Related
I'd like to commend everyone who is a part of the activities on this board. It's amazing how people from around the world combine, coordinate, and contribute to the success and fun that is XDA-Forums.
As a recent Android enthusiast (learning to use my Java skills to learn to code for Android)...I find that rooting, ROMS, etc. is really another great way to get much more out of my humble Droid Eris.
That being said, as a total noob (albeit one who's got just enough geek savvy to get himself into trouble), I find that as much as this forum is a wealth of knowledge and skills, but also a bit daunting, conflicting (at times), and disjointed. I've been reading, searching, and piecing together bits of data trying to figure things out, but one has to admit, it's a bit overwhelming...
I see that there is an XDA-Wiki section, but in my opinion it's a bit underwhelming. While I understand to create, edit, update, maintain, moderate, etc. even a small Wiki is no simple task, I believe that to add *more* authoritative content to the wiki would greatly help the new and seasoned enthusiasts alike.
To that I wonder if we as a community of Android, and in particular Droid Eris fans, couldn't quickly and effectively work together to make a Wiki which would provide:
1. A central location for all, authoritative, knowledge for various experience levels. No more trying to figure out which post is correct. Which instructions are better. No more asking the same questions over and over across threads and inadvertently pissing off someone. No more having to spend time answering the same questions.
2. Ability for those who know the stuff to pass it on without having to keep re-answering, re-posting, re-clarifying, re-editing, etc. their posts for the benefit of every noob (such as myself) who keeps asking over and over. I'm sure if we developed a detailed wiki in which folks can submit screen-shots, videos, scripted walk-thrus, etc. it would cut down on a lot of the ancillary *noise* which clutters up our forum.
3. Keep the forum as a place for people to discuss rather than just *learn*. The forum, while useful and FULL of great info, is a hard way to try and piece together fragments of info (sometimes conflicting via different posts/threads). The forum format is a great way to discuss but not an effective means to simply transfer/share/update knowledge. How cool would it be if I followed someone's instructions and posted my own notes to help improve them without having to have the original poster do the update? Or if I decide I love a particular ROM very much, I could post pics, how-to guides, etc. to add to the already great work. This allows the great ROM artists to keep focused on their work rather than mundane tasks like documentation. (As a noob I don't mind doing the mundane if it means I can actively contribute something back to these devs...that and I'm unemployed so unfortunately I can't donate to them just yet).
4. Generally speaking, I'm sure everyone here has turned to Wikipedia at one time or another and can appreciate it's usefulness...being able to click on a word and dig just a litter deeper to gain more understanding. Now imagine if we applied that to the efforts here on XDA? No more having to maintain long sticky threads, or worse having to keep telling overeager/overzealous noobs (like myself) to "do a search" or "read the sticky" or etc. In some cases not having to try and Google things like fastboot, HBOOT, adb, recovery, rooting vs stock, various flavors of ROMs, etc. Or worse having to try and put together info from different forums across the web (i.e. AndroidForums & XDA) and figure out who's *right*.
I apologize to anyone if they find my suggestion offensive, ineffective, and/or just plain useless. I guess as a nooby I'm just trying to give back in the only way I know how: I'm an organization geek (OCD according to my wife).
Cheers and keep up the great work!
+10, wonderful idea.
i like where this could go...
I believe you just saved the internet.
Let's get organized...XDA-Wiki
Glad to see some positive responses. I wasn't sure if my suggestion would be received with interest or disdain. All told, I was sort of jealous of those guys over at nookdevs[dot]com and how easy their wiki makes it for simpletons like myself.
So how does *work* get organized on XDA? I mean, I'd like to start figuring out who, why, what, where, when, how, etc we start building the XDA-Ark-O-Knowledge (aka Wiki)? Obviously there's XDA-Wiki already here; do we build off it, or do we start with a clean slate? Organization of data? Taxonomy? Moderators to ensure we don't bollocks each other up? Etc, etc.
Since I really am a noob to 99% of what's going on here at XDA, I think I'd be better at taking orders and doing tasks than telling the seasoned pros of XDA how to organize their efforts/info/data.
Cheers!
I am also interested and willing to help however I can...
removed posting
I can host as well - I can park a domain on my server or host from my current domain (k2vegas.com)
(there is nothing on that site, it's just what I use to host files, images, etc...)
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/
XDA has one, maybe I should of looked before lulz.
Further thoughts...
Some thoughts on how to proceed forward...
1. jcase, I think we should probably leverage the existing XDA-Wiki that you provided a link to. It's as good a place as any to start.
2. I'd suggest that we, for now, focus on doing the wiki work for Droid Eris in particular. We can use this as a way to figure out how best to capture, arrange, articulate, etc. the types of standardized data (how-tos, specs, ROMs, etc.) The XDA-Wiki for Droid Eris can be found here.
3. Here's some high-level topics. Please keep in mind that these are coming from a real noob, so I'm 100% sure it's not exhaustive nor 100% useful.
Overview - Basic high-level info on Droid Eris and the *recent* changes made to the wiki.
Device Specifications - I think this is covered here but we can add/remove as needed to keep it current.
How-To - Include detailed how-tos for rooting, unrooting, recovery, backup, etc. specific to Droid Eris. As a noob, I would love to see us build this section out with detailed instructions, pics, vidz, etc. to make it as simple for folks as it can be. I also see ECLIPS3's and Jamezelle's Eris Master App as a great tool which would fit into this section.
FAQ - There's already some FAQs for Droid Eris in the sticky on the first post...likely we can take this as is and add more details to it and refresh the data as needed.
ROMs - The ROMs info is spread out quite a bit across many threads/posts. I'd love to see some standardization of data, pics, ROM specific instructions, etc. put into this section. Ultimately I'd love for us to put together a matrix which allows for quick and easy comparison of the ROMs...this would help make ROM selection much simpler and avoid all those repetitive posts about "which ROM should I use?" "which ROM has X?"
