Firstly this guide is the brainchild of mf2112 in collaboration with other Recognized Contributors in our forum to hopefully give you (the new member) a good reference point.
We all felt it's useful to re-iterate this in the individual device forums as well as the XDA General forum (original here) as the device forum will be most users entry into XDA when they search for information on their new device.
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This guide is intended to be a starting point for new users to teach you how to start out on XDA and have a good experience and become good XDA netizens. Any input is welcomed.
To all new users, XDA is a great place where you can learn a lot about how to make your phone better, have fun talking to other smart people about your phone and the Android OS, and maybe be recognized for your efforts. But first there are few things you need to know about XDA to be a good netizen. I suggest bookmarking any of the links below which might seem helpful since chances are in the future it will be helpful to you or to someone else and you will have it bookmarked.
Getting Started
First, please start here by moderators (mods) who enforce the rules when necessary.
Here is the short version. Please:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Here is the longer version. XDA Rules
Searching
When you have a question you don't know the answer to, don't post a new thread when you could post a question in a relevant open thread, and don't post a question when a few minutes reading and searching will not only give you an answer, but a feeling of accomplishment that you were able to find it yourself, and the confidence to remember and repeat the answer with the link to the thread or post with that answer when you see someone else post that question.
Consider the question you are going to post, pick out the keywords and type them into the search box. Try a few different searches with slightly different words.
New Members Guide-Get the most out of XDA!!
Search guide video
If you aren't sure what a term or acronym means, check this Excellent term definition Glossary by benjamingwynn.
Giving Thanks
Giving thanks is important. It lets people know that their work or answer is appreciated. It is a faster method of feedback than posting a reply like "Thanks for your answer!" You must have one post to give thanks, so here is a good place you can do that without running afoul of the mods for posting no content posts.
The "Say Hi" thread.
You get 8 thanks per day, and they renew after 24 hours or so. Each thanks is independent of the others, so if you give someone a thanks at 3, and then another at 4, those will renew at 3 and 4 the next day. If you run out of thanks, then bookmark that page or open it in a new tab and give thanks later when you have one available.
If you use them all every day you are doing it correctly.
Getting Thanks
You will see that everyone here has a Thanks Meter above their avatar. Here are the thanks counts needed to get to the next bar.
1st bar - 26
2nd bar - 51
3rd bar - 101
4th bar - 201
bug here, never gets to 5 bars, probably 501 if fixed.
6th bar - 1001
7th bar - 2001
8th bar - 5001
9th bar - 8001
Maxed! - 10000
Not that thanks are an indication of a user's status or stature on XDA. Some of the most important people here have a lot fewer thanks than you might guess.
User Titles
As you go around XDA and encounter people, you may notice that they have different titles under their avatar. Speaking of which, click here to upload a picture.
Here are the user titles explained by one of our mods.
0 to 29 posts - Junior Member
30 to 99 posts - Member
100 + posts - Senior Member
juzz86 said:
I'll sum it up for you (or try, anyway!)
There are Junior Members, Members, Senior Members first. These make up the vast majority of XDAs userbase.
Recognised Contributors are nominated by other users and/or Mods/Developers. They are recognised for their contributions which are not specifically Development, such as detailed guides, one-click utilities and other tools/mods.
Recognised Themers are also nominated by users/Mods/Developers, for their work themeing custom ROMs and providing standalone themes for flashing.
Recognised Developers are nominated and approved by the Developer Committee, for their work in Development whether it be ROMs, Root methods, bootloader unlocks etc.
Elite Recognised Developers are again assessed by the Developer Committee, and are deemed to have gone above-and-beyond in providing knowledge/hacks/tools/apps/ROMs for the XDA community.
Forum Moderators are appointed by the Moderator Committee, after submitting an application (see the 'sticky' at the top of this forum - currently applications are not open). They are the first-line of keeping the forums tidy, friendly and orderly.
Senior Moderators are the next step up the ladder, providing site-wide support for Forum Mods and looking after the nitty-gritty issues, as well as areas of XDA not policed by FSMs, such as the Marketplace.
Administrators are next. There are several Admins - each look after a specific part of XDA such as the Portal, the Members and the User Experience of XDA as a whole.
At the top is Mike Channon, who is overall Forum Administrator.
Other titles you may come across:
Moderator Committee - sits on the Mod Committee
Developer Committee - as above, but for Developer Committee
XDA Newswriter - publishes articles for the Portal (front page)
Retired xxxx - have since officially 'left' their XDA position
Hopefully that clears most of them up for you
Contrary to what a lot of people expect, the thanks-meter does not figure at all in determining a users tag.
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Posting
Posting is something you may do a lot of here, but it is always important to remember to make your posts good ones. Don't post just to drive up your count, there is no special reward for the poster with the highest total and you won't catch the long timers here anyways.
You will find that there are some restrictions on your posting ability when you first start here. For starters, for your first 5 posts, there is a captcha prompt and a time limit in between posts. While this may seem burdensome, it does an excellent job of keeping spammers from posting garbage throughout every thread. There is a 2 minute limit between posting and editing your posts. This stops at 30 posts when you go from Junior Member to Member.
Always remember advice from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
Don't Panic!
Please post ALL relevant information. What ROM/Kernel, What you were doing when the problem surfaced, What is the actual problem (not my phone won't boot, help!!), Were the planets aligned,...
Simple information can go along way to diagnose the problem/issue and it also prevents the reciprocal post of "Need more info".
And we have all been there in Panic Mode where you freak out and just want to get some help. Noobs don't look at these devices as phones or tablets, but rather as an investment because well......that is what they are at $500-$800 a throw. I respect my device but that is because I know how to use and recover it but anyone new to all this may not. They see a bootloop and it is strikingly similar to the toilet swirling their money down the drain. That is when Panic Mode sets in.
Don't Panic....Don't be a noob.....Be a New User who is smart and reads a lot and knows where things are and how to find useful and timely information.
Why can't I post in the Dev thread I want to?
It seems like everyone wants to be able to post in the Dev threads since it is the cool place to hang out or more likely, just because the message comes up and says you can't post here. However, those forums are locked down and new users who joined after March 11th 2012 with less than 10 posts will not be able to post there. See 10 post count rule for Dev threads for reference. If you see someone with less than 10 posts in a dev thread, look at their join date and you will see why they were able to post.
This restriction is not meant to be cruel or mean to you, but to prevent inexperienced people from posting in forums which are meant for Development work. Posting "Thanks for a great ROM" might make you feel good, but consider what it adds to the conversation from a Development perspective. If the answer is Nothing, then please don't post it in a Dev thread. If it adds another post to an already long thread with zero value, please don't post it on a Dev thread or anywhere on XDA for that matter.
Also keep in mind that the mods are out there reading your posts, and if they believe you are posting simply to get to 10 posts to post some non-dev comment in a dev thread, you could find all your posts missing and your account temporarily disabled.
Please feel free to thank the dev several times instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM". Rate the dev's thread with 5 stars using the rate dropdown button at the top of every page of the thread. If you feel that is not sufficient, most devs have a donate button with Paypal. I promise you that they will remember you and appreciate you far more for donating even a couple of dollars versus some post, however gushingly approving, on their dev thread.
Please do not send private messages to the devs saying "Thanks for a great ROM" instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM". See above.
The best way to start is not by posting, it is by reading. Read, search, read, search. If you read an answer that looks helpful or answers a question you might have, bookmark it, and when you see someone else ask that question you will have the answer for them plus a supporting link.
You might be thinking, is there a place for new users? The answer is no, because the only non-noob areas are the Dev subforums. You can post into your devices General, Q&A, Accessories, and Themes and Apps subforums.
Posting Questions
OK, you got through all that and you have a question that you need that answer to. You have searched, and searched again, and searched again with different keywords, but you can't find the answer. The question is, where do you post it? The first and best place is to check your device's Q&A subforum for a thread posted there, either a general question thread, or a thread already posted there with a similar question. When you post into a thread, that thread is then listed at the top of the subforum it is in and the title turns Bold for everyone else. Someone else may see that thread and know the answer and post it.
Remember, give it some time before reposting. XDA members live around the world and are not going to be on your time zone and schedule. Wait a day and see if you get a response. If you want a notification of someone else posting into that thread, click on the Thread Tools button at the top of the thread and choose Subscribe.
