now than 5 years ago when i got here.
Back then you were expected to attempt to help your self first...exhaust all options then ask a question or ask for help.
This new generation of lazy users make it miserable for those of us that are not lazy, always read the OP and always search before asking stupid/repeat questions.
I know the mods have been told to be show more leniency then in previous years but i think that is not the way to go.
And god forbid you actually tell someone directly they are lazy or quote the rules to them...then you end up with an infraction. In real life i dont hold my tongue or tolerate lazy people .i shouldnt have to on a web forum... telling the truth (in a reasonably respectful way) is a good thing last time i checked.
Its sickening honestly.
I miss the old days...
That said the mods have an almost impossible task in front of them. I respect and appreciate every single one of them...even the one who gave me infractions lol.
sent from my Note FE, S8 plus, S7 edge or S6
Now that root is released, I feel like the mod team will have many more reports to deal with, tons more off topic posts and clutter, the stepped up response is called for in my insight. You've done an outstanding job, and I don't think I need to tell you that guys. Thank you.
Xda always been full of Snitches and nazi mods
vanemburghj said:
Ah NO, they are not. They are doing their job and are clearing out the junk. Actually, I would like them to be more aggressive in their cleaning of the useless posts. For example the one that type I am pressing F5 till root hits. Really what does that have to do with obtaining root? Nothing and when the Mods delete those type of posts they do all of us a favor.
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Doing their job is all they need to do and not whine about it and close threads. Their job is not to try to get ppl from making useless posts, they are not teachers or guides. Their job is to clean and moderate. Likely done better by sentient programs or trained gibbons. Open the progress threads and moderate Instead of holding the threat of closing threads over users heads like petulent bullies. They need to check their egos and just execute the functions of their job title. Now this may mean actually doing more work, spending more time doing moderator things....and that's the rub isn't it. They do not want to be bothered with moderating, they just want the ego boost they think the title entitles them to.
daizoninc said:
Is it just me or does everyone else think the mods are being way more hurtful than helpful with the way they are monitoring the threads here. I haven't ever seen a group of mods close threads and clean threads so much or so randomly in my life.
Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
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Just wondering: what has this post to do with the Samsung Galaxy S8+?
Is there no other part of the forum to discuss this?
cc: @The Merovingian @noppy22 @the_scotsman
henklbr said:
Just wondering: was has this post to do with the Samsung Galaxy S8+?
Is there no other part of the forum to discuss this?
cc: @The Merovingian @noppy22 @the_scotsman
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The post you quoted asks about:
with the way they are monitoring the threads here
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so I would say the OP is talking about "here" the s8+ forum....

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