Kitchen - ?? I hear this word tossed around and from what I can figure out it has something to do with those elite geeks who actually make those yummy ROMs we love!
Dictionary/Abbreviations - We throw around a lot of terms/abbreviations in this forum and it's hard sometimes to figure out the meanings/context. One place to look them up and get details would be great.
4. As for taking existing data/info from the various posts and copying them to the wiki...I would suggest we either get the "owner" (orig poster/author) of the content to participate and move it for us (and in the process update/clean/revise it as needed). OR as for their permission and copy it for them.
5. Who want's to do what? How is work organized on XDA so we don't step on each others' toes? Do we need an XDA administrator's permission before we start?
6. What else do we need? How else can we develop the Droid Eris Wiki and use it as a model (proof-of-concept) which we can present to XDA-Forums as w whole to adopt?
Thanks!
There's a wiki up at andirc(dot)net. Its in need of content though, so any/all contributions would be awesome!
Wiki
colinodell said:
There's a wiki up at andirc(dot)net. Its in need of content though, so any/all contributions would be awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for suggesting we update to the wiki you've provided a link to. However, I was more inclined to build off of the XDA Wiki instead. I've not heard from many folks in this thread as to a preference, so I was going to go ahead and build on the XDA Wiki (specifically the Droid Eris section).
I think if we can build out a nice wiki specific to Eris, it could be a proof-of-concept to entice others to join in (Eris as well as other devices) and make XDA the first and last stop for all Android rooting/modding/hacking/breaking/fixing/improving/ranting/hoping/*****ing/etc.
I think this is a great idea. I also am pretty new to this community but would love to contribute in any way that I can.
Would be pretty cool to have a theming section all about what images do what and where they are.
Started collecting bits...
JokerSP3 said:
I think this is a great idea. I also am pretty new to this community but would love to contribute in any way that I can.
Would be pretty cool to have a theming section all about what images do what and where they are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JokerSP3, glad to use all the help we can get. As a noob, I've been trying to build out the Eris wiki with little bits as I learn it. So if you'd like to help, just start adding info as you come across it to start filling in the blanks.
Hi,
I would like to propose the creation of a central reference thread for each sub-forum within the X10mini/pro fora.
They would contain rules, how to search, basics, FAQs, links to rooting, tutorials/guides, mods, themes, apps,... with respect to the respective sub-forum.
To get an idea check e.g. Hero CDMA Android Dev.
This will hopefully
-help organizing the fora more clearly
-prevent the same questions coming up all over again
-provide a useful pool of up-to-date information for both new and experienced users
-reduce everyone's need to search for fundamental things
-negate the need to otherwise sticky so many threads that the fora are just becoming unclear and clogged
You would be responsible to propose threads kept for future reference.
Opinions pls.
Thx and Best, DK
i think we have a thread like the CDMA thread made by dettofatto. the only thing is that we have multiple threads on same topic which could be deleted
just checked them briefly and yes, very good and helpful, not stickied though
so referencing them would be a must but imo wouldn't contradict my proposal about the central thread...
still, that's just me and its about you...will therefore patiently wait for further comments on this
Ed. I can add a poll if you think that's more helpful/faster
Sounds good.. and while we are at it.. get people to stick to the threads.. put all Themes in the Themes and Apps thread (not in Development) keep DEV stuff in the Dev Thread etc.. perhaps add a Newbie Thread where newbs can ask for help with issues so they don't fill the other threads...
Why are there Themes in the Dev section?
But yes a reorg is needed.
Kiwi
My concern is create two separate forums for x10 mini and x10 mini pro
kiwiBratwurst said:
Sounds good.. and while we are at it.. get people to stick to the threads.. put all Themes in the Themes and Apps thread (not in Development) keep DEV stuff in the Dev Thread etc.. perhaps add a Newbie Thread where newbs can ask for help with issues so they don't fill the other threads...
Why are there Themes in the Dev section?
But yes a reorg is needed.
Kiwi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately happens regularly, excuses are manyfold and it would be naive to think this project will prevent it
still should be well worth the effort
cleanup and heavy thread shifting will be done anyway, already started but due to time restriction only on the dev fora...but will be continued
Naren Raj said:
My concern is create two separate forums for x10 mini and x10 mini pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you mean for all subfora and not only for dev?
are accessories, t&a and so on so different that one cannot be used for/is incompatible to the other device?
then I would talk to admin, so pls enlighten me
I think that is fine and useful to put all important sw,updates and guides in same thread and link discussions only to this thread, of course then each sw has own discussions for help and experiences.
I would like a forum reorg
i also think that there are too many simillar threads, some that are just questions and are very missleading sometimes, also in the wrong place, maybe a structure like
*general
--tutorials/findings/configs/etc
--questions
*developement
--e10i/u20i
---->findings/breakthroughs/tutorials
---->questions
--e10i specific
---->findings/breakthroughs/tutorials
---->questions
--u20i specific
---->findings/breakthroughs/tutorials
---->questions
*themes
--method tutorials
--themes postings
--questions
*requests
or something like that because a reorganization is in need
also i think that there should be a section for both mini and pro because they may be different in hardware, but many methods, apps and ideas frome one work on the other and i feel that sometimes we miss out on developement from one or the other
hi
thx all for the contribution, I waited some time hoping additional ones might be posted, but maybe all are happy with the current suggestions...or waiting for my response...
lets comment:
all devices get as default the layout
xx General
xx Development
xx Accessories
xx Themes & Apps
device specific we have the known two dev fora, one for e10i and one for u20i and I don't think I can convince admin to create another one for shared development
not that I don't see the potential advantage, but I assume "misuse" would dominate so I'm fine as it is
still I also considered it wise to provide a place to collect development results of any kind usable on both devices
so alternately you have to specify dual usage in the thread title and we can also create an additional thread with references on that
reaching certain criteria a separate Q&A can be added, which I personally like very much and will address to admin immediately when a fore mentioned criteria are fulfilled
so as mentioned we are bound to the general forum layout, but what we might achieve could be like this:
*general
---->tutorials/findings/configuration/requests/FAQs/troubleshooting/references/how to/etc
---->e.g. separate thread like "newbies questions here"
---->OT chat thread if you like
*accessories
---->all accessories (batteries, cases, screen protection,...)