Getting Flamed
At some point, you are going to get "flamed" by someone who feels that your post is stupid, off-topic, irrelevant, noobish, whatever, and they are going to post something like "You are an XXXXX who doesn't know something simple like YYYYY. Don't post here anymore." It is going to happen at some time here, but the important part is not to respond in kind. It will not help the situation, or make your e-peen any bigger, or make you any tougher. It might make you feel better temporarily, but what invariably happens is that the forum mod (or a senior mod) will come in and delete those comments and you might end up on the infraction list, or temporarily disabled, or banned. Just don't reply to it. First, consider the question or post you wrote from a different angle. There is no excuse for flaming someone, but in a multi-cultural environment things may be perceived very differently than what you intended. Second, if the flame is really over the line, click on the little triangle in the upper right hand corner of the post and type in a short explanation and let the mods handle it.
Signature
Making a signature is a very important thing to do since it can help to describe your phone, it's current software, and any modifications you have installed.
A signature should inform others about your phone when you post a question.
A good signature will include information helpful to others beyond the direct target of the question/reply.
A great signature will inform the community with important information and potentially answer questions which have not been asked yet, avoiding repetitive posts.
Please click here to make a signature (5-8 posts minimum) It's cool and you will get more help and respect from us.
Remember this isn't a competition for who has the biggest/longest signature so please remember people come here to read the posts not just your signatures so please be mindful of the size. Just as an example, some users' signatures and a one line post of theirs fills my screen (40" TV) and there's no need for that.
Make it colourful, make it artistic, make it stand out, just don't make it massive
Donations
Making a donation is neither expected or required,but always gratefully received and appreciated.
There are "Donate to me" icons above people's avatar,or in their signatures.
You can also donate to XDA by clicking HERE.
When you donate 10 EUROS to XDA,you get rewarded with a STAR
,which is displayed a little below your avatar.
If you buy 10 STARS ,you will be rewarded with a
.
Remember, always be respectful of other members here and considerate. Most people here are doing this for nothing more than the feeling of helping people as we have been helped by other people previously, and sometimes the occasional press of the thanks button. We aren't making money here and this isn't a job, so please don't tell people what to do or demand things of people such as mods or custom ROM configs to suit you and you will do just fine here.
This is an open guide, but please, in the spirit of what's been written above, please only post suggestions you feel will improve this guide. I hope this guide helps you and makes your experience on XDA a better one. I appreciate your thanks, but I will appreciate you even more if you take this guide to heart and really do it while you are here. Thank you for reading.
While I admire your efforts and the time to write this up, and as much as we want to stop those unnecessary posts and threads, we will never eradicate those unwanted posts. This has been said the umpteens times, but the situation will not change.
g00ndu said:
While I admire your efforts and the time to write this up, and as much as we want to stop those unnecessary posts and threads, we will never eradicate those unwanted posts. This has been said the umpteens times, but the situation will not change.
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I truly hate to see you feel that way, but this is not just posted here. The master or template copy of this is posted in the Recognized Contributor Private Chat forum and was originally written by mf2112. He has given all RC's the expressed consent to copy and modify this as much or as little as they see fit. So this is being posted all over XDA in device forums and non device forums, it has already been posted in several forums and linked in a lot of the RC's signatures. So us RC's has taken this on as a group effort to do what we do best, contribute. Our hopes are that our combined efforts will make a difference here on XDA. It may work and it may not only time will tell, but one thing is for sure doing nothing or just saying it will not change does nothing to help the problem.
Reguards
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the people who went to the effort of rating this thread with 1 star. Your tireless resolve is sure to make XDA a much better place for years to come. 1's of people will surely applaud your every post which is obviously filled with posty goodness. Really, I cannot imagine how XDA could go on without you. Don't ever stop....
I feel a little better now....
Im new here, and i'll try to help in the many ways I could.
Very interesting post, thank you!
this is helpfull information..then hit thanks from noob like me
T-Macgnolia said:
I truly hate to see you feel that way, but this is not just posted here. The master or template copy of this is posted in the Recognized Contributor Private Chat forum and was originally written by mf2112. He has given all RC's the expressed consent to copy and modify this as much or as little as they see fit. So this is being posted all over XDA in device forums and non device forums, it has already been posted in several forums and linked in a lot of the RC's signatures. So us RC's has taken this on as a group effort to do what we do best, contribute. Our hopes are that our combined efforts will make a difference here on XDA. It may work and it may not only time will tell, but one thing is for sure doing nothing or just saying it will not change does nothing to help the problem.
Reguards
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Don't be mistaken, I am on your side. Just take a look at the various forum threads, Siyah kernel, CM9, etc etc. Those threads were filled with personal opinions, usual banal talks, etc. Some of those posts even ask questions without even bothering to find out the issues, and expected the developers to "help" them solve the problems.
I think the fundamental intention is often taken for granted by some of the users. Remember that this site exists BECAUSE people wants to make their phones better, trying to squeeze out every ounce of performance, trying to share what they have done, and hoping others can benefit from their mods. However, along the way, this intention is lost and people thought that it is within their rights to get the developers solve their problems.
I guess that a disclaimer should always be put up in the beginning of the post. That the users have a right not to use the mods, and the developers reserve the rights not to answer them if the problems are posted in the wrong section. If it is possible, the developers should open 2 threads, one in the development section and another in the general section.
If I may humbly suggest, let the OP has the administrator rights to their own thread only, or he can assign someone whom he trust to oversee the thread is kept clean and tidy. OP can also revoke this right if things doesn't work out. This way, it also relieves the duties of the moderators.
mf2112 said:
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the people who went to the effort of rating this thread with 1 star. Your tireless resolve is sure to make XDA a much better place for years to come. 1's of people will surely applaud your every post which is obviously filled with posty goodness. Really, I cannot imagine how XDA could go on without you. Don't ever stop....
I feel a little better now....
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Your designation speaks volume and this post demonstrated your contributions within xda-developers. Forget about the rating, and remember that there will always be some black sheep among the whole flock, when the flock numbers to more than 4 million members.
Pols-k said:
Im new here, and i'll try to help in the many ways I could.
Very interesting post, thank you!
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viusyalis said:
this is helpfull information..then hit thanks from noob like me
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Why is this thread not locked?
oinkylicious said:
Why is this thread not locked?
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It's been left open so that useful feedback can be given by members, ie improvements to the guide that will be beneficial to other new members. As with everything this will evolve with the member base.
It's good to see its being used and accepted but for anyone that doesn't agree with it or doesn't see the point should try refrain from posting here as is of no benefit to its purpose.
Sent from my GT-I9100
I'm not sure if you directed that at me, but I didn't question the validity of the thread. I asked a rational question considering the only posts here before mine have been ones questing the point, justifying the existence and spam.
There was no request for useful feedback in your post, nor a request not to debate the existence of it.
oinkylicious said:
I'm not sure if you directed that at me, but I didn't question the validity of the thread. I asked a rational question considering the only posts here before mine have been ones questing the point, justifying the existence and spam.
There was no request for useful feedback in your post, nor a request not to debate the existence of it.
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No sorry wasn't directed at you in that purpose, I was trying to bounce off your post (the way you intended it) so others would read it and only post useful feedback. The last paragraph says about suggestions to improve the guide.
Sorry for the confusion and thanks.
Sent from my GT-I9100
If I may humbly suggest, let the OP has the administrator rights to their own thread only, or he can assign someone whom he trust to oversee the thread is kept clean and tidy. OP can also revoke this right if things doesn't work out. This way, it also relieves the duties of the moderators.
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Over on the RC forum, we asked for the exact same thing, and the idea did not get very far, the admin see the opertunity for this to get abused, so are not in favour of the idea. Although we asked for this to be implemnted for RC, RD and RT only.
Related
[highlight]Rules for Posting New Threads in the Blue Angel WM6 Development Section[/highlight]
[highlight]Definition and General Purpose of this section:[/highlight]
This section of www.xda-developers.com is for the device code-name Blue Angel by HTC. There exists several name variations of this device which can be located in the wiki. If your device [highlight]DOES NOT[/highlight] have any of the names found in the link above, then you are in the wrong section of the forum. You can find your device here. If your device is not listed in there, then you are in the wrong site altogether. However, your questions might be answered by posting them in the Q&A area.
The purpose of this forum is for the development and advancement of a device that was left 4 dead too soon. While questions are welcome, we require all members of all statuses to use either Google or the site's Search Engine before opening a new thread or making a post.
[highlight]Who Should Open New Threads?[/highlight]
Anyone making any type of contribution towards the Blue Angel (i.e. New Roms, New Software, Ports, Skins, etc).
If you are questioning why can something not be used in the Blue Angel, [highlight]Do Not Open A New Thread Asking For It.[/highlight] More than likely, that question/request has either been asked here, in the Development and Hacking Section, in the Questions and Answers Section, in the General Section.... you get my point. This takes me back to a point that I want to make absolutely clear.... [highlight]search before you ask.[/highlight]
An example of this that comes to mind is the "My 4/8/16/32 GB SD does not work with the Blue Angel" or "I applied the patch I found in the Dev&Hacking section and now my SD/my wireless does not work"
Most of us are always searching for things, stuff, and/or patches that will make the latest softwares run in our devices. If, for instance, you want to find out if TF3D works in the BA or not... you gotta search!!! If you want to find out why it doesn't run, search and then read (or ask in the Q&A section). Believe me, all of these answers are out there in this site.
The next post is equally as important... so please don't skip it!!
Flaming and Courtesy (taken from Tweakman's Thread)
FLAMING & ARGUING RULES
MUST READ ENTIRE POST
Attention All XDA members. Over the past year, "Flaming" & Arguing has become two of the biggest problems on XDA. For those of you that do not know what "Flaming" is, it is unnessicary, immature, criticizm of another member, for mistakes, "noob" questions, or any other reason.
THIS NOW HAS TO STOP.
"Flaming" another user for a mistake, such as posting in the wrong section, or asking a noob type question, will no longer be tolerated. ANY MEMBER (OF ANY STATUS) CAUGHT FLAMING ANOTHER MEMBER FOR ANY REASON, WILL BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION. This just will not be tolerated guys and gals. XDA isn't here for only tech savy members, but for members of all types, Noobs included.
Anyone can make a mistake. Anyone can post in the wrong section if there new here, or even if they've been here a while. THATS WHY WE HAVE POLICIEIS FOR THESE MISTAKES. Over the past few months, we have worked out ways upon ways to help people stop posting in the wrong section, and to help make asking questions easier. "FLAMING" does not speed this process up, or help it in anyway, but only adds to the problem.
Now , about Arguing with other members. We sometimes get members that come here just to start problems. They will post untrue comments, or make ridiculous statements, only in the attempt to start fights and trouble. And most of the time they succeed.
THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED EITHER. If a member says something to you, or in a thread , that isn't true, or if a member is trying to start an argument ro trouble, DO NOT TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF TO ARGUE WITH THAT PERSON!! You setting an arguing with another member, will not solve any problems, but instead will only cause more.
If you are in a thread, arguing with someone , other members will join in, and the thread will eventually become cluttered up and of topic. The person starting the trouble gets what they want, and nothing ever is resolved. So instead of taking it upon yourself to argue with them, come straight to me, or to any moderator on this site, and report that member to us.
We will check things out and take the appropriate actions. However, if you are caught arguing back and forth with another member, for an off related subject in any thread, you will be held accountable and responsible just as the other member will NO MATTER WHO STARTS THE ARGUMENT.
Come on guys, XDA wasn't made to argue, and to start trouble with people. It's here to help you and me get what we want out of our devices. AND THATS WHAT IT WILL BE USED FOR. You all have done great witht he recent changes to different sections, and threads, and the improvments to D&H Are amazing. If you can do that, you can do this without any trouble.
So lets give it a shot guys. I mean come one, "Can't we all just get along"
i have read it and yes!
great utopy men!
Keep the good work!
Thank you for creating this Egz...it's about time to put some order here on our BA section. And about time to have a new moderator for BA Thread.
Can't we all just get along
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Tottaly Agree With These Rules
And a little suggestion for addition to the rules, our good admins added the rating feature for a reason - so al of the users who want to thank a thread just rate for it with the amount of stars you think it deserve
thanks posts are about at least 50% of all posts in these forums
You got my vote for excellence my friend. Now lets all follow them rules and enjoy a smother, friendlier community.
i have read it and yes!
This forum is our home, and the second-serves all...
and all the love and thanks to the owners and observers and members .
And special thanks to the developer (xplode)It is worth it..
My unconditional support to this forum!!!!!
xplode said:
And a little suggestion for addition to the rules, our good admins added the rating feature for a reason - so al of the users who want to thank a thread just rate for it with the amount of stars you think it deserve
thanks posts are about at least 50% of all posts in these forums
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totally agreed.
i fully agree with u
hi all
im fully agree with u,and im with xplode suggestion about rating,and i have another suggestion,in some sites in any thread there is a(thnaks)bottun in any thread,if the reader wants to thank,he will press this bottun and his name will appeare in the end of subject owner and thats all,the posts should be focus on the subject(problems and the ways to solve it or any useful idea for BA).
i will share a picture to know my idea
People who put in endless efforts expects thanks and appreciations whereas the common users want more and more and forget the untold efforts of contributors.
April 1 said:
People who put in endless efforts expects thanks and appreciations whereas the common users want more and more and forget the untold efforts of contributors.
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And possibly a donation specially from those who make the special requests to have software developed to their taste and comfort. So I will add that to the suggestion of voting... I've seen where some folks say.... Hey ILoveYou, I really love your software, I wish it'll have LOVE and TENDERNESS. I'm sending a donation for your efforts into future development. (In other words... ) I'm sure you all understand what that donation meant and that there are great chances that if its possible, the love will be given.
Have a lovely day friends.
egzthunder1 said:
FLAMING & ARGUING RULES
MUST READ ENTIRE POST
Attention All XDA members. Over the past year, "Flaming" & Arguing has become two of the biggest problems on XDA. For those of you that do not know what "Flaming" is, it is unnessicary, immature, criticizm of another 。。。。。。"
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XDA-DEV-BlueAngel是个家，和谐靠大家！不引起不必要的争论
And now, a word from your friendly neighbourhood moderators!
As you may know some of our Android device forums are a bit "messy", with your help, let's see if we can keep the i9000 forums clean! This is a bit of an experiment, to see if posts like these help at all. Most of the following is simple common sense, and for most of you it will hopefully bring nothing new.
Moderators
The official i9000 forums moderator is Sirphunkee. I, Chainfire will also be hanging around here quite a bit.
Rules
Please consult the forum rules before posting, they can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?f=263#post81
Additions
The rules should be clear enough, however I will repeat some points for emphasis and post some additions here as well.
Use the search
This speaks for itself, though many still don't use it.
Check the i9000 FAQ before posting
It can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723596
Don't post in the android development section ...
... unless you are absolutely sure it belongs there! The developers / hackers are trying to work, don't bother them with things that do not belong there.
When in doubt, post in the general section. If it's a question, post in the Q&A section
If you're not sure, it probably should NOT go into the android development section.
Treat eachother with respect
No flaming, no personal attacks, be nice, behave, show respect. While you may be responding to somebody who has asked a question you might find dumb, or he didn't use the search, or whatever reason you think you may have, it is never ever warranted to be flaming anyone, and it simply will not be tolerated.
Ignore flames, personal attacks, etc
If these should occur, do not respond to them! Especially when they are directed at you, this is hard to do and you want to defend yourself. Suppres this urge! Responding to these is "feeding the troll", and only serves to bring a thread further off-topic and make it much harder for us moderators to clean up the mess. Responding to these posts makes you part of the problem, and doesn't help anyone. See below for how to report these to have a moderator look at it, and if needed, remove it. Don't let the trolls win!
Saying thank you
This forum does not come with a "thank you" button like some other forums do. While for example if you post a question and others help you out, saying "thank you" is nice, in many development threads saying thank you only serves to clutter to thread. Please do not post a comment saying nothing more than "thank you" in these threads - instead perhaps consider giving the developer a small donation to show your appreciation, give the thread a 5-star rating, or help out in some other way (like assisting others with their problems).
Helping out
There are many of you, and only a few of us moderators. Like you, we are mere humans, we are not paid for being here, and our time is limited - we cannot read every post of every thread. The first few things you can do to help out is behave, assist others, follow the rules, and make sure you are not the (negative) reason that we need to look at a thread or post. But there's more you can do to be of assistance:
Reporting posts
Each post has a "report" button associated with it, found at the top-right of the post. It a triangle with an exclamation mark inside of it, and hard to miss. Clicking it will give you a box you can use to add a comment, and then the post in question will be brought to the attention of the moderators. Be short and precise when writing the comment. While your biography is undoubtedly an interesting thing to read, it has no place in that comment box Please verify that the post is actually against the rules of XDA (see link at the top of this post) before reporting a post. The additions I have posted here, unless they are also present in the XDA rules, are not enforced by other moderators.