*development
--e10i specific
---->development (non app, non theme)/findings/breakthroughs/tutorials/roms/guides/modifications
---->reference thread for everything proven working/usable on both devices
--u20i specific
---->development (non app, non theme)/findings/breakthroughs/tutorials/roms/guides/modifications
*themes and apps
---->method tutorials/themes postings/applications posting/screen shots/miscellaneous (like splash screens,...)
*questions&answers (hopefully soon)
---->for all the rest (when available)
not stating this is finalized but it should give a good idea
comments pls
Cheers, DK
Reorganize! Hellyah!
Reorganize! Hellyah!
I intend to start this weekend, because I won't find the time before, but it's scheduled...
sounds really good!
maybe creating at the theme section a difference for mini and pro, or does the most of them on both models?
I would like to see a Q&A section. It would be nothing but beneficial as a place for people to ask questions without cluttering the general thread.
option94 said:
I would like to see a Q&A section. It would be nothing but beneficial as a place for people to ask questions without cluttering the general thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already requested it, it will be available as soon as site admin finds the time
I figured that, just throwing my .02 cents out there.
forum is good!but sometimes slows...
kobzarcheg said:
forum is good!but sometimes slows...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
care to elaborate on that?
it is nice...
we will have a new org?
PTGamer said:
we will have a new org?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there already is as proposed in #1
pls explain in detail what you mean
Sadly enough there is much chat in threads.
Even a comparison about the Arc and X10 in a thread about a mod.
Would it be possible to just remove posts that are really off-topic?
15 pages for a thread with <10 really on-topic posts
that's an awful lot of time spent sifting through threads and threads full of crap...
I completely agree. Please somebody do something about this. Start giving out bans. The ratio of crap to actual development talk is at least 10-1. It seriously hinders the ability of the forum to facilitate collaboration on the projects being done.
ralphodog said:
I completely agree. Please somebody do something about this. Start giving out bans. The ratio of crap to actual development talk is at least 10-1. It seriously hinders the ability of the forum to facilitate collaboration on the projects being done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've been on xda for quite some time, and i will admit that the x10 forums are the biggest cluster of useless banter, repetitive topics/questions and un-uniformed threads.
however, this is not the mods faults. there are posts for rules, and outlines for thread title structures and thread behavior. however, it seems that a lot of the x10 owners have a hard time following these rules and guidelines.
i can't imagine how anyone new to the game could come here and follow anything as far as learning how to mod their x10.
Just a hint: This might be more effective if it was in the correct forum.
Hard to ***** when you're part of the problem...
kxhawkins said:
Just a hint: This might be more effective if it was in the correct forum.
Hard to ***** when you're part of the problem...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Especially since the same threads are just as full of these type posts and rude people who take the time and space to ***** rather than just answering someone's question or simply moving on.
wait a second...arent you doing that right now?
Let's just end it here,
no *****ing!
we're all nice people
------------------------------------END OF THREAD----------------------------------
Hi,
I like stuff.
Dienda has a message for ya
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
william0410 said:
wait a second...arent you doing that right now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. I am just trying to make the point that there is a lot of both going on. (It seems you got my point...it's borderline hypocrisy)
I find myself in the middle. The only time I get frustrated is when I'm searching for an answer or it's a guide or tutorial. It boils down to time savings.
ffortissimo said:
Sadly enough there is much chat in threads.
Even a comparison about the Arc and X10 in a thread about a mod.
Would it be possible to just remove posts that are really off-topic?
15 pages for a thread with <10 really on-topic posts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please report the threads or posts .
As you may know we are not 24/7 on xda and doing this will help a lot.
I'll move this thread since it's in the wrong section
[/QUOTE ]
i can't imagine how anyone new to the game could come here and follow anything as far as learning how to mod their x10.[/QUOTE]
I must count myself as someone who may not be following all the rules. After following the forums for 6 months and having rooted, xrecovery, tweaked build.prop as well as flashing and bricking two phones, I am finding it hard to move onto a newer rom.
The search function on XDA seems to rely mostly on tags. I get better results trying Google. Only 1 of 5 XDA searches even returns any results at all and often not confined to the subforums I wanted. When posting I do check the suggestions that the system shows as related but again it is inaccurate.
Finally the devs have moved to a short form install which has more steps than in the past. At first we had all inclusive roms which updated baseband and 'firmware'. Now we have many that are parts; baseband and firmware can be independent installs. Dual touch can be separated or not. On top of this we have the roms which have the SE apps or not, other OEM apps or interfaces or themes pre-installed. It's confusion for everyone.
The threads started several versions of some of the roms earlier and many posts do not have a relationship anymore to the current version. It's time to trash the thread and start anew with a locked sticky that has only the instructions and current links.
While the devs have made great strides with the instructions, I believe most of the readers here want as few steps as possible without branches and a return to the all-inclusive roms would simplify life for most people instead of trying to figure out what the baseband or preinstalling dual touch or a newer generic SE rom as a prerequisite is needed to get to the rom that we are trying to install.
JMHO.
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
Mr. Clown said:
Can you please report the threads or posts .
As you may know we are not 24/7 on xda and doing this will help a lot.