Posts in the wrong section
I see a lot of comments on threads that they are in the wrong section. Please handle these threads in the following way:
Check that nobody else has already posted that the thread is in the wrong section. Do not clutter the thread with notices about how the thread starter is in the wrong place, one notice is enough!
If you're the first, post that the thread should have been (for example) in the general or Q&A section instead of the android development section, in a kind and respectful way, and ...
report the post, putting something like "not development, please move to general" in the comment box.
Flames, personal attacks, (severe) disrespect
Even though these are against the rules, they will still happen. As stated above, it is generally not a good idea to respond to them. However, depending on how offensive they are, you might wish to report them for moderator attention. Do so in the following way:
Check that nobody else has already posted that he reported the post. Do not clutter the thread with notices, responses to a flame, etc. One notice is enough!
If you appear to be the first, you might want to post that you have reported said post (without quoting it!), and ...
check if others have quoted the flame, personal attack, etc in their replies, and ...
report the post, putting something like "flame, has been quoted / responded to by others". This makes our job faster to do!
Violations of other rules
These will happen. Again, check if others have already (kindly and respectfully) notified the poster that his behaviour is against the rules. You might want to report such a violation, but please take a moment to think about it, and do not go on a "reporting spree". Is the violation really so severe that it needs to be "handled" by moderators ? Does a moderator really need to warn this user about his behaviour ? Does the post really need to be modified by a moderator ? For example, for some light verbal abuse / explicit language, you might just want to (kindly) ask the user to tone his language down a bit and/or edit his own post, instead of turning to a moderator.
Don't go on a reporting spree
As stated above, think hard about reporting a post before you do it. For example, don't go to android development section and report threads from page 3 to be in the wrong area. The thread is likely already dead, and requesting to have it moved is a waste of both your and our time. Use common sense!
Other
The "star rating" system is not useless
You can rate a thread with up to 5 stars. Please use this ability, it makes it easy to spot high quality and low quality threads for others browsing these forums.
Don't PM myself or Sirphunkee unless you really have to
We get enough PM's as it is. Most things can be resolved without sending us a PM personally. For example by reporting a post, or posting in this thread here.
Need more empty posts at the top of your thread ?
It is not uncommon that you have ran out of space in the first post of your thread (especially with "release" threads). Feel free to request additional "first posts" for your thread by posting in this thread here.
Do you really think a certain thread should (or should no longer) be a sticky ?
Again, feel free to post that here in this thread. Obviously, do not request your own threads to be stickied. If it is worthy, others will request it for you.
Anything you would like to add or request ?
Feel free to post it in here, but please remain on-topic.
The end!
Hopefully this will have a positive effect and is generally helpful, if not, I'll just remove this thread again.
I will try to keep up with the posts in here !
Thank you! I appreciate you putting time into keep our little patch of XDA in shape.
Thanks for your time!
it was about time we got some one official in here
Thank you moderators, for sacrificing your personal time to make this forum more enjoyable.
This is an excellent thread and it was about time to put things in order!
My congratulations guys!
Since there is an option for requests here..I would like to request consideration for this petition:
[Q] Proposal to merge all Galaxy S family into 1 neat and big sub forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764084
Аnd there are already 270+ members up for merging.
Will moderators consider it?
That's an admin decision, not a moderator decision.
Oh, ok, sorry
Did the admins take final decision whether to merge or not?
And are they aware of the situation?
jam3sjam3s said:
Oh, ok, sorry
Did the admins take final decision whether to merge or not?
And are they aware of the situation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the discussion about this is ongoing at the moment. The admins and mods are discussing the best way to handle the organizing of all the Galaxy forum sections, and will likely come to some decision shortly. We're looking at the proposal in AllGamer's poll (see the sticky at the top of this section) as a possible solution, and I'm sure we'll post whatever the final decision is somewhere in each of the current sections (this one included) to make sure all members who need to know are aware.
sirphunkee , thank you for your reply and your work
All Galaxy S owners are looking forward to solving this problem
Modified the first post a bit to reference Q&A section. Q&A has been here for a while but I was on vacation
I see lots of great work from moderation lately!
This forum felt little 'undermoderated' until now, but your effort in past hours to keep this place up just cant be missed!
Thank you!
Thanks guys for all you do, got my SGS 9 days ago; was fearful of rooting; found one click lag fix, dove right in; you guys are awesome!!!! thank you!! thank you!!! thank you!!!
Well, not replying to anything in particular and nothing really special enough to warrant a new topic and since this is the most "general" Galaxy S topic I thought I'd share it here.
Swiping my Galaxy S along the the left side of the laptop (keyboard) area puts my Macbook Pro to sleep (around the FN key). Only when the Galaxy S is unlocked and screen, just a weird occurrence I thought I'd share. Tried it on a few other Macbook Pros, same result. Looked around a bit, apparently magnet does this but I'm thinking something else. Interesting nonetheless.
useful topic
Indeed usefull topic!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
hi
hi you all i am new here
Noted with the rules...
okej good to know
Thinking of posting a new thread???
Use the search button on the top bar between "New Posts" and "Quick Links"
Threads posted in the wrong fora will be moved initially; however, for repeat offenders, the moderating team will look to take action to rectify the situation in a manner it believes is appropriate
WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE.
It is the responsibility of all users to keep the fora organised and clean. We need you to do your bit to keep things orderly.
To the dedicated members that care to keep this forum, subforums included, clean and organized and grouped.
Please start reporting threads to the mods to take action. Please use the REPORT button to do so.
Thank You and happy easy searching.
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Forum Searching | Posting | The Basics: (Make sure you've read them before starting a new thread)
Forum Rules - http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?f=642
Forum Search - http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php
Google Forum Search - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=304582
Advanced Searching - http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=How%20to%20use%20Advanced%20Search%20on%20XDA-Developers%20Forum
XDA "Mantra" - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45
Post What Where:
General - general technical discussion items, news, anything else that does not fit into the other fora categories.
Q&A (Questions and Answers) - all questions, irrespective of type, get posted in here whether they be theme related, accessory related, technical, etc.
Accessories - any items to do with components and/or accessories relating to your device.
Rom Development - only meant for very advanced technical discussion directly related to ROM development activity and the delivery of actual ROMs and ROM components ONLY. Nothing else goes in here.
Themes & Apps - anything to do directly with the development of themes and/or applications. Nothing else goes in here.
MOD EDIT: BEFORE POSTING ANY THREAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
well done.. at last .. no more spam in topics
Thank-you PiLoT... all three of those were driving me nuts! People seem to think that this is an unmoderated site and they can do and say what they want.. so i'm pleased to see some decisive action!
Thank you, finally !
2.1 upgrade topics could also be filtered.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=769198
What if I wanted to make a thread talking about how the lack of multitouch caused the low in-call volume to drain the battery while *****ing about how the lack of Android 4.3 on the device created these problems?
Then I delete it and warn you
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Very good... Those are annoying post...
updated to include stuff about 2.1
This is a bit like banning commonly available substances, when half of society are already substance abusers.
but, now that i have made a sticky saying that i dont want new threads then there should be less opened
After having read the post today where now get a more acurate date on Eclair I see that to mention this on this forum is not aloved anymore and the auther was banned as this relates to 2.1
Does that mean when someone in here gets there first download of 2.1 and wants to let everyone know then this will be deleted ?
Also from my point of view I find it very easy to look at the headlines of any post to se if it is relevant or not for me if 2.1 is not relevant and to hear anything get me going into red . then I tend to simply not read it
I find mederation a great thing as without things seems to go ...... but to simply say 2.1 we dont want to hear about it or even the constant talk about the volume but realy i find it soooo easy to read arround this
Foul language or other unpleasentness should be banned right away
N
NiJunge said:
After having read the post today where now get a more acurate date on Eclair I see that to mention this on this forum is not aloved anymore and the auther was banned as this relates to 2.1
Does that mean when someone in here gets there first download of 2.1 and wants to let everyone know then this will be deleted ?