I'll move this thread since it's in the wrong section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do. Thanks, Clown.
stan.s said:
The search function on XDA seems to rely mostly on tags. I get better results trying Google. Only 1 of 5 XDA searches even returns any results at all and often not confined to the subforums I wanted. When posting I do check the suggestions that the system shows as related but again it is inaccurate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By far the best way to search is going to Google and using "site:http://forum.xda-developers.com X10 Blah blah blah". I don't even bother with the xda search anymore.
stan.s said:
Finally the devs have moved to a short form install which has more steps than in the past. At first we had all inclusive roms which updated baseband and 'firmware'. Now we have many that are parts; baseband and firmware can be independent installs. Dual touch can be separated or not. On top of this we have the roms which have the SE apps or not, other OEM apps or interfaces or themes pre-installed. It's confusion for everyone.
The threads started several versions of some of the roms earlier and many posts do not have a relationship anymore to the current version. It's time to trash the thread and start anew with a locked sticky that has only the instructions and current links.
While the devs have made great strides with the instructions, I believe most of the readers here want as few steps as possible without branches and a return to the all-inclusive roms would simplify life for most people instead of trying to figure out what the baseband or preinstalling dual touch or a newer generic SE rom as a prerequisite is needed to get to the rom that we are trying to install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not trying to be a ****, but this is xda-developers, not xda-"cool **** for your phone". This is a place for development, and while the community is here to help everyone learn, people get the priorities wrong. There is a time and place for questions (In the Q&A section), and it's NOT the dev threads.
Threads in "Android Development" should be just that; It really hurts everyone when the ROM threads get filled with "How do I flash this?" and "Where's the download for X?". It's not the dev's duty to hold the hand of everyone who doesn't know what xRecovery is. I've installed nearly every ROM for the X10, and I'm sorry, but if you can't figure out how to do it, you shouldn't be in the Android Development forum in the first place.
There are a million threads on how to root, JIT, and flash custom ROMs, yet we still see new "HOW TO SPEED UP UR EXPERIA!!!" and "I want this rom, HOW?" threads every day. It's crazy that people can't read the stickies and ask in the correct forum. The post count restriction for dev forums was a start, but I think we see far too few bans for outright disregard for devs and the forum rules.
This is all JMHO, of course, but I'm sure I'm not alone in these sentiments.
Mr. Clown said:
Can you please report the threads or posts .
As you may know we are not 24/7 on xda and doing this will help a lot.
I'll move this thread since it's in the wrong section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am glad notice is being taken of the sad trend in some of the xda-developers.com forums. I would humbly like to suggest that a 'report this' tag is included on threads for members to indicate to 'mods' that a particular comment is starting a 'flame war.' Habitual 'flammers' and obnoxious behaviour can then be quickly identified and appropriate action taken against them.
rapatu2010 said:
I am glad notice is being taken of the sad trend in some of the xda-developers.com forums. I would humbly like to suggest that a 'report this' tag is included on threads for members to indicate to 'mods' that a particular comment is starting a 'flame war.' Habitual 'flammers' and obnoxious behaviour can then be quickly identified and appropriate action taken against them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologise there is indeed a report 'triangle' but it is rather inconspicous and easily missed. It will be great it is elevated to the same format as the 'Thanks" or 'Qoute' buttons
What's even worse than spam in threads? Threads made *****ing about it.
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
chefrichy said:
What's even worse than spam in threads? Threads made *****ing about it.
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And posts *****ing about threads *****ing about it.
kxhawkins said:
I'm not trying to be a ****, but this is xda-developers, not xda-"cool **** for your phone". This is a place for development, and while the community is here to help everyone learn, people get the priorities wrong. There is a time and place for questions (In the Q&A section), and it's NOT the dev threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, Q&A section. But it IS xda-cool **** for your phone.
kxhawkins said:
Threads in "Android Development" should be just that; It really hurts everyone when the ROM threads get filled with "How do I flash this?" and "Where's the download for X?". It's not the dev's duty to hold the hand of everyone who doesn't know what xRecovery is. I've installed nearly every ROM for the X10, and I'm sorry, but if you can't figure out how to do it, you shouldn't be in the Android Development forum in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This contradicts what you've said the in the first segment, we're here to learn, and you can only do that with all the language differences here when clear instructions are listed. Forums/websites all around the world, such as Android Central, Gizmodo/Engadget etc., all point readers to here for many handsets. XDA is NEWS as much as anything else.
kxhawkins said:
There are a million threads on how to root, JIT, and flash custom ROMs, yet we still see new "HOW TO SPEED UP UR EXPERIA!!!" and "I want this rom, HOW?" threads every day. It's crazy that people can't read the stickies and ask in the correct forum. The post count restriction for dev forums was a start, but I think we see far too few bans for outright disregard for devs and the forum rules.
This is all JMHO, of course, but I'm sure I'm not alone in these sentiments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do understand your frustration with users both personally and professionally- they're a PITA. Unfortunately users are what programmers have to cater to- as cool as something might be as a developer- if it's unusable in a practical way, it's only instructional. If XDA's only for learning there's no need here for device specific forums or even posting roms, just post the code snippets that needed modification to get version x.y.z to work; then we can all make our own variant, after all the android SDK is free and was one of the original ways to sideload a app onto any phone. All of us devs have an Eclipse IDE, etc. only post code to compile and that will keep out the riffraff.
XDA doesn't have a Quality-Assurance group to validate posts or the qualifications of the devs or the roms they present or the instruction sheet. I'm sort of personally suspicious of just putting anything on my phone, as where better to hide something than in a rom, and Android already (as well as GSM itself) have enough security issues. Some of the install instructions have been very vague, and if you, as a dev, know the files you want everyone to try, are not xRecovery compatible or require a particular version of the FlashTool or root or whatever, say so upfront. While "I" know 435 is LATER than 453, 497 and 504, not everyone is familiar with all the x10 roms or knows to go to PTCRB to check which ones end in those numbers; therefore, post the entire firmware and baseband number and avoid that question. RTFM is a very old catchphrase that doesn't apply here since there is no manual since you're writing the manual NOW.