Also from my point of view I find it very easy to look at the headlines of any post to se if it is relevant or not for me if 2.1 is not relevant and to hear anything get me going into red . then I tend to simply not read it
I find mederation a great thing as without things seems to go ...... but to simply say 2.1 we dont want to hear about it or even the constant talk about the volume but realy i find it soooo easy to read arround this
Foul language or other unpleasentness should be banned right away
N
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the issue with that model is thats you
a lot of people cant just ignore posts and they decide to flame giving more things to do
so rather than let them flame i take the oprtunity away from them
I strongly disagree with the closure of the thread "2.1 Eclair Date Confirmed". It was an useful thread, it added precious information, it is not the standard "when will 2.1 released???" forbidden in this thread.
I would hereby request to the moderator has closed it to reopen it.
-PiLoT- said:
the issue with that model is thats you
a lot of people cant just ignore posts and they decide to flame giving more things to do
so rather than let them flame i take the oprtunity away from them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and I take issue with your incredibly heavy handed moderating.
My post earlier was obviously a joke, which flew way over your head.
Now, everyone hates multiple threads on the same topic, but, the guy who actually posted proof and a real date should not of had his topic closed.
I'll write it here in simple English... I've said this before, btw:
No one wants to read a million rumor threads about the same topic, but, when someone has information with proof, they should never be silenced. Otherwise, you completely destroy the purpose of this message board, and it will lose members quickly.
iead1 said:
and I take issue with your incredibly heavy handed moderating.
My post earlier was obviously a joke, which flew way over your head.
Now, everyone hates multiple threads on the same topic, but, the guy who actually posted proof and a real date should not of had his topic closed.
I'll write it here in simple English... I've said this before, btw:
No one wants to read a million rumor threads about the same topic, but, when someone has information with proof, they should never be silenced. Otherwise, you completely destroy the purpose of this message board, and it will lose members quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. At this rate we will need a moderator for the moderator. LOL
PiLoTs on a rampage
by no means is my moderating heavy handed
the thread 2.1 Eclair Date Confirmed was closed becuase that piece of information was provided previously in the thread Android 2.1 week 38 which you would have realised if you had searched and read the forum before blindly accusing me of heavy handed moderating
also when you take into consideration
2.1 over 1.6 benefits
2.1 upgrade news from seinsider
[video] 2.1 for X10 relased ??
Played with 2.1 on x10 today!!
Waiting For Update><
Xperia x10 Multi-touch and updates after 2.1
all within the first five pages of general, not counting deleted threads
thats a lot of thereads to be looking after especially since they are all roughly the same topic and most of the replies turn into flaming.
no i apologise if you think im being heavy handed but when there's at atleast 3 topics a day of the exact same thing and they each get20 replies of nastiness i can either read 60 posts and delete the bad ones or i can stop a war early by closing the thread
Ahhh moderation is a ***** folks...
Hey gang.
Totally in agreement with you guys.
The moderators need moderators to ensure us of a "real moderation service" for this board.
It is not the first time I see good threads closed by our current jokers.
(I agree irrelevant post should be removed, but who and how is decided what is relevant?).
Plus to be quite honest, this is far from being the most organized blog on the subject.
On the plus note, if you dig far enough, you'll find anything on this site concerning your phone, you just sadly have to go over the entire section to find some infos, wich oftenly is embeded in a maze of post, wich is time consumming and somewhat pointless.(Keep in mind, I work 45 hours a week, I'm an lyricist and write a lot, then comes the gf, the kids and a rather extensive social life. So I have about 25 to 35 minutes a week to go over my gadgets and toys. XD )
It sadly seems the people over here somewhat forgot we are not all hardcore techno wiz with illimited time to play with our toys.
And to be quite honest, the attitude problem of a lot of them is somewhat starting to be a turn off.
I've exchanged words with one of them before and the smugness of that dude was, well, ginormous.
So I leave you on this, I have already made my mind:
1- this site is only good for root/roms/mods.
2- For real service concerning news on our phones, I will go elsewhere.
3- lastly, I believe the current moderator failed their mandate, wich should only be making sure the post are relevant or non-aggressive and mainly get their heads of their asses and realize that this is a service site and all questions are good(keep in mind most people around the globe can't understand **** about the software/hardware of their phones).
Peace to you all,
No hard felling XDA, I just call it how I see it.
Love you guys,
XIII
-PiLoT- said:
by no means is my moderating heavy handed
the thread 2.1 Eclair Date Confirmed was closed becuase that piece of information was provided previously in the thread Android 2.1 week 38 which you would have realised if you had searched and read the forum before blindly accusing me of heavy handed moderating
also when you take into consideration
2.1 over 1.6 benefits
2.1 upgrade news from seinsider
[video] 2.1 for X10 relased ??
Played with 2.1 on x10 today!!
Waiting For Update><
Xperia x10 Multi-touch and updates after 2.1
all within the first five pages of general, not counting deleted threads
thats a lot of thereads to be looking after especially since they are all roughly the same topic and most of the replies turn into flaming.
no i apologise if you think im being heavy handed but when there's at atleast 3 topics a day of the exact same thing and they each get20 replies of nastiness i can either read 60 posts and delete the bad ones or i can stop a war early by closing the thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well apart from all of them dealing with eclair they are all different subjects. Just looking at a topic, seeing the characters 2.1 and then locking or deleting it is either lazy moderation or indicating a total lack of reading comprehension. Well, to be fair, the fifth topic title is a tad ambiguous so I'll give you that.
i see your point
but they all have the issue of 2.1 at their core which means theyre all essentially the same issue
and under the same pressure from people asking me to close threads and new threads opened. i called it the way i see it
also there was mention of "if i want real service ill go to another site site and this site is only good for roms root and development well this site is called xda-DEVELOPERS we do mainly appeal to developers and its only recently its catered more to end users
IF you all think there should be one topic on the release of 2.1 then i will create and sticky a thread for the talk of 2.1 only
Hi fellow XDA members,
As you all may have noticed there has been a few changes in the moderation committee. There are new moderators for devices. New people, but that does not mean new rules. eagleeyetom had asked members in his proposal thread, to help out with the moderation. I asked if I could do an updated XDA behaviour thread and he agreed.
The rules of XDA stay the same no matter what, and apply to every member, even to Senior Mods. Heck, it even applies to the Admin himself. And as such, I feel it's only fair that we ourselves abide by them.
Therefore, this thread acts as a guide for new members and old ones alike, on how to behave on XDA. SpyderX has already made a thread on this, and it was even made a sticky, but still some members fail to abide by the rules. They still disregard the rules and, as a result, end up getting infractions or, in the worst cases, bans.
So if you want to avoid bans and infractions, read on.
1. Read through this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
You must go through the rules, at least once. The above link is the latest set of them. Keep your eyes open for any new announcements. They're usually visible on the upper bit of the website.
2. Do not steal others' work. Or in other words, as SpyderX has explained in his sticky, don't post work, usually ROMs, that:
- Is not your own original work (usually ROMs with your own code, not to be confused with soft-mods, are acceptable)
- Is ported from other devices without the permission of the original creator
- Is just a soft-mod over someone else's hard work
Only stock ROMs are exempt from this rule. And as kernels have to be compiled from source, meaning there is no way to soft-mod them without some work done, they too are considered development.
3. Behave with others. Do not use foul language; it doesn't make you any wiser than you already are. There are members who are just kids, therefore any pornographic content, vulgar comments and other “smart” ways of abusing your freedom on the Internet is strictly prohibited on XDA. Post anything that falls under such categories and you may find yourself banned the next day. No personal insults, trolling (except in the OT) and flaming. Trust me on this, it'll get you nowhere except out of XDA. And always use English in the threads. What language you use in groups doesn't really matter to us.
4. Post in the appropriate sections. More on that later. For now, just remember, both the Development sections are for development-related stuff, like bug-fixes, sharing source codes, bug-reports etc. Don't spam there. It's really annoying for any user to see their favourite threads full of spam and being closed down. Act wisely. Like an XDA-ian. Don't create unnecessary threads. If you wanna talk about anything non-dev, visit the OT. Do not ask for ETAs or for the dev's help in your problems, without a proper bug-report. There's a thread on how to do a bug-report: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1935567 Read it thoroughly.
5. Instead of posting “Thanks for XXX”, click the THANKS button. This is a growing concern among many members. There are at least 1000 posts in every section that just say “Thanks”. These are considered spam and will eventually be deleted by a moderator and the poster may receive a warning. So instead of wasting time and energy to write thanks, click the THANKS button. It was made for that purpose. Use it.