I personally support the locking of the dev threads with links to roms to anyone but the OP. Maybe there should be a "Enduser Firmware to Try" subforum which is readable by all, but only postable by mods/devs with firmware of a high enough quality and the ability to support end-users. I've bricked two phones before there was a way to debrick them that worked.
If devs want money or beer or free space in the cloud that's in my name, be upfront, be clear, be helpful and some percentage of the folks here will reward you just as they would pay DaVinci Wotan, Unlockitnow, et al.
stan.s said:
Sure, Q&A section. But it IS xda-cool **** for your phone.
This contradicts what you've said the in the first segment...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it isn't, and no it doesn't. There can be room for both (development / learning), but people don't seem to understand the boundaries of either.
I'm not here to argue, just stating my opinion.
Hello developers and aspiring developers!
Seeing Chef Central is a pretty good resource for beginners and current developers to exchange info, it would be nice to have it a bit more organized.
I propose the following:
Tags
As you've probably seen around more places on XDA, TAGS are used to show us what the thread is about. Some threads here are already tagged, and it's that what we'd like to see.
Think about TAGS along the line of: [TUT], [Guide], [PORT], [Kernel], [Tool], [Kitchen], etc. Also, the [Q] tag should ALWAYS be used when a question is posted that couldn't be solved after taking the following steps...
Posting in threads instead of creating new ones
If you have a question about anything found in Chef Central, ask them in their respective threads. Don't open a new one just because no one answered your question in one day. Ask again, if you have to, in the same thread. Or, try the next best thing...
Searching
You should know that most of the stuff on XDA is searchable, even through Google's searchengine. I even recommend doing a search BEFORE asking a question. And if we keep this forum organized, searching would be pretty easy, now won't it? Speaking of organized...
Cleaning up
Obviously, this is something a moderator should do. In this particular case, we have several moderators that can do this: Some Recognized Developers are able to moderate this forum. To see who is able to do so, look at the bottom right of the Chef Central main forum.
Reporting also works wonders here; maintenance work is something we mods do too. Report a thread that needs to be cleaned/closed/stickied/etc. Make it a bit easier for us.
Device specific threads
All device specific questions should be posted in their respective forums. If there isn't any, post in general Android development.
So, with this, I want to start a "spring cleaning" if you will. Development is key here on XDA developers, and the place where most development is happening, it's a mess... Oh, the irony.
Oh and please, if you have any ideas or comments regarding this post, do not refrain from posting them here.
Let's start cleaning, shall we?
good post
I really hope this is a great source of info for me. So far everything that I've needed has been found here. So keep up the great work.
Thanks for this post. Totally agree and would like to add few things. We all want easy and quick access to the information and quick answers. But, before you ask, please think about what EXACTLY you want to ask, is your question make sense , or just like - "my ROM is not working, can you help" and then wait and see long long long thread of messages where people trying to understand - what ROM, how it failed, which device, what environment, symptoms of failure... etc.. Do not make a mess , keep this "home of knowledge" tidy.
Looks like OP forgot to mention that posting "Thanks" instead of just hitting thanks button is also a source of unnecessary clutter
shoey63 said:
Looks like OP forgot to mention that posting "Thanks" instead of just hitting thanks button is also a source of unnecessary clutter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fix'd
Everything is with a clear explanation of the very open
Challenges. It was really informative. Your website is very helpful.
Thanks for sharing it publicly!
Coad base
This is one of the sets of more consistent coding standards I've seen. It 'clear that it is written by someone with a deep knowledge and passion for the great design of the system to improve its ability and maintainability of its code base efforts everyday.
Great.. Glad to have it. Thanks again for the share
Best Guidelines regarding CC cleaner, apart form this can i have any another cleaner for my Andorid Phone, that should be trust able as CC cleaner and good to use.
Hey guys and girls, I've created this thread as a means to help out new members of our corner of the community, or XDA as a whole.
I've posted this in the hopes that it'll make a new users journey here begin nice and smoothly. Once you read this thread, you'll know the basics of how things run around this site, where to make sure you post in the correct section and how to avoid the people who will try to troll and flame you.
My aim is that after reading this, you'll have gained an advantage by reading and understanding this guide.
However, this guide isn't only for the new members of this sub-forum. This is for anyone who reads this, whether you're a new member, a senior member, a recognized contributor etc, as a lot of the "veteran" members seem to have lost their way, as of late. I hope that this will help transform you from a noob into a new user and that you'll give back to this community even part of the mass that you learn.
One thing you should remind yourself is that we were all noobs at some point. Maybe some weren't when they started XDA, but I guarantee you that they were at one point. But just because you're a noob on XDA, there's still no excuse for not following the Forum Rules.
The most important thing you'll need to do to get along well around here, is to search. If you have any kind of problem, first of all you should search. If you can't find anything, then you should try using different keywords to help you find your answer. If you find a similar thread then you can post your question in there instead. If however, your question hasn't been asked before and there's nothing around which is similar then you can post your question, but make sure you post it in the Q&A forum. QUESTIONS DO NOT BELONG IN GENERAL OR THE DEVELOPMENT FORUMS
Before diving right in, let me overview the rules set by xda:
*Search Before Posting, Behave In A Nice And Friendly Manner, Make Sure You Make Your Titles And Threads Clear To Other Users, Use The English Language, Post A Message Only Once (Do Not Multi-Post), Do Not Post Warez(I'll explain what this means later) , Do Not Spam (again, more explanation to come regarding this) , No Requests For Donations (If People Want To Donate, They Will), Do Not Use Copyrighted Materials Or Anything That Does NOT Belong To You, Be Helpful To Others, Using The Work Of Others MUST Be Approved, Do NOT Create More Than One User Account, and Keep On Topic In Threads And With Your Posts.
For a full list and explanation of the rules of this site, please view the FORUM RULES.
---Getting Started (With The Basics)---
I figure that if you're reading this, you're already a registered member and have read the Forum Rules above. Below I'm going to recap the most important rules briefly, so they will be imprinted into your mind a bit more.
1) Search, Read, Post
As I've already mentioned in this thread and as you'll hear a lot of times, searching and reading before you post is the most important thing you need to do around here. The first thing you should be reading when in this forum is the stickied threads. Those threads have been stuck to the top of the forum because they contain the must have information you'll need to learn everything you need to. Don't get mistaken and think that those threads are there for no reason. That's not the case. If you read them, should you have any of problems you'll be able to easily know how to solve it. Searching before you post is just as important as reading because if you search for your answer then you probably won't even need to post your question. This will save you time and save others time from needing to help you Even if there's not a thread for your problem, if there's a thread which is similar then post in there instead. Doing so will help to keep our forum as clean and tidy as possible, meaning it's easier for all of us to find the answers we need.
Of course, we are all here to help each other out but if you haven't tried to help yourself then why would others waste their time trying to help you? So do the searching and reading as mentioned, once you've done that you'll know exactly where to post to get the best answer for your problem.
2) Posting Protocol:
Over your time on XDA you'll either find yourself lurking (not posting a lot), or you'll find yourself making the most out of this site and posting quite a lot. However, you shouldn't be posting a load of rubbish simply to get your post count up. This is especially true for new members who have less than 10 posts and want to post in a development thread. Please take note of the Post count limit in developmental fora and remember that if you need something posted in a development thread then you can make use of the following thread -I Will Post Your Question In A Dev Thread IF.... That thread will allow you to get your question posted without getting in trouble for spamming.
Another must have when posting is to give as much information as possible. If, for example, your device has started rebooting itself randomly and you decide to ask why it's happening, you need to give all information possible. This means you should include what device you have, which ROM you are using, which kernel you are using, what you did just before the problem occurred, what you have done to try and fix it etc... The more information you can give, the better help others will be able to provide you with.
3) Don't BUMP Your Posts
Whenever you make a post on this site, whether it's a question, a general post or even a response to someone else, don't be impatient. You need to give people time to think about what you've posted and then respond to it. Also remember that the person may not be in the same part of the world as you, so just because it's morning for you it could be nighttime for someone else. Don't be in such a hurry that you BUMP (Bring Up My Post) your own post in an attempt to get a quicker response. Doing that can make people feel less inclined to help you because they feel forced and pressured into doing so. People will respond to you, you just need to give it time. The quickest way for you to know that someone has responded to you is to subscribe to the thread. This way, you'll receive an email notification as soon as someone replies.
4) Showing Appreciation Via The Thanks Button:
There's one feature of XDA which you'll all be aware of. That is indeed the Thanks button/meter. This was implemented into XDA a while back in an attempt to cut down on users making posts simply saying "Thanks". Also, if a post has thanks on it, you know it has been a useful post for others and you may be able to get some use from it aswell. Please be sure to utilize this feature. If you ask a question and somebody gives you the correct answer, click the thanks button on their post. Even if somebody doesn't have the right answer but has been trying to help you solve your problem, give them a thank because they've used there own time to help you when they could've just ignored your post. As you'll be able to see, underneath everyone's avatar is the Thanks meter. This allows you to see at a glance that this user has been really helpful with there answers. It's by no means a perfect system as some users (myself included) will use the button if I find a post funny or if I agree with someone's post. Because of that, it doesn't always indicate a users status or stature on XDA. It's a potentially wildly inaccurate measure of a members ability to answer your question correctly.
It is always best to hit that button though because it's good to feel appreciated. If you feel the need to actually post "Thank you" then follow it up with a click of that button aswell. Once you start helping out others by answering their questions and you receive a Thank from it, it may make you feel that your work/effort is truly being appreciated and that your time is being valued.
In order to be able to give another user Thanks, you must have one post. The best place to gain your first post is by using The "Say Hi" Thread and introducing yourself to XDA. You're limited to give 8 thanks per day and if you're using them right, you should use them all everyday.
Below is a breakdown of how many thanks you need to have for the bar on the Thanks Meter to increase.
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
5th bar - 501 (There's a a bug here, never gets to 5 bars)
6th bar - 1001
7th bar - 2001
8th bar - 5001
9th bar - 8001
Maxed! - 10000
5) Trolls And Flamers:
Trolls and flamers are a part of this community, whether we like it or not. I'll briefly explain them below in case you aren't aware of what I mean.
Trolls - Trolls are basically members who will attempt to make "fun" of you or something you post. But it's only a bit of fun. It's not meant to be serious and is not meant to be aggressive or upset you in any way. If someone tries to 'troll' you when you make a post and you don't like it, then be sure you don't respond to them. Leave them to it and they'll go elsewhere.
Flamers - Flamers are essentially more extreme trolls. They will make fun out of you but will take it too far and attack you. If you asked a question, which they felt was dumb, then they will have a go at you for being "so stupid" and "being a noob".
While some of you may have a sense of humour, others won't so you need to be careful about what you post. As posted above, the best option is generally to ignore any posts of that kind, as they can escalate quickly and you could find yourself getting in trouble aswell for responding in such a manner. If, however, you feel you can't ignore what's being said or you feel that someone has been overly aggressive and attacking, you can report the post to any of our moderators and they will look into it and take the appropriate action.
6) Warning About The Warez:
As you'll know by looking at the name of this site - xda-developers - you'll know that this site was primarily based around developers of modifications, apps, ROMs etc. That means that this site is based around their work and contributions, which they have spent a lot of time and work in making and may require that a payment be made for their work. That being said, it's against the rules to post anything which avoids paying for the software. There's zero tolerance in regards to people posting such things or even asking about it. Out of all of the rules, this is definitely the most important and you will probably be infracted or banned if you post about it anywhere on this site.
If you keep stealing a developers work then the developer is not making money from it which could mean that they can't keep releasing more work. This then affects all of us just because you were too selfish to pay for it.