6. When creating threads, be extra careful. Think, search and then discuss, in the words of SpyderX, not the other way round. Threads you create should be based on, or have valid content that can be discussed or used. And like #4, open up threads in the appropriate sections. Also before you create a thread, make sure there are no similar threads in the same device forum based on the same problems. And please don't create useless threads asking stupid questions.
7. Always be super kind to devs. They are not paid to bring you the stuff they do. Therefore if you can't donate, which you should if you can, always hit the thanks button when they are trying to help. If you misbehave with any dev, or any member alike, XDA will look after you.
8. Learn to post in the appropriate section.
- General section is for discussions and the all-famous OT thread
- Q&A section is for questions and answers
- Android Development section is for ROMs that are built from others' source, improved versions of others' ROMs etc.
- Original Android Development section is for original development like building ROMs from your own source, modifying someone's source and using it to build a ROM, self-compiled kernels, AIO toolkits etc.
Keep these guidelines in mind and you'll be able to stay in XDA for a long time. And please read all of it. Don't go TL;DR. Please feel free to drop in suggestions, or advice, here in the thread.
- Skeleton taken largely from SpyderX's "Behaviour guide" (which also you guys fail to follow. Thanks, bro.
SOME THINGS YOU GOTTA BE CLEAR ABOUT
Well, if you've read the first post, you'll know by now what XDA expects from you. You should also know that there are certain things that XDA finds very important. You may also not understand a couple of things here-and-there. This post intends to clarify all that.
1. Reading:
Reading posts on XDA will enlighten you. Really. Try it some time. As a newcomer you should read through all the stickies of your device's forum. It will not only help you find things, but also get used to XDA little by little. Even Senior Members read, so why can't you? Your motto here has to be: "Read more, post less useless stuff". Trust me it's the only way you'll ever survive in XDA (we're not that bad but we do know how to behave with ignorant people).
Basically, you wanna say on XDA, you need to read. A lot. You have to learn to understand that the OP (like me) usually works super-hard to post a new thread (again, like me), and expects you to read the whole of it before making a "smart" comment. You have to learn to respect that. It helps reduce spam, too, because there's a great possibility that the answer to your question is already in the thread.
So just read. Read before you post, even if it takes ages to read just the OP.
2. Searching:
The button's there for a reason. Search before you open up a new thread. It doesn't help any of us. 90% of the time the question's been answered already. That means there's a thread for that particular problem. Post there. Why create useless duplicate threads when you can find the answer in the other thread? However if, in the thread, your question has no answer or only part of the answer, you can create a new thread, provided the first one is really old and hasn't been updated in a long, long time. Posts that revive a thread after a long, long time are considered spam some times, especially ones that just say "Thanks for xxx and yyy". You can also search XDA with Google. Just add this to your search terms:
site:xda-developers.com
Please. Search. Reduce spam. Help yourself. Help XDA. Help the world (okay this bit's unnecessary).
3. Giving and getting thanks
Like I've said in the past, thank any developer who has been working hard just to bring you the stuff he/she brings. Not just devs; themers, contributors and, mostly, normal members help out a lot too. They ask for nothing really, except for a little recognition. Please thank them. It acts as an encouragement to continue their work, to continue helping members. It's not like clicking the button will rob you of your soul, or anything. It's free of cost.
That being said, don't go about thanking spammers. It only encourages them to spam more. We don't want that.
You'll see every member has a thanks meter. It's basically a count of the thanks they have got over time. It's not meant to be some kind of "prestige" meter, and therefore one must not post with the sole purpose of getting thanks. It gets you nowhere, trust me.
Anyways, this is how the bar fills up:
1st bar - 26
2nd bar - 51
3rd bar - 101
4th bar - 201
bug here, never gets to 5 bars, probably 501 if fixed.
6th bar - 1001
7th bar - 2001
8th bar - 5001
9th bar - 8001
Maxed! - 10000
4. User titles
If you've spent some time on XDA, you'll have noticed there are some titles given to members. Here's how they are given:
- Junior Member - New members with less than 30 (?) posts.
- Member - Members with more than 30 (?) but less than 100 posts.
- Senior Member - Members with 100+ posts.
- Recognized Contributor - A title given to members who have helped people with various problems. You can apply for this position or ask a Forum Moderator, Senior Moderator, Recognized Contributor to nominate you. They don't give it away for free though; you have to meet some requirements.
- Recognized Themer - A member who's known for original themes. You can apply to the Senior Moderators yourself, or ask a Recognized Contributor to nominate you.
- Recognized Developer - A title given to a member for his/her work in his/her device-specific development. You can apply to the Senior Moderators yourself. I don't think anyone can nominate you here. The developer committee assesses your overall activity and decides whether you're eligible for this position.
- Elite Recognized Developer - This title is given to Recognized Developers who have provided outstanding work, way beyond the knowledge of us mere mortals. A Recognized Developer is re-assessed by the developer committee before being given that title.
- Forum Moderator - This title is given to Recognized Contributors who are responsible enough to handle a forum on their own with some other such members of course. They have to fill out an application (which is no longer available now) and then the moderator committee approves of them.
- Senior Moderator - Senior Moderators are in charge of the whole site-wide support for Forum Moderators and nitty-gritty business that Forum Moderators cannot look after.
- Administrators - Next comes the admins who are responsible for everything as a whole. Each look after a specific part of XDA.
- MikeChannon's the dude behind all this. He's the Forum Administrator.
Other titles you may come across are
- Moderator Committee - sits on the Mod Committee
- Developer Committee - as above, but for Developer Committee
- XDA Newswriter - publishes articles for the Portal (front page)
- Retired xxxx - have since officially 'left' their XDA position
-Skeleton of this part taken largely from mf2112's guide. Thanks a lot, bro.
5. Reporting posts
XDA has given you the freedom of reporting posts. It basically brings posts to a moderator's attention, and is 10^10x better than notifying a moderator via PM. You, being a member of XDA, must report posts that you feel are a violation of the rules of XDA. You must report spam, other than that in the OT thread. XDA is a humongous website. Moderation isn't entirely possible by the selected panel. We need your help. And we hope that you are not one of those whose posts need reporting. It's not a really pleasant feeling. Anyways here's an example of how you can report posts:
Suppose member XXX has posted a question in the X8 general forum. Now you know that it's not appropriate to post questions in the general section; there's a Q/A section for that. So you click the triangular button beside the birdy on the OP. It basically represents the report button. In the reason box, type in a valid reason like "Please move to X8 device Q&A forum" for example, and select "Thread/Post moving or maintenance" in the drop-down box, and hit "Send report". This will notify the panel of moderators for that particular device, and one of them will definitely move the thread if he/she feels it necessary.
Please use this feature properly. We need your help.
6. A good signature that expresses your awesomeness
As a member, it is your responsibility to make a good signature that informs other users of what your phone is running on currently. This kind of signature can help in avoiding follow-up questions when you ask for help or advice. A good signature may also contain helpful links for new members. You can also include pictures, but use Dropbox or photobcuket for that purpose, because when you copy a link directly from some pic, it may be considered stealing.
You can edit your signature by clicking this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/profile.php?do=editsignature
Here's a good guide on how to make a good signature: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1636804
Need ideas? This should help: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1761276
And please remember, signatures are not meant to be billboards.
7. Donations
Donations are never expected nor required, but are always welcome. There are "DONATE TO ME" buttons below the avatars of users. Click that if you want to send donations for their hard work. In many cases, as in mine, donations are not possible. Use the Thanks button instead. It's almost equivalent in our eyes.
You can also donate to XDA by clicking this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/donations.php
When you donate 10 euros to XDA, you are awarded a star, which is displayed below your avatar. When you are rewarded with ten stars, that is 100 euros (I may be wrong here), an even bigger star with the number 10 appears.
Just keep in mind, developers provide top-quality ROMs and Kernels and what-not, which are results of their hard work. They don't do it for donations; they do it to help others, just like they were helped by some other benefactor. So, please, if you find someone's work worthy of a donation, do not hesitate. Even a small amount is great encouragement.
8. Some helpful links
- [HOW TO] make a good THREAD, POST, QUESTION and POLL
- Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with Better Titles and Thread Tags!