7) Admission To The Development Section:
A load of new users seem to want to jump in head first and want access to post in the development section. The reality is, YOU CAN'T! This isn't to try and make you feel inferior to anyone else or to stop new users coming to this site. The reason is to stop a hell of a lot of spam and to stop people simply posting "Thanks" and thus making the development threads look like a mess. We want all parts of XDA to look as nice and tidy as possible so the same goes for the development sections. You will need to make 10 constructive posts before you're allowed access to the development fora. If you're unsure of how to get to 10 posts properly, then you should try helping out some people who have questions or queries in your devices forum and you'll soon find that your posts will climb quickly. If it is extremely urgent that you post in a development thread but don't have time to get to 10 posts, then you can either use the following thread - I Will Post Your Question In The Dev Thread IF... - or you can PM the developer and explain the problem to them. *NOTE* Only PM one of the developers if you've looked all through the thread and what you're reporting hasn't been mentioned before Here's a summarization of the 10 post rule by Fallen Spartan: "The 10 post rule was put in place to make new users think, and hopefully contribute and help others by making useful posts rather than the usual crap like "thanks", "kewl" etc or ask questions which have been asked countless times before. They still have access to dev forums, just cannot post in them. Its not a massive restriction and to provide 10 useful/helpful posts is not hard."
8) User Title's Explained:
You'll see that every member has a "title" under their avatar. If you've seen these and wondered how to get them, then read the following passage from juzz86: "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 News writer - 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."
0 to 29 posts - Member
30 to 99 posts - Junior Member
100 + posts - Senior Member
9) Helpful Links:
Forum Rules
Postcount limit in developmental fora
Guide To Getting A Moderators Help
XDA New User Guide
Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries& Guides
[SOLA]Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries & Guides
[ACRO S] Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries & Guides
[GO]Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries & Guides
Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries & Guides
[P]Index of ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries & Guides
CREDITS: Apex_Strider for the permission to base this in his thread.
E.Cadro for letting me post this thread here.
---Welcome To The 2012 Xperia Community---
Well I'm glad we've got all of that covered I'll bet you are aswell
Now I'll take this moment to welcome you to our community, so welcome Come and join us and help us make this forum as good as it can be.
If you've paid attention to what's been said in this thread and actually apply it to your time here, you'll never be a noob. Instead, what you'll be is a New User (which sounds much nicer).
With all the knowledge you gain from around XDA, you'll definitely be able to help other people out and feel the satisfaction when you have been able to help someone finally solve their problem.
This is how you can give back to the community. I urge you all to stick around and have fun, learn a hell of a lot and get to know people.
I look forward to speaking/interacting with you all
Should you have any problems, questions, concerns or just fancy a chat feel free to Private Message me at any point and I'll be glad to help you out
Time To Let You Know Who The Standout Members Of Our Community Are!
I'll be listing our Forum Specific Moderators, Developers, Recognized Contributors and the most helpful members across this forum.
Xperia Moderators:
'cooleagle'
E.Cadro
Xperia Developers:
This Is Currently A Work In Progress. If Someone Could Possibly Get A List To Me, That Would Be Great.
Xperia Recognized Contributors:
This Is Currently A Work In Progress. If Someone Could Possibly Get A List To Me, That Would Be Great.
Xperia Most Helpful Members:
This Is Currently A Work In Progress. If Someone Could Possibly Get A List To Me, That Would Be Great.
And, just in case, here in the video of the rules of xda developers site. Doesn't hurt to watch it more than the obligatory first time for your registration process. Enjoy xda, and I welcome you to our community!
I hope this guide helps you make your experience on XDA a better one. I'll be glad if you click the Thanks button, instead of saying Thanks, but I'll be even more glad if you take this guide to heart and actually follow what it says. Doing so will help make your time here easier and more comfortable for everyone involved.
Thank you for reading, and happy forum'ing! :good:
Around these forums you're likely to hear some terminology or lingo which you're not familiar with. Check out this list of Android Terms, Slang & Definitions by Diablo67.
I'm going to post some of the more relevant definitions below, but if you see a term you're not sure about but it's not in this thread then check out the above thread by Diablo67.
So here we go…
ADK: Android Development Kit, What people use to develop anything for the droid such as ROM's
AOSP: Short for Android Open Source Project, and when the term is used in ROM descriptions, it usually indicates that the ROM in question is based on the Android source code provided by Google itself, and not on some other ROM project or a company’s firmware.
Baseband: In communications and signal processing, the baseband describes signals and systems whose range of the frequencies measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used to describe frequencies starting close to zero
Boot Loader: Executes code before any operating system is launched. On Android devices, the bootloader is usually locked because manufacturers want you to use the version of Android they’ve provided. With a locked bootloader on Android phones, custom ROMs cannot be flashed.
Boot Loop: simply means something is preventing the phone from completing it's boot cycle and is stuck between the boot animation and the unlock screen, creating a looped animation. This is often fixed by either reloading a Nandroid, or Reflashing a rom from the Boot Loader.
Brick or Bricked: Jargon for a completely unrecoverable device, (no more than a brick or paperweight).
Bug or Software Bug: an Error or flaw in software that produces a failure or unexpected/unwanted result. Typically created from incorrect code, this is why some ROMs are better and smoother running than others because certain developers have taken the time to input "perfect" code
ClockworkMod or CWM: A recovery program that is often used to apply updates, ROMs, or create a back up or restore a backup file
Dalvik: is the cryptic name of the virtual machine (VM) in Android, and it’s the basis for running apps (with the .apk filename extension) on the platform. Before Android apps are launched, they’re converted into the compact Dalvik Executable (.dex) format, which is designed to be suitable for systems that are constrained in terms of memory and processor speed. Dalvik was originally written by Dan Bornstein, who named it after the fishing village of Dalvík in Eyjafjörður, Iceland, where some of his ancestors lived.