- [TUTORIAL] How to logcat
- [GUIDE] How to give constructive feedback to developers
- [ADB/FB/APX Driver] Universal Naked Driver 0.72
- Chef Central
- [Ultimate Guide][Part 10 released][12/11/2011]Android App Development - From Scratch
- XDA Recognized Developer Program Expansion
- The history of XDA - Part 1
- A visual history of XDA
-Skeleton again largely taken from mf2112's guide. Thanks again, pal.
The 10-post rule
You guys may know by now that there is a slight restriction in the development fora; you cannot post there if you do not have 10 posts beforehand. This means you have to have 10 posts anywhere on XDA before you can post in any development forum. Keep in mind, however, that it doesn't mean necessarily that the development fora cannot be accessed by you new members. The only restriction imposed is on posting there.
A member of the Moderator Committee here at XDA, Fallen Spartan, has said this regarding the rule:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30513893&postcount=87
The 10-post barrier is extremely easy to overcome. You can post in the General, Q/A, Accessories or the Themes and Apps section, or even the Off-Topic section of XDA. Trust me, once you start posting there, getting 10 posts will be as easy as spelling your name (provided your name's easy to spell, of course!). However, that does not mean your first 10 posts on XDA, your shining road to global recognition, should be spam. We are going to infract you if you spam the fora.
Most of the posts in the development fora hardly contribute to any development. These posts are usually off-topic, and then a moderator has to interfere. Why do you guys do that? It doesn't help any one of us. Instead post in the Off-Topic section. And if you really wanna thank the developer, you can still hit the Thanks button (it also helps to maintain your postcount to thanks ratio, although it is something you better not worry about). If you are still dissatisfied, hit the Thanks button again on another post by the developer. Still dissatisfied? Then donate some money to him. As mf2112 has said any developer will appreciate a few dollars way more than any post howsoever appreciative it may be.
Please don't spam to overcome the 10-post barrier. Here's a good guide on how to get 10 posts easily: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1069298
And if there's something you really have to post in the dev section without having 10 posts beforehand, check this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1841030
Use it wisely, for the moderators are watching your every move.
Post #2 updated! Seriously guys don't go TL;DR. You're missing the point of it all if you don't read.
some new comers have recently picked up interest in reviving dead thread......they find it pretty amusing i suppose. trying to force life back into a corpse... please add a point about this in bold..
Point #2 of post #2 covers that bit. The rest is up to the members. Hopefully they'll read this through.
sgt. meow said:
Point #2 of post #2 covers that bit. The rest is up to the members. Hopefully they'll read this through.
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no..no.. they dont revive it to ask Q... they do so for saying thanks..:cyclops:
Will have to include a new topic, "Bumping".
sgt. meow said:
Will have to include a new topic, "Bumping".
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@meow
it would be better if you write the most important points in your thread with red colour..
it caches attention instantaneously..
@dagger
Will do that. Later, though. Too tired right now.
Great thread helped me a lot......
sent from my W8 using xda app(paid/free doesn't matter)
Good to know that.
Thread Updated! New members, please read this. It will really benefit you.
sgt. meow said:
Hi fellow XDA members,
As you all may have noticed there has been a few changes in the moderation committee. There are new moderators for devices. New people, but that does not mean new rules. eagleeyetom had asked members in his proposal thread, to help out with the moderation. I asked if I could do an updated XDA behaviour thread and he agreed.
The rules of XDA stay the same no matter what, and apply to every member, even to Senior Mods. Heck, it even applies to the Admin himself. And as such, I feel it's only fair that we ourselves abide by them.
Therefore, this thread acts as a guide for new members and old ones alike, on how to behave on XDA. SpyderX has already made a thread on this, and it was even made a sticky, but still some members fail to abide by the rules. They still disregard the rules and, as a result, end up getting infractions or, in the worst cases, bans.
So if you want to avoid bans and infractions, read on.
1. Read through this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
You must go through the rules, at least once. The above link is the latest set of them. Keep your eyes open for any new announcements. They're usually visible on the upper bit of the website.
2. Do not steal others' work. Or in other words, as SpyderX has explained in his sticky, don't post work, usually ROMs, that:
- Is not your own original work (usually ROMs with your own code, not to be confused with soft-mods, are acceptable)
- Is ported from other devices without the permission of the original creator
- Is just a soft-mod over someone else's hard work
Only stock ROMs are exempt from this rule. And as kernels have to be compiled from source, meaning there is no way to soft-mod them without some work done, they too are considered development.
3. Behave with others. Do not use foul language; it doesn't make you any wiser than you already are. There are members who are just kids, therefore any pornographic content, vulgar comments and other “smart” ways of abusing your freedom on the Internet is strictly prohibited on XDA. Post anything that falls under such categories and you may find yourself banned the next day. No personal insults, trolling (except in the OT) and flaming. Trust me on this, it'll get you nowhere except out of XDA. And always use English in the threads. What language you use in groups doesn't really matter to us.
4. Post in the appropriate sections. More on that later. For now, just remember, both the Development sections are for development-related stuff, like bug-fixes, sharing source codes, bug-reports etc. Don't spam there. It's really annoying for any user to see their favourite threads full of spam and being closed down. Act wisely. Like an XDA-ian. Don't create unnecessary threads. If you wanna talk about anything non-dev, visit the OT. Do not ask for ETAs or for the dev's help in your problems, without a proper bug-report. There's a thread on how to do a bug-report: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1935567 Read it thoroughly.
5. Instead of posting “Thanks for XXX”, click the THANKS button. This is a growing concern among many members. There are at least 1000 posts in every section that just say “Thanks”. These are considered spam and will eventually be deleted by a moderator and the poster may receive a warning. So instead of wasting time and energy to write thanks, click the THANKS button. It was made for that purpose. Use it.
6. When creating threads, be extra careful. Think, search and then discuss, in the words of SpyderX, not the other way round. Threads you create should be based on, or have valid content that can be discussed or used. And like #4, open up threads in the appropriate sections. Also before you create a thread, make sure there are no similar threads in the same device forum based on the same problems. And please don't create useless threads asking stupid questions.
7. Always be super kind to devs. They are not paid to bring you the stuff they do. Therefore if you can't donate, which you should if you can, always hit the thanks button when they are trying to help. If you misbehave with any dev, or any member alike, XDA will look after you.
8. Learn to post in the appropriate section.
- General section is for discussions and the all-famous OT thread
- Q&A section is for questions and answers
- Android Development section is for ROMs that are built from others' source, improved versions of others' ROMs etc.
- Original Android Development section is for original development like building ROMs from your own source, modifying someone's source and using it to build a ROM, self-compiled kernels, AIO toolkits etc.
Keep these guidelines in mind and you'll be able to stay in XDA for a long time. And please read all of it. Don't go TL;DR. Please feel free to drop in suggestions, or advice, here in the thread.
- Skeleton taken largely from SpyderX's "Behaviour guide" (which also you guys fail to follow. Thanks, bro.
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Thanks. Good to know.
:good:
@kaazek1993
It's good to know that you found this guide helpful. But even after reading it, if you post "Thanks for xxx" (this topic has been covered in rule no. 5), it has pretty much rendered my hard work useless. Please keep that in mind. No one's asking for thanks (because the Thanks Meter is not a kind of prestige meter or something), but instead of spamming with "thanks" posts, just click the button that does the job far more elegantly.
This post is designed to promote proper forum etiquette. There has been a distressing trend in the XDA forums of laziness, impatience and rudeness. My goal is to curtail this and help promote the environment that XDA was designed to be.
A fun place for different people of varying technical experience to get together and learn from each other and to encourage out of the box thinking and design.
In order to accomplish this we, as a community must follow certain guidelines and have certain understandings. The following list is by no means all inclusive and in the true spirit of XDA, I welcome ANY and ALL constructive comments or additions.
1.The XDA forums are NOT a funded, company driven organization.
a. The participants are other people generally like you, with jobs, families and Outside XDA (OXDA) lives. Remember that and try to treat them as such.
2.You are NOT entitled to anything.
a. If a developer creates an App or ROM or Kernel (ARK) and freely distributes it, remember that. FREE. Nothing is really for free. That individual spent his/her time in the development of that ARK and is either looking for feedback or simply enjoying sharing it with the community
b. You may feel negatively about that ARK, that’s OK. Ensure to voice your concerns in a CONSTRUCTIVE way or don’t voice them at all.
c. Don't hassle the OP about release dates of ARKs. They will share with the community when they feel it's ready and not before. If they didn't, they'd be opening the door to lots of criticism and "Halp! this is Broken!" (<-- Franco used that first I think ) type comments.