Dalvik Cache: Simply put it is the cache used by Dalvik, and it’s the result of Dalvik doing optimizations of running apps. Some Android ROMs allow you to move the Dalvik cache to your SD card, in order to free up internal storage.
De-odex: Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file and put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace files (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) and to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
What the heck does it mean, exactly? Well, it’s probably the hardest term to explain in this rooting dictionary...
When a ROM has been deodexed, it means that its apps have been prepared so they can be modified. Deodexed ROMs feature apps that have been repackaged in a certain way. Android applications (.apk's) contain .odex files that devs supposedly use to save space. These .odex files are extracted from the application packages and put in the /system/ folder on your phone, to speed up boot processes and to allow parts of applications to be preloaded.
However, this makes hacking and modifying those apps difficult because parts of the apps have been extracted to another location. Deodexing means that all pieces of an application package are put back together into one file, and it makes sure that a modified .apk won’t conflict with some separate odexed parts located somewhere else. Developers of custom ROMs choose to deodex their ROM packages, since it lets them modify various .APKs, and it also makes theming possible after the ROMs have been installed.
Dev. or Developer: An individual that creates, or alters a file in such a manner as to advance the program
Ext2/3/4: This refers to partitions on your SD card. They’re extended file systems for Linux that can be used by Android, usually in order to preserve internal storage space. Many custom Android ROMs require that you have an Ext2, Ext3 or Ext4 partition on your memory card. Ext2 is the oldest type of extended file system, and Ext4 is the newest.
Firmware: A phone’s firmware is basically its operating system. A “firmware update” means that the operating system, the software that controls the phone, is updated. “Stock firmware” means that the firmware is unmodified: it’s the version of the operating system the phone’s manufacturer delivers.
Flash or Flash Memory: To flash a custom ROM, or a firmware, simply means that you install it. So, flashing is the process of installing a new version of the Android operating system, or just parts of it, like such as the radio and/or kernel. Flashing new ROMs is done via the Recovery Mode, usually with ClockworkMod Recovery.
Kernel: Central component of most operating systems: it’s a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. Android kernels are often customized, optimized and modified for different purposes, such as over-clocking the processor or extending the battery life. Custom ROMs usually include a new kernel.
NanDroid or Nandroid Backup: Anyone with root access make a complete system backup. It lets you create a backup of every piece of information on your phone, and it can be restored later whenever you want. NANDroid backups are usually performed before flashing a new ROM, in case anything goes wrong with an update or when flashing, or if you want to return to your previous setup later. NANDroid backups are created from the Recovery Mode often found with CWM.
Odexed: See Deodexed
Radio: It’s the radio on your phone that handles communication, the radio that sends and receives voice and data. Flashing (installing) a new radio can improve your reception, and bring other benefits.
Root: Common word associated with giving a user "super user" access to their phones programming and other various aspects that would normaly not be possible, also known as "Jailbroken" for iPhones.
OS: Operating system, e.g. Windows, Mac, Ubuntu...and Android.
Overclocking: Speeding up the CPU past the factory presets to achieve a faster and more responsive device
ROM: Read Only Memory, a program used to make changes to anything from the look of the home screen, to icons to custom boot animation
SetCPU: This is a popular application for overclocking or underclocking your phone’s processor, making it faster or slower. It may require a special kernel in order to work.
Stock:Simply means an unaltered state, such as when you first purchase your phone from Verizon, or when you do a factory reset to "go back to stock."
SU or Superuser: When you root your Android phone, you will get superuser access. The superuser or root user is sort of a special user account for system administration.
Terminal or Terminal Emulator: An app that lets users access Android’s built-in Linux command line shell. It’s useful for programmers and for those with root access. There are some Roms that have built in theme and/or tools that are accessed from Terminal.
Theme: A set of icons, backgrounds and app trays that change the aesthetics of the overall look of the droid and its applications
Underclocking: Slowing down the CPU mainly to limit battery usage
.apk or APK's: An .apk file extension denotes an Android Package (APK) file, an .apk file can be opened and inspected using common archive tools
.tar: Similar to a zip file, a tar file archives multiple files into one file
Reserved.
I've now filled in a couple of the reserve slots and will leave it at that for now.
Please be sure to let me know if you have any queries, concerns or requests regarding this thread.
Thanks
Bumped
Sent from my Nocturnalized One XL using Forum Runner
Bumping up
I've added links to an index of ROMs, kernels etc. for each device into the OP.
As always, if I've made any mistakes throughout this thread or you think there's something missing, please be sure to let me know
"My badboy megazord whip's got more features than iOS5"
This is a very good and informative thread. There should be something like this in every forum, but then it might become repetitive.
Sent from my LT15a using xda-developers app
might wanna change
OS: Operating system, I.E. Windows, Mac, Ubuntu...and Android.
to
OS: Operating system, eg. Windows, Mac, Ubuntu...and Android.
although grammatically vorrectt
theres bound to be someone thnking the I.E. is for internet explorer
-PiLoT- said:
might wanna change
OS: Operating system, I.E. Windows, Mac, Ubuntu...and Android.
to
OS: Operating system, eg. Windows, Mac, Ubuntu...and Android.
although grammatically vorrectt
theres bound to be someone thnking the I.E. is for internet explorer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't thought about it that way.
Changed
Read all the new terminologies
Where do I post a question, in the general section? ( sorry if I missed it in reading in post )
XPERIA U
Stock ICS 4.0.4
Rooted
drsanket_xperia_u said:
Read all the new terminologies
Where do I post a question, in the general section? ( sorry if I missed it in reading in post )
XPERIA U
Stock ICS 4.0.4
Rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Questions go in the Q&A section. Hence the name Question & Answer
Must have noticed that
Thanx
Bumping up :thumbup:
KidCarter93 said:
Bumping up :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that was a nice introduction...:good:
im still at first one