3.NOT EVERYONE is on the same technical level as you.
a. There is no need to be rude or condescending to someone who has less knowledge than you.
b. By the same token, if you have less knowledge than those in the topic you've chosen to join, it’s always a good idea to remark on that if you ask a question; you may receive a more precise answer the first time.
c. If you've received an answer from someone via PM or figured it out on your own… SHARE it with the community. Chances are someone else has that issue also
4. ***REMEMBER THE 5 MINUTE RULE*** The 5 minute rule, as it applies to conversations, states that “You must be a part of a conversation for at least 5 minutes prior to asking a question.”
a. This same rule applies in forums as well. Read at least 10 pages or 2 days’ worth of posts PRIOR to asking a question.
b. There is little more that will set off seasoned forum members that the save question being asked 2 or 3 pages in a row because someone figured they would just “Pop on” and ask a question in the first topic they thought was appropriate.
5.Google Search Does Work.
a. No one likes to help those who don’t help themselves.
b. If you’ve found your way onto the XDA forums site, you understand how Google works. Use it to search for your answer first. You might be surprised by how easy it is to find an answer.
6.Most devices have a General Question and Answer (Q&A) Topic.
a. Use this if resource if your question is Off-Topic (OT).
7.READ THE OP.
a. The OP (Original Poster) is the individual who creates a thread. Commonly OP is the term used for the first post(s) on the first page of a thread, such as this one. I'll be referring to the common definition of the initial few posts.
b. A lot of the redundant posts have already been answered in the OP.
c. Failure to read the OP (+ the other initial post by the Topic’s creator) often leads to post after post of members saying the same thing…READ THE OP.
8.Betas and Alphas.
a. Often apps in development will be released in the forums as Beta or Alpha (Test) software.
b. Test software MAY DO HORRIBLE THINGS TO YOUR DEVICE. This is not likely but understand that if you participate in test programs, the author does not have any responsibility for any damage caused to your device.
9.Paid APPs.
a. An author may offer a paid version of his/her app(s) on the Play Store. The author may also have a Topic on XDA for that app.
b. Here is where the water gets murky.i. You have paid real money for a bit of software, and therefore expect a reasonable amount of support.
ii. Often that support can and does come from other forum members.
iii. If your problem is still not resolved, don’t get snippy with the forum members, rather contact the developer directly (usually through their email from the play store).
10.DON’T FALSELY BOLSTER YOUR PROFILE.
a. Most members of Topics are subscribed to many other Topics. You may see them there too.
b. Creating a second profile or using a friend to “Thank” your posts undeservingly is not only underhanded but other members will realize what you are doing. This is also against XDA Forum Rules. Perpetrators will be caught and banned.
c. There is no benefit to having eleventy-billion thanks if you have nothing of value to contribute.
d. YOUR PROFILE WILL BUILD AS YOU BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN THE FORUMS. This is not a video game where reaching Recognized Developer will afford you riches beyond compare. It’s actually useless if you lied and schemed to get there.
11.Vulgarity & Rudeness.
a. There is no need to be vulgar (in any language) on XDA.
b. The forum members are a community of Men, Women, Teens and some really intelligent Sub-teens . Foul language is neither constructive nor appreciated.
c. What is the point of being rude, either to your fellow XDA-ers or to the OP. Please don't feel that anonymity grants you license to be rude or disrespectful.
d. Due to the multiple countries & languages involved, it is nearly inevitable that someone will take something the wrong way, I have. Try to curb the natural lash out reflex and probably you'll find more of a language barrier than someone who was intentionally trying to be rude.
12.Ignored Private Messages (PMs).
a. Some developers and more senior members don’t/rarely respond to PMs from people they don’t know.
b. Often they have hundreds or thousands of people who use their ARK and cannot hope to respond to all via PM. Some of these (NRGZ28, Franco Francisco, Romanbb, WugFresh…), are so busy constantly making their ARK better for YOU, they often don’t have time to pop in on their own threads as much as the user would like. THAT IS THE STRENGTH OF XDAs MEMBER COMMUNITY. Use it appropriately and you will prosper. Abuse it and you might find yourself shunned.
13.Posted Pictures.
a. We love PROOF, as a community. With all the slag on the Internets™ and the Googles™ (TM George W. Bush) we are often skeptical. That being said, it is not necessary to post every screen shot of your battery life, signal strength etc..
b. If it is not possible to describe your issue or if your issue requires a visual aid, great, use it.
c. If it isn't necessary, use a Dropbox account or the like and share the link. This accomplishes the following..
i. It reduces the storage load on XDAs servers.
ii. It minimizes clutter in threads making it easier for people to follow guideline #4 and for others to locate what they need
iii. It reduces Data usage for people using cellular data to browse XDA.
14.Stay on Topic.
a.If the conversation strays too far from the topic you will give new people the wrong impression and clutter up the post with unrelated conversations. Little jokes are OK and a pleasant break but if the conversation has veered too far from the OP topic, it’s best to either form a new topic for that discussion, find the topic in which it belongs or continue via PM, Email, G-chat etc.
15. Don't Forget to Hit Thanks!
a. If someone has helped you, in a PM or in a thread, hitting "Thanks" shows them & others you appreciate their efforts and adds to their DESERVED status.
I welcome all new members and look forward to helping anyone that I can. Please remember, this list was not created out of malice but out of respect for this community and to aid new members in adjusting to our way of life, so to speak. .
Thank-You for all the suggestions, please feel free to continue to make our XDA better!
thanks for putting this together... you may just want to note, OP is the Original Poster, not the first post...just sayin'
Re: [Guide] Forum Etiquette
n7of9 said:
thanks for putting this together... you may just want to note, OP is the Original Poster, not the first post...just sayin'
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Thanks, I actually didn't know that's what it stood for. I do know that the OP is what the first post is commonly referred to. I'll add it.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Re: [Guide] Forum Etiquette
Great write up OP
One suggestion - at 10 b) Add not to create more than profile as it's against forum rules and will get all accounts banned.
"I don't care if you're the next Chainfire or just some random spammer. If you can't make 10 posts, you shouldn't be on XDA."
awesome write up....now if people would actually read it and follow it... they read the XDA forum rules and seem to forget it 5 minutes later
another suggestion would be not to ask for ETAs of ARK..im sure alot of devs get sick and tired of seeing all the people asking for
ETAs thier threads
ps.....i put a link to this thread in my sig
if its not ok with you i will remove it
OP Updated with member suggestions.
Re: [Guide] Forum Etiquette
n7of9 said:
thanks for putting this together... you may just want to note, OP is the Original Poster, not the first post...just sayin'
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OP refers to Original poster or Original Post as the statement or sentence intends it to be!
No compulsions! just saying!
@Op (here I mean Original poster)
Very well written wish now every new user bothers to have a good read before posting!
Sens7t from my MT11i using xda premium
Re: [Guide] Forum Etiquette
Id like some kind of loophole in #11 please... it seems to be a new cultural flaw to pretend to be offended at anything and everything.
It's easy to complain when you don't have to prove anything.
Please allow for puns.. Word plays.. Inuendo etc.. or at least require some kind of verification.
It's the Internet, not kindergarten.
We have all kinds here..
Bring your own Purel...
If you're here, I suspect you're good with computers and therefore know who built the Internet..
I'd really like to say that I know the local youth minister will pop in here and not get anywhere complaining about all the "OMG" posts
(I'm a former youth minister.. I can say that)
n7of9 said:
thanks for putting this together... you may just want to note, OP is the Original Poster, not the first post...just sayin'
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Actually, I believe that it references Opening Post, not Original Poster. Oftentimes, folks are directed to the OP (Opening Post) to answer questions originally posted in the first post of the thread.
Re: [Guide] Forum Etiquette
MarkAtHome said:
Actually, I believe that it references Opening Post, not Original Poster. Oftentimes, folks are directed to the OP (Opening Post) to answer questions originally posted in the first post of the thread.
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It's both original post AND original poster.
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
it doesn't actually matter, we all know this, right? and we've had 3 replies about it, so now let's make it 4
http://www.internetslang.com/OP-meaning-definition.asp
I noticed that this thread/OP has been linked to in people's signatures, and rightly so. But it does not seem to refer to two common breaches of etiquette, namely asking what is the best rom and asking for thanks button presses. Although the last might need qualifying by "instead of posting thanks".
Great job though:good::good: