date stringlengths 10 10 | nb_tokens int64 60 629k | text_size int64 234 1.02M | content stringlengths 234 1.02M |
|---|---|---|---|
2013/12/06 | 1,412 | 5,088 | <issue_start>username_0: It's the time of the year again, namely it is December 2013, and so we shall now refresh our Community Promotion Ads for the new year.
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be **220 x 250 pixels**
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/1602).<issue_comment>username_1: [](http://twitter.com/#!/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](http://ebooks.qumran.org/androidpitidenbuch)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://robotics.stackexchange.com)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://robotics.stackexchange.com)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.mandaria.cardashboardfree)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shadowburst.showr&referrer=ase-ad14)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.com.nihcap.randomlyst)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: [](http://projectmaxs.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: [](http://yaxim.org/)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](http://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/12/17 | 876 | 2,788 | <issue_start>username_0: If I am not missing something serious, I am seeing this site with horrible readability.
* almost white background with hardly visible Honeycomb-ish pattern (come on, almost same color as the input box?)
* the green-ish question title and other texts may hardly point to Android, otherwise rendering the pages almost unreadable. In fact, it hurt my eyes when I checked out the newsletter in my inbox.
* as per [Google's direction](http://developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/promote/brand.html), this Meta site is not using Android's bot logo properly:
>
> Android robot
>
>
> The Android robot can be used, reproduced, and modified freely in
> marketing communications. The color value for print is PMS 376C and
> the online hex color is #A4C639.
>
>
>
What do you think? Should we revise the color palette?<issue_comment>username_1: [](http://twitter.com/#!/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](http://ebooks.qumran.org/androidpitidenbuch)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://robotics.stackexchange.com)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://robotics.stackexchange.com)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.mandaria.cardashboardfree)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shadowburst.showr&referrer=ase-ad14)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.com.nihcap.randomlyst)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: [](http://projectmaxs.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: [](http://yaxim.org/)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](http://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 |
2013/12/18 | 1,901 | 7,435 | <issue_start>username_0: It seems to me that the quality of this SE site is low. Most questions appear to be about minor issues/bugs rather than Android itself. Should something be done about the quality or allowed topic?
Examples:
This seems like a bug rather than a "real" Android issue - [Google Nexus 7 not recognized via USB](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/34427/google-nexus-7-not-recognized-via-usb)
Use Google - [Is there a valid Android alternative to iTunes U?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/59250/is-there-a-valid-android-alternative-to-itunes-u)
Too Localized? - [How to connect your Nexus phone to a VGA projector?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/57933/how-to-connect-your-nexus-phone-to-a-vga-projector)
---
Did this break the rules? - [What's the risk of installing Cyanogen Mod on unsupported phone?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/21566/whats-the-risk-of-installing-cyanogen-mod-on-unsupported-phone)
Some questions are accepted even though they are questions open to debate. **See** (<https://android.stackexchange.com/tour>) - "*Questions with too many possible answers, or that would require an extremely long answer*". The user in the above link asks for possible risks, which is not easily answered question, thus breaking the quoted rule. Yet, this user's question received many upvotes.
---
I think it would also help this site if the criteria for good Android questions were more "clear cut".
EDIT NOTE: I removed everything about Cyanogenmod since that seemed to confuse the people reading it. Yes, I understand the definition of Cyanogenmod and Raspbian.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> This seems like a bug rather than a "real" Android issue - Google
> Nexus 7 not recognized via USB
>
>
>
No matter if it is an bug or not doesn't mean that it shouldn't be allowed here. You can't often tell if it's a bug or just a common user error.
>
> Use Google - Is there a valid Android alternative to iTunes U?
>
>
>
This is a borderline question, because it's of the form "Is there an App that does X?" and should maybe rephrased to "How can I (like iTunes U)?" But then it's a good quality question for this site.
>
> Too Localized? - How to connect your Nexus phone to a VGA projector?
>
>
>
The too localized close reason is long gone. For a good reason, who can decide how many users are interested in the question? What is they harm if it only helps a handful of people, if it's still helpful?
>
> I agree that Cyanogenmod questions should be welcome, but to see an
> "Android" site, it seems like Cyanogenmod questions do not belong.
>
>
>
This read as you would like to contradict yourself. And I also fail to see an valid argument why Cyanogenmod questions should be disallowed here. If have a feeling that most people would consider Cyanogenmod questions on-topic on Android Enthusiasts.
>
> ...but not Raspbian (Install Raspbian on Android (ARMv7) Devices).
>
>
>
This was a community decision, The mod that closed the q was only the needed 5. vote. For example, I do not consider this question off-topic, but the community decided otherwise.
I am not sure if I get the intention of your meta question. If it's whenever Cyanogenmod questions should be allowed or not, then I say \*Yes, Cyanogenmod questions are perfectly fine here".
If it's because you feel the quality of questions has dropped, then I say we have already all the tools at hand to improve the quality of posts:
* edit
* down vote
* vote to close
Remember that negative score posts won't get bumped by community on the front page. If they don't have an answer, they also will get deleted after some time.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Regarding some of your specific examples:
>
> This seems like a bug rather than a "real" Android issue - Google Nexus 7 not recognized via USB
>
>
>
I don't really see why that's a problem. People sometimes encounter bugs when using Android. Trying to find a workaround for a bug (if that is the case) is a perfectly reasonable problem to want to solve. How is that not a "real" Android issue? What would be your definition of a "real" Android issue if not *an issue you encountered while trying to use Android*?
>
> Did this break the rules? - What's the risk of installing Cyanogen Mod on unsupported phone?
>
>
>
Do you have a specific **reason** why you think this question is off-topic? What about it is not related to using Android? This seems like a reasonable question for someone unfamiliar with Android/CyanogenMod to ask before they dive in and get themselves stuck in a bad situation.
>
> Too Localized? - How to connect your Nexus phone to a VGA projector?
>
>
>
I *suppose* I could see this being kind of a niche question, but I don't think I'd go so far as to say that it's "too localized". That close reason doesn't actually exist anymore as it is, but when it did exist it was generally intended for problems that were only reproducible in the environment of the OP, or questions that were (or would be) rendered obsolete quickly over time. On Stack Overflow a common use was for questions where the error was a typo. Anecdotally, I had my boss come ask me how to do exactly what this question describes before going to a meeting once (he needed to demo an app for some potential clients).
---
Now, regarding the general quality of the site: yes, we have over the course of this site's existence had a persistent problem with low quality questions, in my opinion. I think part of the problem is that there are a lot of questions that people *want* to ask that just don't fit on SE sites, which we have chosen not to accept ("Recommend a phone for me", "Help me find an app", etc). There's not a whole lot we can do about these other than to point people to resources that will be able to (possibly) help them, like forums and such.
We also regularly get questions that are just not answerable because they are too vague, usually with regards to bugs or other problems. "My messaging app is force closing. Help me?" is not descriptive enough for us to be helpful, for example. However, I would say that every site ultimately ends up with questions like this, particularly ones focused on end users (though, Stack Overflow certainly gets *plenty* of dev questions that are simply remarkably poor). Again, we just have to be diligent in keeping the site clean of these questions, and trying to guide the askers into posting more detailed questions.
---
In sum, I'm not really sure what the end goal of your post is, honestly. I personally don't find the questions you list to be particularly "fuzzy" in terms of their appropriateness, and you haven't really provided specific portions of the on/off-topic guidelines that you think need to be tightened. This makes it kind of difficult (for me, at least) to really provide much in the way of meaningful discussion on the perceived issue.
When you suggest:
>
> Should the rules be made more clear?
>
>
>
...then I would recommend that you **point out specifically** the parts that you find *unclear* so that we can discuss them. Alternatively, perhaps you could explain what you think the appropriate topics of our site should be, and why. That would at least give us somewhere to start, but definitely do explain clearly the "why" so that we can accurately evaluate the merits of your stance.
Upvotes: 2 |
2013/12/20 | 642 | 2,312 | <issue_start>username_0: This is inspired from this answer to my question - [Can there be malicious apps on Google Play?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/55666/can-there-be-malicious-apps-on-google-play/55670#55670)
>
> Aside of that: In case you're still unsure, pick a good forum and ask. Another good idea is to check other apps from the same developer (just follow the link on his name), and use above criteria on them.
>
>
>
Since currently finding an ad-free application is not easy, is it OK to ask for recommendations (i.e. for example "Can someone recommend an ad-free FTP server that is not a virus")?.
I looked in the FAQ and it said app-recommendations are considered "primarily opinion-based", and if I ask "What is the best app doing X", it would be true, but ad-free and not-virus is just true or false, there is no opinion there.<issue_comment>username_1: I would suggest that it depends on the wording of the question.
Asking for a straight recommendation is rightly off topic pretty much everywhere. This is why there is a proposal on Area51 for [Software Recommendations](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/60887/software-recommendations) which would wrap them up in their own home.
Asking "Is app x ad-free?" may be acceptable but only if the answer isn't clear from the relevant app store.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I second what [username_1 wrote](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1626/16575), but want to give you a second hint on how to avoid the "recommendation OT". Here are two questions for the very same purpose, #1 being off-topic, #2 would be perfectly fine:
1. "Is there any ad-free..." / "Can someone recommend..."
2. How can I determine whether an app is ad-free, when it requires Internet to work (e.g. a web browser)?
For the second, I could even give you some good answers. So if you ask it, and I don't jump, feel free to ping me in chat :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: "Does App X contain a virus?" questions tend to be off-topic, because if it's a closed source application, we can't determine what's in the application. A better question for this site would be, as [Izzy already mentioned](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1627/440), "How can I determine whether an app is ad-/virus-free?".
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/01/09 | 290 | 1,038 | <issue_start>username_0: For the last few weeks, the "Ask Question" button is a bit of:
Using Chrome 31.0.1650.63 on Linux<issue_comment>username_1: What browser/OS are you using? It shows in the right place inside the grey bar for me on Win7 Sp1 x86 with Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 26.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: From your screenshot, it looks like you've hit the font selection problem with the Roboto font. If you install Roboto under Linux, then when a site or program asks for Roboto, it gets "Roboto Medium" (which is quite heavyweight) instead of "Roboto Regular" (which looks normal). This is a problem with how the weights are set in the font files.
[This site has an explanation of how to change your font configuration to avoid the problem.](http://nileshgr.com/2013/02/24/configuring-roboto-font-in-linux) Once you've added the workaround you'll notice that ASE looks a lot 'lighter' in font terms, and much easier on the eye.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2014/01/10 | 997 | 4,087 | <issue_start>username_0: Why do we (currently have) 277 questions tagged with [tablet](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/tablet "show questions tagged 'tablet'")? This seems like one of the most generic and pointless tags out there.
I realise that back when tablets were new and unusual in the Android world there was even a [competition](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/784/) with prizes for questions tagged as [tablet](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/tablet "show questions tagged 'tablet'") but tablets were so rare then that this was understandable, not so any more, these days it would just cause us problems.
The roughly equivalent [phone](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/phone "show questions tagged 'phone'") tag is synonymised to [hardware](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/hardware "show questions tagged 'hardware'"), and we've already run clean-ups on [Manufacturer tags](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1140/) and actively [discourage model specific tags](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/260/), except where really needed.
Possible solutions:
1. Go through a tag cleanup exercise to pare down to just questions that really are specific problems that would only affect tablets but aren't specific enough to need tagging with the model (I'm struggling to think what they would be). Edit the wiki to note that the Tablet tag should only be used when really needed.
2. Synonymise [tablet](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/tablet "show questions tagged 'tablet'") with [hardware](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/hardware "show questions tagged 'hardware'") (will probably need to do a tag clean-up exercise, at least on the questions with only the tablet tag if nothing else).
3. Leave things as they are, tablets really are a different category of questions that need identifying.<issue_comment>username_1: I would keep the tablet tag. But I would also have kept the phone tag, as I think that there exist questions that are only relevant for phones and tablets.
Please don't confuse this with irrelevant tags added to posts. If a question isn't phone specific, there is no need to add the phone tag. Side note: But there is also no big harm in adding it, as long as the tag doesn't occupy the spot for a more relevant one.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: I agree with GAThrawn on "solution 1": a cleanup never hurts. I'm currently not sure whether we really should remove/synonymize the `tablet` tag, as I pointed out in my comment on [Flow's answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1657/16575):
>
> Here comes the idea to GAThrawn's "what they would be":
>
> **What about questions really specific to "dialer-less devices",** e.g. including issues with apps requiring the dialer (or rather "SMS receiving functionality") for activation (WhatsApp might be one example)? While questions specific to such an app could take its tag (`whatsapp-messenger` in this example), what about more generic question as e.g. "How to deal with apps *like this* **in general** / are there generic work-arounds"?
>
>
>
Creating an alternative tag (`dialerless-hardware`) might be a fit for this special case; but there could be more we are currently unaware of, and which might *not* fit this pattern.
**Hence my suggestion:** Let's start with "solution 1" and do a cleanup. While doing that, keep these thoughts in mind, collecting ideas. Those could include:
* alternative tags to be created, matching a larger group of the `tablet` questions
* synonyms to other tags, including the "tablet" substring, pointing to existing and fitting tags
* re-tagging to existing tags (automatically happens during cleanup)
Whenever an idea seems to be a possible solution, update this question (using comments when unsure, or directly using answers otherwise). Once the cleanup is done, we are wiser, and most likely able to decide on further steps (if any are still required then).
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2014/01/14 | 583 | 2,191 | <issue_start>username_0: Yesterday, I submitted a post on Android Enthusiast. Today, I tried to edit it, and it said that links to google.com weren't allowed. These links are part of an error message. Shouldn't they be allowed? Is there some way to override this error message?
Is it possibly because there are so many links to google?<issue_comment>username_1: It seems there's an upper limit for the number of links allowed, and the error message is a bit inaccurate.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: It's nothing to do with the number of URLs... It's how they're formatted:
Since there are no spaces, the URL parser thinks the entire string `http://www.google.com...Could` is a URL - and of course, this is *not* a valid URL!
There are a few possible work-arounds here:
* **Leave off the `http://`** This is the easiest, since the URL parser will just ignore it - but it also changes the actual error message, so this is somewhat undesirable. That said, in this specific case you shouldn't actually be passing "http" to telnet anyway.
* **Use code formatting for the URL.** Surround the URL in backtics, and the URL parser will ignore it. Example:
>
> Connecting To `http://www.google.com`...Could not open connection to the host, on port 23: Connect failed
>
>
>
* **Put the entire error in a code block.** By indenting four spaces instead of using the > prefix, the error message will be rendered as code and ignored by the URL parser. The downside of this is that it will all appear on a single line:
```
Connecting To http://www.google.com...Could not open connection to the host, on port 23: Connect failed
```
* **Use HTML blockquote syntax.** By eschewing Markdown entirely, you can obtain much greater control over what is rendered. So writing this:
```
> Connecting To http://www.google.com...Could not open connection to the host, on port 23: Connect failed
```
...produces this:
> Connecting To http://www.google.com...Could not open connection to the host, on port 23: Connect failed
Note that you'll have to escape any invalid HTML in the quote in order for this to work.
Upvotes: 3 |
2014/01/21 | 976 | 4,208 | <issue_start>username_0: I noticed that there are 2 flags for apparently the same effect/reason.
There are the *"Questions about writing and publishing Android apps, writing custom ROMs, and other topics that are primarily of concern to developers are off-topic. Consider taking advantage of other resources that may be appropriate for your question"* (found in `Off Topic`) one and there are the *"belongs on Stack Overflow"* (found in `Off Topic -> Belong in another site`) one.
To me, they are the same because developments questions often go to Stack Overflow (well, maybe programmers.se but I think it's very rare). Or maybe there is one that is better in a certain context and/or they don't have the same intent?<issue_comment>username_1: This is largely kind of a judgement call as to which flag you use on a given question. There's not a real hard and fast rule, but essentially:
* "Off Topic -> Development questions are off topic..." is kind of a catch-all close reason for development questions that we aren't going to handle here. It covers actual programming, publishing questions, setting up a developer account/merchant account, trying to port Android to esoteric devices X, Y and Z, etc. If a question is clearly a development topic and you think it should be closed, this is pretty much always an appropriate flag.
* "Off Topic -> Belongs on SO" is a migration feature that's basically intended to cover programming questions that are of otherwise high quality, but appear to have simply been asked on the wrong site. What makes this a judgement call is that by picking this flag, you're basically saying "Hey, this is off-topic here *but I believe it would do well on Stack Overflow*.
Many (honestly, probably most) dev questions asked here do not really fall into the migration category for one of a number of reasons. Often it is because the topic they're looking for help on is not actually covered on SO. Publishing questions are a good example of this - the best resource is Google's support channels, and SO usually closes questions related to publishing an app but not related to the actual programming.
Similarly, questions that are of a low-to-mediocre quality are not migrated because [the golden rule of migrations is: don't migrate crap](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/91446/150283). Quality here is a little nebulous, but it could be due to very poor formatting, not having enough information (e.g "I get an error" is not specific enough for SO) or questions that are overbroad ("How do I write a music app?" is an example). Migrating a poor question is viewed as dumping more moderation work onto the receiving site, since they'll just end up closing it anyway.
Also, if you're considering flagging a post for migration because it *is* of decent quality, then it's often a good idea to check the user's profile to see if they've already cross-posted it to SO. A lot of new-ish users seem to do this, and migrating a duplicate is not really useful, so these will generally just be closed here.
A good rule of thumb, in my opinion: if in doubt, just pick the canned close reason. That at least gets the question into the review queue so that other people can get eyes on it as well. Plus, if someone else comes along and really thinks it should go to SO, they can still cast a migration vote even if that's not the flag you used.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Migration is very risky, because if you migrate a question to another SE site, and it's closed on that site too, the user will be very annoyed and probably not come back. It also creates more work for moderators and high-rep users on that site.
For this reason, it's recommended not to nominate a question for migration unless you are an active user on the target site (so you understand what they expect of questions), or you've asked their mods about this question.
It's appropriate to close a question as a development question if it's unsuitable for SO (for example, if it's a "my program doesn't work" question without enough information to debug the problem, or if it's a "plz write my app for me" question), or if you're not sure that it's suitable for migration.
Upvotes: 3 |
2014/01/21 | 1,533 | 5,864 | <issue_start>username_0: (Mostly prompted by this question: [How to upload images onto Google Glass device and view them?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/61670/how-to-upload-images-onto-google-glass-device-and-view-them))
Are questions regarding Google Glass on-topic for Android Enthusiasts?
[Google Glass at Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass)
It runs Android 4.0.4 (currently). "Hacks" to the firmware will require Android development, not unlike custom ROMs.
Other wearable devices, e.g., Samsung Galaxy Gear, are on-topic.
**Should *Google Glass* be considered on-topic for Android Enthusiasts? Why or why not?**<issue_comment>username_1: As a preface, I've generally been a proponent of interpreting the scope of our site relatively strictly, and keeping it fairly narrow so that it doesn't lose focus from the intended goal (Android). Gadgets, I feel, ended up shutting down for a reason, and I don't want us to turn into Gadgets 2.0.
With that in mind, I think we should accept questions about Glass.
It runs Android. Although it's not using quite the *same* Android that other devices run, neither is Google TV, or the Galaxy Gear or even things like the Kindle Fire. As long as the questions are within the other bounds of our scope (non-development, not a shopping/purchasing question, etc), I don't really see a reason to exclude them, personally.
Now, granted, there is a significantly smaller set of people around who could answer Glass questions with any kind of authority at the moment. However, I don't think we should let that alone dissuade us. Hopefully we'll be able to attract some Glass experts over time.
Also, I suppose at some point we may need to deal with the fact that [there is a Google Glass proposal on Area 51](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/52492/google-glass). It's only in the commitment phase, though, so if we decide to allow questions about Glass here then we could likely subsume it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I think Google Glass can have his place on Android Enthusiasts.
Why?
====
* Google Glass *runs* on Android.
* Google Glass will have his place in the *Android Ecosystem*.
* Google Glass will *share applications* with Android. (informations are passed to and from a paired Android device)
* A **googleglass.SE** site would be *too localised* and won't have *many content* available : developers will mainly go for [**Stack Overflow**](http://stackoverflow.com) (or [**programmers.SE**](http://programmers.stackexchange.com)) and users will often attempt to ask here, on [**android.SE**](http://android.stackexchange.com). (also see [this post](https://area51.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/9640/isnt-this-too-specific) on the [area51](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/52492/google-glass) proposal)
But
===
* As it is now, the user base is a niche, and as such, questions will mainly remains answered. (but it may not be a big problem as questions can be answered later, when Google Glass will be released to the public)
* Development questions should evidently still go to [**Stack Overflow**](http://stackoverflow.com) or [**programmers.SE**](http://programmers.stackexchange.com).
Finally
=======
If we choose to cover Google Glass, I think we should alert the [area51 proposal](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/52492/google-glass) so they can share their knowledge (as it is now almost one year since it was started, I don't think they'll get mad).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I've said a few thoughts about this in chat, so I'll repeat them here. I really want Glass to be on-topic here, because it's a cool device, but we've got to think about what's best for the site and its users. As I see it, here are the pros and cons:-
### It should be on-topic because:-
* Its OS is really Android under the hood, so in a sense, it is an Android device
* It's a Google device, so people interested in Android are likely to be interested in Glass too if/when it goes on general sale.
* There's nowhere else for those questions to go. The [Google Glass proposal on Area 51](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/52492/google-glass) seems unlikely to get off the ground.
### It should be off-topic because:-
* It's not 'visibly' an Android device: you can't run normal Android apps on it, and it has its own Mirror API for writing apps in a different way to on Android.
* There's currently no overlap with our existing users: knowing how to solve a problem on Android doesn't help you solve the problem on Glass, and wanting to solve a problem on Android doesn't mean you want a solution for the same problem on Glass. We'd be creating a ghetto of Glass users and experts within our community.
* For the above reason, it would be like launching a site from scratch. Without a cadre of committed Glass experts on the site, any Glass questions would remain unanswered until they go on general sale and some of our existing experts pick them up.
### Red herrings
I don't think accepting questions about Samsung Galaxy Gear or similar devices is relevant to our decision here. Samsung Galaxy Gear isn't a stand-alone gadget: it only works as a peripheral to a Samsung Android phone. Any question about Gear is necessarily going to be about using it in conjunction with an Android device. The same isn't true of Glass. Other wearables are either similar to Gear - they act as a peripheral just like a Bluetooth headset - or they're full Android devices in themselves, with access to the same apps as other Android devices.
Overall, I think it's a tricky call. I think accepting these questions is the wrong decision in the short-term, because of the ghetto problem. That said, the prospect of attracting a new cadre of site visitors in the longer term is attractive, and to do that, we need to start now.
Upvotes: 3 |
2014/01/24 | 1,182 | 4,835 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to know, should questions that are put "on hold" be deleted by their prospective authors or does it depend on a number of factors eg
* It may have already gained a quality answer or answers and therefore;
* It may have many upvotes and be a favourite to many
Even for the reasons above, it may for whatever reason still be put on hold, after a prolonged period (which can happen).
As opposed to a question which is put "on hold" relatively rapidly, as it is unfit for SE (therefore won't have any answers).<issue_comment>username_1: No, the system is designed to take care of that itself. And user shouldn't have to deal with that. [Once a question changes from "On Hold" to "Closed" it may get auto deleted.](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/92006/156683)
So it's either the community that takes care of deleting questions or some sort of automatic mechanism.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: On-hold or closed questions still have a useful purpose for the site: to serve as an example to others. Every on-hold question (for whatever reason) is an example of what kinds of question we *don't* want on the site. If a new visitor arrives at the site, looks at existing questions, and notices that (for example) a question about programming has been put on hold, and reads the reason, he'll learn two things: first, that we aren't Yahoo! Answers, and what happens if a question isn't appropriate for the site; second, that if he asks a programming question, it'll be put on hold too.
It's an important part of the feedback process, cultivating the community of people interested in the same topic. This is why closed questions aren't hidden from the front page (unless they have a very negative score) or deleted right away. (This is only part of the reason. Deleting them right away would stop the author improving or refining the question so it can be reopened.)
There's another side of this: often, when a voter leaves a "this is off-topic" comment, the questioner will delete their question right away, without even waiting for it to be put on hold. They're probably trying to be polite and a good netizen: deleting the question after being told it's inappropriate.
This is a shame, for two reasons. It defeats the mechanism described above, so we'll end up with more people asking questions that don't fit the site. In addition, sometimes this happens with questions that are borderline, or where the commenter has misunderstood, so the question would not be put on hold. It might even have been an asset to the site had the author not deleted it. For these reasons, I'd like to encourage close-voters to only leave an "off-topic" comment in unambiguous cases, to reduce that risk; and I'd also ask those who can't vote-to-close yet to refrain from leaving such comments, and flag the question for a more experienced user to discuss.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I'm partly opposing [Dan's answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1673/16575) for the reasons I gave in my comment to it: I doubt there are many "new users" doing *any* research before they post their question. So keeping questions "as examples how you should *not* ask" is a waste, IMHO.
I however see a reason to *not* delete questions which might act as pointers to others. That's best explained using an example:
One of our most frequently asked questions is the "I forgot my pattern/password and now I'm locked out" type, which are usually closed as duplicates to [Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/35847/16575). Formerly, that question was phrased "Can not unlock my tablet...". When I find such a (new) question and want to VTC it: how to find this "master question"? Looking for "Can not unlock my tablet" makes it hard to find. It however turns out on top of the search when I type in the *exact phrasing*.
My point? Given a user really *does* a search before asking, he's unlikely to know the exact phrasing. But with more and more duplicates *kept as pointers*, chances to have one of them turning up on top of the search results are increasing. Opening that one then leads to the "final point of interest".
**In short words:**
* don't delete duplicates, as they can serve as pointers to questions having the real answers
* delete "spammy" questions as they are of no use at all (usually done by an automated process: those just need enough downvotes, and *maybe* a mod)
* questions not fitting the scope of our site IMHO are of no real (practical) use, so I would tend to have them deleted as well (but no absolute here, this is a per-case decision)
* questions already having useful comments or even answers should *not* be deleted in general (though exceptions might exist for those cases as well)
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/02/06 | 312 | 1,237 | <issue_start>username_0: I see that the site is for enthusiasts and power users. But are absolute newbies welcome to ask beginner questions?
I hope I'm not completely in the wrong place, I meant newbie programmers.<issue_comment>username_1: Newbies, as in people that are new to using Android, are welcome here.
Newbie questions about using Android are welcome here (as long as they haven't been asked and answered already here).
Programming questions of any kind, even newbie programming questions, are not welcome here.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While *newbie users* are of course welcome (but encouraged to search before re-asking an already existing question), and *programmers* per se are also welcome, **programming questions** are not – as you can easily find out in our [Help Center](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic):
>
> Please note the following topics are expressly off-topic here:
>
>
> * Developing/programming for Android (please ask these questions on [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/android))
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: newbies should always newb out on tutorials, stickies and Google before cluttering forums
Upvotes: -1 |
2014/02/18 | 443 | 1,803 | <issue_start>username_0: Should we handle the [bittorrent](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/bittorrent "show questions tagged 'bittorrent'") tag as a tag for the app itself, or as a synonym for [torrents](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/torrents "show questions tagged 'torrents'") (which, in my opinion, should be [torrent](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/torrent "show questions tagged 'torrent'"))?<issue_comment>username_1: [bittorrent](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/bittorrent "show questions tagged 'bittorrent'") clearly refers to the application, as a Google search result will show.
And yes, I agree that [torrent](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/torrent "show questions tagged 'torrent'") is preferable over [torrents](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/torrents "show questions tagged 'torrents'"). But I don't agree that a protocol should be a synonym of the application, because there are several other applications that can handle torrents as well.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: *Torrent* would rather refer to the file (see [Torrent file](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrent_file)), and thus again would be confusing. Moreover, this is the context this word is most commonly used, IMHO (if one "downloads a torrent", he's not downloading a protocol).
Checking [Wikipedia on "torrent"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrent) doesn't mention "torrent" as protocol, only "BitTorrent" (*a peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) communications protocol*).
Conclusion: [bittorrent](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/bittorrent "show questions tagged 'bittorrent'") clearly refers to the *protocol*, though an application by the same name does exist.
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/02/25 | 2,331 | 9,735 | <issue_start>username_0: If a moderator decides unilaterally to close a question, and their decision doesn't have strong support from the community, and a number of people later ask for the question to be re-opened and give sound reasons for disputing the moderator's rationale in closing it, is it considered an acceptable use of privileges for that moderator to unilaterally delete the question in order to prevent further discussion of their decision?
---
A while ago, [I asked a question on the Android stack exchange site](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/23736/what-specific-security-risks-if-any-does-app-shield-pose?) which was unilaterally closed by a moderator with little explanation.
*(It being deleted obviously means it's hard to view: here's the [latest archive.org link from Oct 2013 but unfortunately this doesn't include the latest comments](https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210129/https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/23736/what-specific-security-risks-if-any-does-app-shield-pose))*.
I [completely reworded the question](https://android.stackexchange.com/revisions/23736/2) responding to the limited feedback given, and posted [a question on meta asking for a clarification](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/927/how-are-questions-about-security-concerns-subjective). Since then:
* Two other people with comment privileges, finding the question while researching the topic, commented voicing their disagreement with the decision to close the question.
* At least one other user (a diamond moderator on the site) [voted for it to be re-opened](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/928/15604) (I can't see re-open votes going back so I don't know how many other people voted to re-open).
* Three people have favourited the question, hoping for it to be reopened and answered.
* The question has received over a thousand views ("Popular question" badge) and at least 5 upvotes (not bad for a niche question), showing that it is a topic there is interest in.
* The meta discussion showed little support or substance to the moderator's reasons for closing:
+ The two highest voted answers to that meta post, both from diamond moderators, say (in order of popularity) [(+4) that the question is good, on topic and shows a good "amount of effort and pre-question research", and that the only issue is whether a question can be closed for being difficult to answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/930/15604) (I'm sure the official SE line is, no, a question being difficult isn't a valid close reason so long as it's on-topic, fact-based and well-researched), and a similar answer from another diamond moderator [(+1) agreeing that the question is difficult, but should on balance be re-opened](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/928/15604).
+ The moderator's [own explanation on meta couldn't possibly be the real reason they closed the original question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/929/15604): they criticised me for not including context and background, when the original wording at the time of their closing it was full of context and background which I had reluctantly removed in my edit thinking this context and background was what had caused the question to be closed.
+ Their main other reason given for closing was to speculate that the question would be of no use to anyone else in future and so should have been "too localised", and there is clear evidence (above) that this is not true.
+ I commented answering each point made by the moderator who closed the question, including pointing out that his main criticism argument was not true of the question at the time he closed it, and these comments were ignored. The vote score on the moderator's meta post (currently, 0) shows that his position did not have any strong support from the community.
Just now, after the second comment disputing the moderator's decision (which notified the moderator who had closed the question), that moderator instantly deleted the question, while leaving a hostile comment that shows his motivation is personal annoyance at the discussion of his decision to close the question (*"...I see no further point in continually discussing an old, useless question..."*). "Useless" seems an unusual way to describe a question that has been favourited three times despite not yet having had the chance to be answered - it's clearly not a judgement that is supported by the community.
To me, this doesn't seem like a correct use of deletion privileges.
My understanding from the help centre is that questions are to be deleted when they risk causing harm to a site (e.g. if they are offensive or so off topic they could give the wrong impression of the scope of a site). In this case, the reason for deleting the question seems to be to prevent discussion of their decision to close it.
Is this a valid use of deletion privileges? If not, what should happen?<issue_comment>username_1: I'll answer in general as I can't see enough information to actually judge this specific situation.
Questions that are under active discussion should not be deleted at all as this prevents the community from participating in the moderation of this question. There are exceptional cases where deleting would still be warranted, but in general such a question should remain undeleted so that the community can vote to reopen and discuss it.
But once the discussion is over, and the question has not been reopened by anyone, the situation is different. If the discussion was not convincing enough to get the community or any moderator to reopen the question, it is unlikely to be reopened at any later point.
Old, closed questions are routinely deleted by moderators, especially if they cause any kind of trouble later. The question you mentioned is now over 1.5 years old, so cleaning it up if it wasn't reopened would not be an unusual action for a moderator.
Regarding the number of votes, views and the times it was favorited, those generally don't matter much for the decision to close or delete. Popularity does not save a question from being closed if it doesn't fit the rules of the site. Favoriting is also pretty meaningless as some users use it simply to mark questions they want to find later, often also bad ones.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The question was closed in June 2012. It's asking about *why* a particular app was pulled from the Google Play Store and specifically what security issues did it raise.
As seen in the [Meta discussion about it](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/927/how-are-questions-about-security-concerns-subjective), two other users (current Android Enthusiasts username_1 Moderators) weigh in with their thoughts. In essence: Nobody can answer with authority *except* perhaps the author of the app and/or the Google personnel who pulled it from the Play Store. Unless someone can reverse engineer the app and analyze it, any answers would just be speculation.
In all the time it was closed, it was never re-opened. Meaning there was really no great push from the community to get the question an answer. Oh, it was edited for grammar a bit, but that's all. And so it has lain fallow for 2½ years.
Earlier today someone posted a comment asking why the question was "Non Constructive". (I'll not re-hash why "Non Constructive" was removed as a Close reason in the latest redesign of the Close voting system.) I don't want to speculate on the Moderator's mindset, but most likely the @username_2rt in the comment just brought him back to this old, closed question and, seeing no hope of it ever being answered, deleted it.
Since the Moderator who deleted it is the one who unilaterally closed it initially, and was being questioned in the comments, it probably would have been better for a different Moderator to step in and act so as to reduce any questions of impropriety.
All that said, *I* would have voted to delete it, and I'm just a high-reputation user at Android Enthusiasts. It's virtually impossible to get any facts except what's already been reported (and would be findable by a quick web search) and so the question is inviting speculation. Discussion. Not a good fit for Stack Exchange.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: >
> for that moderator to unilaterally delete the question in order to prevent further discussion of their decision
>
>
>
Discussion of whether to close or delete a question shouldn't be taking place on that question. It should be taking place on the appropriate meta site. Such meta discussions *can* still take place with the question being deleted.
You posted a meta question, and looking at that meta question there is certainly no clear community consensus that the question should be reopened/undeleted. Were there to have been a clear community opinion that the closure wasn't correct, you should have seen the question be undeleted and reopened.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I think the others covered it well but obviously I should chime in. Al in particular is correct when he says I should have left it for another mod.
The new comment ignored the Meta thread and indicated that they hadn't even read the rest of the comments, which were bad main-site comments anyways that should have come to Meta. So I pointed out that I had explained my view and where to find it, and deleted the old and oldly-closed question that seemed to remain to only attract bad attention (could be what you mean by "quite popular").
Also should be noted is that the question already should have been deleted. I did a bit of our usual delete-old-closed-questions yearly cleanup in January but have had no time to keep going since then.
Upvotes: 0 |
2014/05/09 | 314 | 1,163 | <issue_start>username_0: I realized that I need to shrink the image when I asked this [question](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/69076/53576). I checked by clicking the edit. I could not find. How to shrink the image.<issue_comment>username_1: I don't think there is a button to shrink the image however, you can modify the url to use a smaller image for images hosted at imgur.com. Simply add a `m` for *medium* or `s` for *small* to the file name like so:
change `https://i.stack.imgur.com/agHbJ.png` to `https://i.stack.imgur.com/agHbJm.png`
You can see more on the thumbnails available [here](https://api.imgur.com/models/image#thumbs)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To enable better aspect ratios than that offered by Imgur's black magic offered in the previous answer, you could try using HTML tags like:
```
```
I personally prefer this as the Imgur URL modifications mentioned above sometimes badly mess up aspect ratios of screenshots. This entails more effort than a modified link, but produces better results.
Upvotes: 1 |
2014/06/29 | 1,065 | 4,518 | <issue_start>username_0: Many questions come to this site for recommendations for Android applications that matches a specified need. Usually these questions for recommendations are closed as "too localized" because they meet the requirements of a single person rather than the Android community at large. There is, however, a software recommendation site on the Stack Exchange network: <http://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com>. This site is not listed on the page that allows questions to be recommended to other Stack Exchange sites. Can this link be added so these questions are not summarily closed as "too localized", yielding an alternate direction to satisfy the needs of the member?<issue_comment>username_1: No question has been closed as "too localized" since the close reasons were changed some time ago.
Specialized needs aren't a problem: if there's a question about a very specific problem that needs to be solved, and the answer might or might not involve an app, that's fine, and it should be left open. It'll only be closed when certain reviewers only see "is there an app that can do this?" and stop reading the question. IMO, "is there an app" shouldn't be a magic word, and if there's a genuine problem to be solved, and the question is clear, it deserves an answer whatever form of words the questioner used.
The questions we want to discourage on this site are "there are 100 email apps; which ones have this particular feature?" because there'll be a list of answers and it'll never be complete or accurate because apps add and remove features all the time. As I understand it, these questions aren't really in softwarerecs's remit either.
Similarly, even vaguer questions like, "Which X app should I use?" are obviously opinion-based. I don't even use our custom app-recommendations close reason for these questions: close as opinion-based to make it clear why the question is unsuitable.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Questions which would be closed as "too localized" (back when that was a closure reason) are not necessarily a good fit for *any* other SE site (though there might be exceptions).
But there's the "off-topic *Is there an app for X*", which much better fits your idea of an additional migration target. I share this with you: eventually, we should add this. But I also see Briam's concern (see his comment on the question itself): While a site is in Beta, it's not an official migration target. Though again, there are exceptions – and mods *can* migrate some questions manually, but will not do so regularly :)
### TL;DR
* A Beta-site is no official migration target. So currently: NO.
* When SR leaves Beta: I'd say we should add it as migration target for the *Is there an app for X* questions.
* **UPDATE:** Now that it left Beta, take a look at [What's our stance on being a migration target?](https://softwarerecs.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2307/185) (related discussion at Meta.SR). As I already indicated, I see good chances having SR added as migration target. As with other targets: Only vote to migrate there if you're active on the other end (and know it is acceptable). Otherwise, rather vote to close as off-topic, as you would now.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I would say **no**.
For one thing, as a general rule Stack Exchange does not add beta sites as migration targets.
Second, Software Recs has some very *stringent* guidelines as to what is on-topic there. I believe that adding it as a migration target will result in the vast majority of migrated questions being rejected by Software Recs and, not too long after that, them asking for it to be removed from our migration paths.
See also [this answer from Gilles which details *how* they'd like to get referrals](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1705) from us.
I'll quote part of it here:
>
> For [questions](https://softwarerecs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/336/what-is-required-for-a-question-to-contain-enough-information), the most important point is that a recommendation must both define a goal or task to accomplish, and list some objective requirements.
>
>
>
Migration is supposed to be for very good questions that just happen to be off-topic for their current site but would be a welcome addition on some other site within Stack Exchange. We should not migrate questions that will get downvotes and possibly closed on the target. The vast, vast majority of recommendation request questions here would not be welcome there.
Upvotes: 0 |
2014/07/01 | 1,055 | 4,611 | <issue_start>username_0: 
We normally come across posts where it is filtered /avoided to say thanks ,tq , thanks a lot etc.
Why is it that any posts containing thanks are deleted or filtered ?
If so then why don't we raise a flag as its not following the standard procedure here
<issue_comment>username_1: It's not the case that posts containing "thanks" are deleted. But "thanks" doesn't add to the useful content on the site, so posts that consist *only* of thanks are deleted because they don't contain useful content. This often happens on questions that attract new users, who post an answer thanking the author of another answer, the same way they might on a web forum or mailing list. Such answers should be flagged as "not an answer" if they don't answer the question, and they'll end up deleted via the "low quality posts" review queue.
Separately, some users write questions as if the question were an email to the mailing list: they include "thanks in advance, Dan" (or whatever their name is) on the bottom the way you would sign-off an email. Again, this is unnecessary on Stack Exchange sites. Your username and profile already show up at the bottom of every question, so this just adds noise. It's not recommended to edit a post just to remove a sign-off, because edits should be substantial and improve multiple issues in the post, but if people are editing anyway, it's commonplace to remove superfluous parts that don't relate to the question. That includes "thanks in advance" as well as common phrases like "help plz" or "urgent help needed".
Stack Exchange sites have a formalised, accepted way of thanking other users for their contributions: upvote helpful questions and answers, and accept the best answer to your question. This allows everyone on the site (who's been here long enough to understand the rules) to thank people without filling every question with hundreds of "thanks" comments. It also means we can count those thanks towards each user's reputation, to make it easier to see which users consistently make helpful additions to the site.
For the particular example you've added to your answer, it sounds like whoever dealt with your flag didn't understand what you were saying, and thought your complaint was that the questioner didn't accept your answer. Be extra clear when raising flags in future.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: *Custom flags* (those raised using the "other" reason) are intended for things that **cannot ordinarily be handled by the community**. These flags go directly to the moderators, whereas other flags will go into various review queues that can be acted upon by other users of the site. Someone saying "thanks" is simply not something that is generally going to require direct moderator intervention. It is not actively harmful to the site, and there are tools already available to you that are appropriate for the situation:
1. If a user has ended a question or answer with "thanks" or some other signature, you could submit a suggested edit to remove that piece of text. However, it is generally considered too minor to edit a post *solely* to do this. Clean up the rest of the post as well. This does not require a moderator to intervene.
2. If you see a *comment* that says "Thanks, this works great!" you could choose to flag it with the "too chatty" flag reason. If multiple people flag the comment, then it will be automatically deleted. Again, this does not require the intervention of a moderator (though we may *choose* to delete the comment outright if we agree that it is noise/chatty).
Secondly, as Dan alludes to in his answer, if you **do** use the "other" flag reason, you need to be really, excruciatingly specific in your message. Your flag is basically telling us "Hey, something is wrong, and I, as a regular user, am unable to handle it with the current tools. I need a moderator!" Entering your flag description as "saying thanks" doesn't provide us with enough information to act on.
In the context of *this* flag, you actually raised two separate flags on the same post, one minute apart from each other. The first is the flag you noted above. The second was a flag on one of the comments on the post. Moderators cannot respond to comment flags, so we had to respond to the post flag instead, which appeared to be connected in purpose to your comment flag based on the timestamp and the content of each flag.
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/07/23 | 224 | 825 | <issue_start>username_0: In the after noon I had the rep shown was around 46 and then in the evening it shows 31 .In my accounts section>reputation it shows a sum total of only 30 reputation despite it showing 31 now where can I know the sudden crash in reputation
<issue_comment>username_1: The difference in rep-points is 15, which suggests someone might have accepted one of your answers before you checked first time (46), and decided otherwise *during the same day* (46-15=31). As that makes 15-15 *on the same day,* it's not shown as one action canceled out the other "immediately".
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As for the extra 1 you haven't accounted for: every user starts with one reputation point, not zero.
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/07/25 | 973 | 3,827 | <issue_start>username_0: Currently, it's
>
> General discussion for android.stackexchange.com
>
>
>
which is accurate but a bit... flat. I think it could be improved in two ways:
1. It could be more inviting. The description is our opportunity to really sell the room, get our target audience interested, make them realise how fun we are and the interesting discussions we have. Right now I'm afraid it's just telling people *exactly* how fun we are.
2. It could set the topic better. Just like the main site, we get programmers asking programming questions every so often. The thing is, most of these people know that ASE isn't for them: they come in and post a link to their question on SO, because they've not understood that SO has its own chat system on chat.stackoverflow.com. I've heard rumours that the two chat servers will be unified Real Soon Now, but as a programmer myself I know better than to pin my hopes on vapourware. I think a description that described the topic itself, not just a link to the site, would help visitors to realise that it isn't the right place to get more attention for their questions on SO.
I think the electronic engineering room has a good description, which is open and friendly but still focuses on the topic and sets an ethos for the room.
>
> A place to talk with friends from the EE community about vacuum nanotubes ... and beer..
>
>
>
Could we have something this good? What are your ideas?<issue_comment>username_1: Building upon the "EEE" (Electronic Engineering Ethos) given by Dan:
>
> A place for Android *Users* from Android.SE, their friends, and their guests to talk about Android … and candies like JellyBeans, Kitkats …
>
>
>
Depending on how long the string is allowed to be, we could explicitely add something like
>
> … Developers are welcome to *listen*
>
>
>
Or even directly point them to the "correct room".
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm terrible at naming things like this, but a lot of the other chat rooms use amusing names to try to mix things up. One that popped into my head was something like:
>
> **The Candy Shop**
>
>
> A chat room for Android users to discuss devices, apps, the latest Android news and gossip, and how many warranties they've voided.
>
>
>
Something that plays with the idea of Android releases being named after deserts and such. The description is intended to be a little more friendly but also informational. We probably do need to be conscious of the fact that the room listings only get you 40-50 characters before they truncate (you can see the full description by viewing the room info, though). Therefore, keeping the word "users" (or something like that) near the front of the description might be a good idea.
Also, by not calling it "Android" we might help prevent people with programming questions from getting sucked in.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I agree that we need clearer description about our chat room.
Currently, it doesn't really tell anything, including the misunderstanding between general topic and programming-related (also, as seen on the main site...). The least we can do is to make them notice before they enter the room, which is the job for chat room's description.
As for the name, actually I don't really have an issue with it. Of course, unique and memorable name is better if possible.
My idea is more-or-less like this:
>
> **<NAME>**
>
>
> A place to have general discussion about [Android](http://android.stackexchange.com). If you have a problem related to Android app development, please go to [Stack Overflow](http://stackoverflow.com) or its [chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com). Finally, relax, and enjoy the sweets!
>
>
>
(feedback and corrections are really appreciated since I'm not a native speaker)
Upvotes: 1 |
2014/08/04 | 852 | 3,083 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there a reason why downvoting an answer would cause you to lose points? For example, I downvoted an answer, and got -1 rep from it. For example, my feed is showing -1 points and is linking to this answer, which I downvoted:
[Why can't I charge a Samsung phone?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/78729/why-cant-i-charge-a-samsung-phone/78743#78743)
I don't care at all about 1 point, I'm just curious about how the rep system works!<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, that's how the reputation system works. Downvotes on *questions* are "free". Downvotes on answers will deduct one reputation from the person who cast the vote.
You can find this information in the [Help Center article "What is reputation?"](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/whats-reputation)
>
> **You lose reputation when:**
>
>
> * your question is voted down: −2
> * your answer is voted down: −2
> * you vote down an answer: −1
> * you place a bounty on a question: −full bounty amount
> * one of your posts receives 6 spam or offensive flags:−100
>
>
>
It's noted in the Help Center article regarding the [vote down privilege](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/vote-down), under the heading "What happens when I vote down?" as well. The latter page also includes a link to [a blog post](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2011/06/optimizing-for-pearls-not-sand/) which explains why downvotes on questions no longer cost any rep on the voter's side.
The general reasoning is that deducting rep from the voter helps to regulate downvotes a bit, by causing people to think about whether or not the quality of the answer is worth the small ding to their own rep. Conversely, question votes are free because questions tend to receive fewer votes in general, but pushing poor questions to the bottom of the site is important to keeping the site healthy.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: One more argument in addition to [username_1' answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1797/16575): Downvotes are not intended to *punish* the poster, but to cause him to *improve* his post. If he does, you can take back your downvote (and get your rep back).
If it was a real bad post, and receives enough downvotes (or attention from our mods/high-reppers [not "high rappers" :)]), the post gets deleted. In such a case, all "down-voters" get their "lost rep" back as well – provided the deletion happens in a given time-frame. I don't remember the exact numbers here; but if the post only gets deleted a year later, the rep stays lost.
Remains the question: Does it make sense to down-vote a post of a user just having 1 rep? He won't see (or feel) that. You only can lose rep if you've got some (which as down-voter, *you* have). But see previous paragraph: Given enough down-votes, a special user called "Community" (which even has mod status) automatically deletes such a post – and once more, you regain your "lost rep". Thus it makes pretty much sense for e.g. spam and offending posts, to speed up their "demise".
Upvotes: 3 |
2014/10/21 | 588 | 2,302 | <issue_start>username_0: Due to the restrictions on posting comments, I am often forced into adding an answer and stating that I am unable to add comments. (Here is an example of an 'answer' that is more a comment: <https://www.dropbox.com/s/5miz0w254vdok66/Screenshot_2014-10-21-21-11-38.png?dl=0>)
Now the theory behind the restrictions on comments is well and good, however many users will not mark an answer as correct, or mark it up- once they get their answer they're happy. Understanding that my 'answers' are never intended as answers, more comments ( thus marking it up or correct is irrelevant) . I'd just like to see the ability to allow me to comment on a question.
I know this'll fall under "off topic", but I would really appreciate anyone advising me of an alternative to adding comments as answer.<issue_comment>username_1: Upon discussion of this topic, I have reviewed the policies in place, attempted to refine my 'answers'. Due to the help of the community I now have earned the privilege of adding comments.
Upon reviewing my current answers, I found by adding more relevant information, whilst possibly just personal experience, I have been able to add weight to my answers.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: As stated some of your comments are good as answers in their own right. I'm only adding this as it is something I **still** do. I'm not sure if it's lack of confidence, or some of the HUGE answers to big questions I've read here.
Don't forget answers are fluid things, you can always edit and amend them. People will comment on your answers, and you can always factor that in. You and I need to just start posting answers more often!
Sometimes an answer is just "No you can't" like my [recent answer here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/86166/how-do-you-leave-a-review-on-the-google-play-store-without-a-google-account) and that's about it. But that is the actual, correct answer!
A good rule I use is try not to recommend the 'nuclear option' as your first advice, it happens a fair bit. My SMS is not sending, factory reset. The brightness is too low, Factory Reset!
This answer I'm writing here is a good example of something that borders on a comment, but in the spirit of things I'm adding it as an answer!
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2014/11/10 | 614 | 2,509 | <issue_start>username_0: A [question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2252/how-do-i-turn-off-auto-complete-when-texting) was posted several years ago asking for directions on turning off auto-complete for their keyboard on their device. In the question, a specific device is stated (Droid X).
Recently, a new user posted an [answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/87113/11190) that gives directions specifically for a different device (Galaxy Note 3)
The way the question title is worded ("How do I turn off auto-complete when texting?"), this answer is helpful. But the details in the question make this particular answer useless to the original questioner.
What should be done with this answer? It is obviously useful to someone with a Galaxy Note 3, and they could easily find this question when searching for help. Should the answer be flagged/deleted because it doesn't answer the actual question? Or should it be left there as an answer, since it is helpful?
Or perhaps should the original question be altered to be more general, and have a community wiki as the answer with device-specific instruction sections? (Seems like too much work and probably not a desired solution, but it's a thought).
I'm not sure how to moderate the answer, so I skipped it, but I thought I would see what other people think so I know how to moderate other answers like it in the future.<issue_comment>username_1: imho, leave the answer, just perhaps make sure it is worded along the lines of "by the way, here's how to do it with device Y". Since i'm a newbie, when searching for answers i often find a question that's close and it is definitely helpful to have answers for multiple devices (as long as it's clear what device each answer is for - preferably near the beginning of the answer). Or at least have links to the same question for different devices. (btw, i tried to leave a comment, as others have done here, but being a newbie i didn't have enough rep to post a comment, so posting this as an answer ;-)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Assuming the instructions for the other device don't apply, downvote.
The downvote tooltip says:
>
> This answer is not useful
>
>
>
Giving instructions for another device that won't work for the device asked about seems pretty "not useful" to me.
If you're feeling kind, also (or instead) leave a comment saying so. "These instructions are for the HTC Foo. They won't work for the Samsung Baz, which is what was asked about."
Upvotes: 2 |
2014/12/16 | 776 | 2,863 | <issue_start>username_0: I put a bounty on a question, accepted the answer but now it is community awarded?
It is just a matter of feel-good to not let it be auto-rewarded but I would like to know what I have to do to actually reward it myself.
I am probably just overlooking the answer to this but once you overlooked something it is hard to find, so asking will be a lot quicker.<issue_comment>username_1: If you want to manually award a bounty, you need to click the bounty icon next to the answer you've chosen. It looks a faded version of the icon that appears after a bounty is won by an answer:
Accepting an answer does not explicitly award a bounty. You could, for example, bounty a different answer if you chose. However, since you accepted an answer **and** did not explicitly award the bounty to anyone, the full bounty was automatically awarded to the answer you accepted once the grace period expired. Had you not accepted an answer, then *half* the bounty would have been awarded to the highest scoring answer (with a score of at least 2) posted after your bounty began.
Additional information can be found in the Help Center article: [What is a bounty?](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/bounty).
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You will have to award the bounty before it expires. One day before that happens, you get a reminder, then there's a "grace period" – and if you missed that, too, community awards it to either the accepted answer (if any), or the highest rated one.
The above is the short variant – a longer one should be [somewhere in our help pages](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/bounty) ;)
TL;DR:
------
>
> ### How is a bounty awarded?
>
>
> The bounty period lasts 7 days. Bounties must have a minimum duration of at least 1 day. After the bounty ends, there is a grace period of 24 hours to manually award the bounty. Simply click the bounty award icon next to each answer to permanently award your bounty to the answerer. (You cannot award a bounty to your own answer.)
>
>
> If you do not award your bounty within 7 days (plus the grace period), the highest voted answer created after the bounty started with a minimum score of 2 will be awarded half the bounty amount. If two or more eligible answers have the same score (i.e., their scores are tied), the oldest answer is awarded the bounty. If there's no answer meeting those criteria, the bounty is not awarded to anyone.
>
>
> If the bounty was started by the question owner, and the question owner accepts an answer posted during the bounty period, and the bounty expires without an explicit award then we assume the bounty owner liked the answer they accepted and award it the full bounty amount at the time of bounty expiration.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 0 |
2015/01/01 | 1,587 | 5,654 | <issue_start>username_0: The dawn of a new year, 2015, now approaches, or has already approached, either way it means that it is now time to reset our Community Promotion Ads!
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be **220 x 250 pixels**
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/1851).<issue_comment>username_1: [](http://twitter.com/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.mandaria.cardashboardfree)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://de.codeplex.com)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](http://osmand.net/)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kiwix.kiwixcustomwikivoyage)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://f-droid.org)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: 
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: [](http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00RAMNXOQ)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: [](http://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: [](http://projectmaxs.org)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: [See all questions with active bounties http://stack-exchange-dynamic-ads.herokuapp.com/android.stackexchange.com/bounty.png](https://android.stackexchange.com/?tab=featured)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shadowburst.showr&referrer=ase-ad15)
Upvotes: 2 |
2015/01/19 | 317 | 1,476 | <issue_start>username_0: Lately I have noticed a TON of these questions. It seems to me that the process is basically the same for any device —use ADB to pull files, or install a custom recovery and do a Nandroid backup, etc. Would it be better just to have a single question that we can collapse the solutions into?
There are a couple other question types that could benefit from this too, notably "I forgot my device password, halp" which seems to have questions closed as dupes somewhat irregularly and to different questions. I would appreciate suggestions as to which post we should turn into the canonical one (if we do so at all), and any other questions for other topics that should have the same treatment.<issue_comment>username_1: To some extent this can be generalised but since most of the solutions are low level, it would be wise to have a generic question per brand or similar. For instance, Samsung devices use ODIN/Download mode while most of the others use fastboot. Both can be used to access the device while either of them uses a different approach.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I think its not possible to know from every android device in the world either if they use fastboot or odin or even which sequence of buttons they need to use...i think its just better a generic topic that should point people to xda-developers forum where they can find their right info for their devices plus more generic information about the process
Upvotes: -1 |
2015/02/10 | 507 | 2,048 | <issue_start>username_0: I've just noticed [What is the Android Permission “WRITE\_GSERVICES” doing?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/98330/16575) with a long discussion in its comments whether it should have been closed. True, there is a "general list" in [What do android application permissions mean?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/38388/16575) – but I doubt it will ever be complete. We also have a general question on [How do I root my Android device?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/1184/16575) – yet we allow for one question per device.
I'd vote we hold it the same with permissions: One question per permission, where it can be explained with multiple answers. That question then can be linked back to the "general index".
Especially in the example mentioned above, this makes a lot of sense. The permission asked for is not documented at all – and even Ryan mixed "Google Service Map" with "Google Map Service" (i.e. even experienced people get confused on that one). I thus voted to re-open that question – and here I vote to:
>
> Let's permit one (in-depth) question per Permission, and use the general list as "index" – as we do with [rooting](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/rooting "show questions tagged 'rooting'") questions.
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: To some extent this can be generalised but since most of the solutions are low level, it would be wise to have a generic question per brand or similar. For instance, Samsung devices use ODIN/Download mode while most of the others use fastboot. Both can be used to access the device while either of them uses a different approach.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I think its not possible to know from every android device in the world either if they use fastboot or odin or even which sequence of buttons they need to use...i think its just better a generic topic that should point people to xda-developers forum where they can find their right info for their devices plus more generic information about the process
Upvotes: -1 |
2015/04/02 | 1,390 | 5,313 | <issue_start>username_0: Today we moved the site's CSS to a newly refactored LESS system so that it's easier for us to fix SE network CSS bugs globally and launch new features in the future! The updates also allow us to use SVG for retina support.
But while we were in there, we thought it would be a good idea to update the site's visual aesthetic as well, given that this design was [launched over four years ago](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/417/new-design-launched), and Google has since launched their [Material Design guidelines](http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html). We drew inspiration from the Material Design colors, typography, and animations plus the other wonderful sites and apps that use these design principles.
We've fixed a LOT of obscure bugs that arose when new features were not thoroughly tested across the entire network. This update should retro-actively fix most of the old design bugs. Once the site is live, if you see any new ones, or old ones not yet fixed, please post an answer here to let us know!<issue_comment>username_1: Overall I like the new theme. Feels much fresher.
A couple of things I'd like to mention:
1. [status-completed](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/status-completed "show questions tagged 'status-completed'") Adding images to posts doesn't seem to be working for me now. The transparent gray overlay appears on top of the modal. Trying to click the dialog instead causes a click on the transparent layer, which dismisses the dialog. This is Chrome 41, Windows 7. The below images were added by editing a post on a different site and copying the links over here.
2. [status-completed](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/status-completed "show questions tagged 'status-completed'") The icon in the SE menu is different from the favicon. Is there a plan to make these the same? I like the favicon much better, personally:
3. Speaking of icons, the one in the header logo on the main site is very faint. I actually like it better in green, because right now you can barely see it due to the lack of contrast. I understand if this may have been a deliberate choice, but I personally think it looks odd. Excuse my poor Paint.NET skills on this one, but here's a kind of general comparison.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: [status-completed](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/status-completed "show questions tagged 'status-completed'")
The icon has been updated.
---
I like the design as well.
The "flair" icon needs to be updated as it is using the older version:
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [status-completed](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/status-completed "show questions tagged 'status-completed'")
The icon has been updated.
---
And same goes for the logo in the android app.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Two things I'd mention:
* The primary top-left android logo is too similar in colour to the background
* The Ask Question button could be highlighted, à la a [floating action button](http://www.google.com/design/spec/components/buttons.html#buttons-usage), in a different colour and slightly raised.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: This is great, looks really nice, except:
Since when's Android blue?
You should use the "Android green" for header and/or logo (CC-BY) listed on <http://developer.android.com/distribute/tools/promote/brand.html#android-robot>.
When you're saying
>
> fix SE network CSS bugs globally
>
>
>
it assumes that other sites have the same design, but they don't, when will this be live on StackOverflow, SuperUser, Unix, ...?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: The outline for the poster's name can overlap the other parts of the comment:
[link](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/106069/audio-quality-poor-when-screen-is-off#comment129700_106069)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Ouch, the animations!
There are now animations for routing actions such as hovering over a voting arrow, or clicking a voting arrow. This is horrible.
Animations attract the user's attention. Attracting the user's attention to what is under the cursor is pointless: the cursor is already there. Attracting the user's attention to a routine action such as voting is wrong, especially since it's merely providing feedback that the button has been clicked.
Wasting the user's attention on something that doesn't require attention is bad user experience. Please remember that you're designing a site to be *usable*, not to showcase the latest capabilities of CSS 4.2 on Chrome 2016. A usable interface is an interface that doesn't get in the way. Animations triggered by routine events and that grab the user's attention to tell them nothing whatsoever are the antithesis of usability.
Please remove all animations that do not convey information that warrants action.
Upvotes: 0 |
2015/04/25 | 566 | 2,329 | <issue_start>username_0: I came across this question on AE [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/106569/netsh-command-not-found-in-linux-mint-17) which explicitly doesn't involve anything related to Android. Its all about creating a wifi hotspot on a Linux machine where a command didn't work for him. I definitely answered it but later, I realized that the question probably should be at the SuperUser website. But on the other hand, out of all the flags I've raised since joining, I'll touch the ceiling of 25% declined flags soon if two or three gets added into my flags declined history, not to mention that would cause a temporary ban. Note that nobody commented on the question or the answer other than me.
So, it all comes to this. Is it justified to tag a moderator in a comment to migrate this question (I'm afraid of getting a declined flag)? Or should I just wait and let somebody somehow notice that the question should probably be migrated?
Note: It is of course obvious but I must mention that the meaning of Tag is about notifying someone using @*user\_name*.<issue_comment>username_1: From [How do comment @replies work?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/43019/how-do-comment-replies-work), I don't see any way to tag the moderator, unless they closed the question.
Generally, it'd be preferable if you put a comment telling that the question *might* be off-topic and should be better posted on correct site (e.g. Super User). That way, other users can respond to your opinion, by upvoting it (showing an agreement), replying to your comment, or maybe even flagging the question.
If there are no responses (since we can't guarantee that all questions are read by everyone), then try to take this matter on chat. There are regulars who can give you advice about that. In case there's no one at the moment, you can just post a message politely asking if the question is off-topic or not, then wait/leave. You'll get notification when someone replies to your message.
Finally, if there are still no responses, then you have to use your own judgement whether it's appropriate to flag or not. If you're unsure, then just ignore the question and move on.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No, you cannot subvert the flagging process. Learn from the feedback.
Upvotes: 1 |
2015/07/16 | 1,108 | 3,964 | <issue_start>username_0: In a [question](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/114799/27149) I asked few days back a user named [ajay](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/116446/ajay)(with 1 reputation point) answered my question which was flagged for deletion by me and then user [Izzy added a comment](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/114799/moto-g2-speaker-phone-issue-when-calling/115037#comment143145_114799) on behalf of ajay and flagged his answer for deletion. Since it was more like a comment rather than an answer, the solution provided by ajay was deleted yesterday. But the exact answer is seen now as [a comment from ajay under my question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/114799/moto-g2-speaker-phone-issue-when-calling/115037#comment143207_114799).
Considering a user has to get to gain 50 reputation points to get the commenting previlege. How is this possible for a user with one reputation to comment? Does the user allowed to comment or Is it something that a moderator has an option/tool that has converted the answer to a comment. Because it is shown as commented 4 days back but I haven't seen the comment yesterday. I have no idea how can this happen so, Can some explain this to me?
And how these comments that are converted from answer to a comment ordered? Is this added as the last comment to the question or does it have some ordering based on timestamp?
**Update:**
In my case that ajay has answered(11th July) before user @Izzy commented(14th July). So that I thought ajay's comment is visible before Izzy's comment based on timestamp. I'm confused on how the ordering of comment is based on and does diamond mods have special priorities on the comment section?<issue_comment>username_1: In this case, the answer was converted to a comment by @MatthewRead
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While username_1 ♦ already cleared the mist [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1977/96277), I strictly recommend reading the question: [Who are the diamond moderators, and what is their role?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/75189/286110), and the very helpful answers there including [this one](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/75192/286110) which says:
>
> Diamond moderators are human exception handlers. The main function of diamond moderators is to follow up on flagged posts but they also have some special abilities necessary to handle rare exceptional conditions:
>
>
> * They have access to all the abilities of 20k users regardless of their reputation.
> * Their votes are binding. Any place we have voting — close, open, delete, undelete, offensive, migration, etc — that vote will reach the threshold and take effect immediately if a single diamond moderator casts a vote.
> * They can lock posts. Locked posts cannot be voted on, commented, or changed in any way.
> * They can see more data in the system, including vote statistics (but not ‘who voted for this post’) and user profile information.
> * They can view all deleted posts on an individual user's profile.
> * They can place users in timed suspension, and delete users if necessary.
> * They can perform large-scale maintenance actions such as merging questions and tags, tag synonym approvals, unbounded question migration, and so forth.
> * They can convert a post into Community Wiki status, **or convert an answer into a comment**.
> * They can (at their discretion) refund and cancel a bounty.
> * They are not subject to the flag, close vote, delete vote, review count, etc. limits. ([source](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/189303/180276))
>
>
>
(Emphasis mine)
E.g. [This comment](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/22610/identification-of-the-background-music-played-in-episode-2-and-3-of-beyblade-sea#comment33023_22610) on my question was initially posted as an answer by an unregistered user (having 1 reputation point), but was later added as a comment by a Mod.
Upvotes: 1 |
2015/07/30 | 1,204 | 4,150 | <issue_start>username_0: I was bewildered when I saw [this edit approved](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/100170) by a Moderator until I saw [his comment](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/116466/using-usb-on-the-go-files-with-the-stock-android-music-app#comment145415_116466) explaining the reasoning for that action. Before that edit, the same editor suggested another edit [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/100057). Note that [the editor](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/118614/moreofless) and the [author of the post](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/118597/moreofless) shares the same name, which is what I meant in the title. (But sometimes, the name of the editor is different, and the edit note in the comment or the body says that s/he is the author of it.)
[Revision 2](https://android.stackexchange.com/revisions/116466/2) was [approved](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/100057) by users (non-Moderators) which is the central issue here.
I should clear my stand that *I'm not questioning the judgement of my peers*, but I rather need a consensus from the Community (especially from Moderators) here whether edits from users posing as the author of the post should be approved by non-Moderators or not?
The reason I focused on 'approve' and not 'review' is because I see so issue in rejecting such edits downright but with a custom explanation.
Related edits I once encountered:
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/97507> (did accounts merge later, since editor and author have same user ID:`115733`)
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/97529> (*odd* because the author approved it, though [later explained it](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/114534/apps-storing-data-in-non-existent-sd-card#comment141780_114534) when asked)<issue_comment>username_1: In this case, the answer was converted to a comment by @MatthewRead
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While username_1 ♦ already cleared the mist [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1977/96277), I strictly recommend reading the question: [Who are the diamond moderators, and what is their role?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/75189/286110), and the very helpful answers there including [this one](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/75192/286110) which says:
>
> Diamond moderators are human exception handlers. The main function of diamond moderators is to follow up on flagged posts but they also have some special abilities necessary to handle rare exceptional conditions:
>
>
> * They have access to all the abilities of 20k users regardless of their reputation.
> * Their votes are binding. Any place we have voting — close, open, delete, undelete, offensive, migration, etc — that vote will reach the threshold and take effect immediately if a single diamond moderator casts a vote.
> * They can lock posts. Locked posts cannot be voted on, commented, or changed in any way.
> * They can see more data in the system, including vote statistics (but not ‘who voted for this post’) and user profile information.
> * They can view all deleted posts on an individual user's profile.
> * They can place users in timed suspension, and delete users if necessary.
> * They can perform large-scale maintenance actions such as merging questions and tags, tag synonym approvals, unbounded question migration, and so forth.
> * They can convert a post into Community Wiki status, **or convert an answer into a comment**.
> * They can (at their discretion) refund and cancel a bounty.
> * They are not subject to the flag, close vote, delete vote, review count, etc. limits. ([source](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/189303/180276))
>
>
>
(Emphasis mine)
E.g. [This comment](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/22610/identification-of-the-background-music-played-in-episode-2-and-3-of-beyblade-sea#comment33023_22610) on my question was initially posted as an answer by an unregistered user (having 1 reputation point), but was later added as a comment by a Mod.
Upvotes: 1 |
2015/08/10 | 997 | 3,736 | <issue_start>username_0: The [answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/117620/51249) in question:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oZla7.png)
I flagged the following answer as *"very low quality"* because it was pure speculation, didn't offer any explanation or research and was poorly written in general. Was I being too unreasonable?<issue_comment>username_1: It just came to my mind, what would be our reaction if it is written as:
"*Go to Google app which use your location to personalize it. Go to app and disable it. Hope it helps.*"
It is still a hypothesis because it isn't proved how Google app is related to the question, but since in my made up answer the user wrote with confidence, we wouldn't be having much reason to flag it as VLQ, other than content based issue.
Now, for the real point. In its current condition, it's not a very low quality answer for two parameters but one, which I explained below.
Reasoning for VLQ isn't very clear but the flag excerpt says:
>
> This question has severe formatting or content problems. This question is unlikely to be salvageable through editing, and might need to be removed.
>
>
>
* The editing is acceptable, though not up to our site's standard for the posts, so it can be edited to make it look good.
* There isn't much about formatting in it to talk about
* Content problem -- that's where I found it problematic and I left a comment in that regard.
The reason I didn't mark it as a VLQ answer is because we have multitude of such answers on the main site, and while they don't reason well, they many times help the visitors to get rid of the issue, **which the latter is most interested in.**
The suggestion I would like to give is to use a downvote (if only you're convinced that the answer is **wrong** or **not useful**), or leave a comment explaining the issue and providing suggestion.
I see that you upvoted my comment, so you indirectly already did your part of commenting on the answer.
**Note** that *to flag or not to flag* as VLQ also creates a dilemma of whether to allow such answers on this site or be moderate/strict in controlling them. If you're a moderate/strict in approach then don't think your action as unreasonable even if your flag ends up as *Declined*.
As for me, I use all the approaches all the time!
---
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While I can follow [username_1's argumentation](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1991/16575), it still seems rather a comment than an answer. As a comment, it would be very acceptable: "It may be … Could you try …". Then, with the OP having tried and approved, it would be a good answer: solving the issue as proven. Or it would stay a comment when not proven.
My approach thus would have been: Flag NAA, leave a comment, convert to comment on the question.
**BUT:** answerer included "solve the issue ***as it did for me***", which in fact *is* kind of prove (empirical) – so it seems to be a valid answer. I agree however it could use a little re-phrasing to make that clear:
>
> In my case, this was an issue with *Google Now.* I was able to solve it this way:
>
>
> * Got to google app which use ur location to personalize it.
> * Go to app and disable it.
>
>
>
Guess you agree: put that way, you wouldn't complain :)
**EDIT:** Sorry for being a bit unclear. I of course didn't mean to say one should always place a comment first :) So in short:
* If you're sure you have a valid solution (as in this case, where it has solved the same issue for you): Answer.
* If unsure whether something "promising" really solves the issue (aka "could you try if X helps?"), make it a comment.
Upvotes: 2 |
2015/08/21 | 1,888 | 6,459 | <issue_start>username_0: I feel a bounty was awarded to me incorrectly [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/118956/my-nexus-6-turns-itself-off-randomly-how-can-i-fix-this/119314#119314). Though I did jump into the answer with the best of my ability, the problem was not actually resolved. I do understand most of the bounty system but, my question is, can I voluntarily return the whole, half or at least a token sum to the user who offered the bounty, since the problem was never resolved?
I feel like I fell into/through a technical loophole on this. It's kind of a nervous tick thing with me and it will keep bugging me. Alternately, would a better solution be for me to delete my answer?<issue_comment>username_1: As I mentioned [already in the comments](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1994/a-question-on-honesty/1995#comment4533_1994),
>
> Don't delete your answer unless it's not useful. It has three upvotes
> and the OP may have rewarded you the bounty since you have put your
> efforts into solving the question or the bounty was going to expire. I
> don't think its mistakenly rewarded. Even your answer doesn't solve
> the OP's problem it can still be useful for him and other future
> readers. Your answer becomes a solution only when it is accepted by
> the OP. So I guess you're okay there.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> [Can] I voluntarily return the whole , half or at least a token sum to the user who offered the bounty[?]
>
>
>
As far as I know, you cannot give your reputation directly to someone else. It would game the system if such a provision exists. People, when they feel extremely generous to a user, tends to serially upvote that user's posts. This is also considered an illegitimate act in the network which shouldn't be considered either.
Besides, the act of having that bounty ended up in your account doesn't seem to be a technical loophole but a manual act by OP himself.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Rfu7.png)
Since your answer had three upvotes during the time bounty was active, your answer was already eligible for automatic (half) bounty by Community ♦ user and possibly would've been awarded if OP couldn't have offered it manually until the grace period ended.
What's more? I believe OP did the right thing. Bounties should be awarded to answers which either solved the issue or to those whom the community has upvoted well. It is not mandatory though.
Beska has written [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/27316/286110):
>
> If the person doesn't want to accept an answer, because their problem isn't yet solved, then award the bounty to the highest rated answer as normal, but don't auto-accept an answer. Then the questioner could hope for more answers, put up more information, perhaps a second higher bounty, etc.
>
>
>
There are conflicting answers as well. See them here: [Why do I *always* have to accept an answer at the end of the bounty period?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/27307/why-do-i-always-have-to-accept-an-answer-at-the-end-of-the-bounty-period).
Now, coming to the point. You can choose to offer a chunk of your reputation points to a user, yet not violating the policies of network, by choosing to **offer a bounty to an exemplary answer of that user** (a direct transfer) or **by offering a bounty on that user's question**. The latter wouldn't transfer the points but would help that user greatly. To avoid abuse of system, if you choose the former technique, [you would have to wait for 24 hours to award the bounty](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/116072/286110).
OP in this case doesn't seem to have any answer posted on the site, let alone one to be considered exemplary, so you can't go for the former technique. Only option left would be to help him out by using the latter technique.
>
> Alternately would a better solution be for me to delete my answer?
>
>
>
[As mentioned by username_1](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1995/96277), you shouldn't and need not to delete the post, although I'm not sure whether you can simply delete an answer or would have to vote and wait for it to reviewed, in case it is an upvoted answer.
I believe you shouldn't be having that honesty part troubling you anymore, now that it is clear in my reasoning noted above. I would like you to note that your answer falls in the category of the answers termed as **partial answer**. Help center states [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-answer):
(Emphasis mine)
>
> Help us find a solution **by researching the problem, then contribute the results of your research and anything additional you’ve tried as a** ***partial answer***. That way, even if we can’t figure it out, the next person has more to go on.
>
>
>
This is what you simply did, and it's has been considered worthy, hence, you've got 140 points only from a partial answer.
I recommend you put a note in the beginning or the end of the post, stating that "this is a partial answer" so that visitors in the future might not get confused as to why your answer (considering that you do not end-up solving the issue) when not solving the issue completely has been upvoted as well as earned the bounty.
---
Further readings:
* [How does the bounty system work?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/16065/how-does-the-bounty-system-work)
* [Why was this bounty awarded by community?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/63873/why-was-this-bounty-awarded-by-community)
* [Why do I *always* have to accept an answer at the end of the bounty period?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/27307/why-do-i-always-have-to-accept-an-answer-at-the-end-of-the-bounty-period)
* [I want to award a bounty to an existing answer; should I have to wait 24 hours?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/107282/i-want-to-award-a-bounty-to-an-existing-answer-should-i-have-to-wait-24-hours)
* [Should I answer the question with just a partial solution?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/72392/should-i-answer-the-question-with-just-a-partial-solution)
* [How does deleting work? What can cause a post to be deleted, and what does that actually mean? What are the criteria for deletion?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5221/how-does-deleting-work-what-can-cause-a-post-to-be-deleted-and-what-does-that/5222#5222)
Upvotes: 2 |
2015/10/14 | 1,304 | 5,023 | <issue_start>username_0: The following image shows an answer posted for the question [How to change the density (DPI) for specific applications?](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YkBkQ.png)
The answer didn't even cover half of the line. Anyhow, I flagged the answer as VLQ, albeit being unsure, and to my surprise, the flag was resolved as *disputed* .
**Note**: It is not relevant to me which diamond marked it *disputed*.
**I'm seeking input from the community, what do I do with such answers?**
If I start localizing the question here, then for the answer in the image,
* it is factually wrong -- doesn't make that eligible for VLQ
* a comment you say? -- Not good enough candidate for NAA but I was hoping that a Mod would convert it to a comment so that quality (my perspective) on the page could be maintained and nobody would be devoid of that pointer, so I flagged it as VLQ.
My question is also about half to one line answers, such as:
>
> * Do a factory reset. Problem solved
> * Give the phone to service center
> * I think the only way is buy a new mobile
> * Update your app to the latest version. *Optionally, some blah blah.*
> * Try XYZ app. It works for me -- *(I don't bother about them much now)*
> * Have you tried <*some software*>? Always works for XXY brand.
> * Contact their technical support for help -- *Optionally, blah blah to cover one to three lines.*
> * Clear data and cache and dalvik cache.
>
>
>
Look deeper -- not much to look into -- and you would notice that the pointers cannot be termed unhelpful but some of them are so much universal and vague that I wouldn't ever want to see them as answers, but they, IMHO, are good enough for comments at least.
I don't want to flag them as NAA because that is bound to cause *disputed* or *declined* at some point and may create tension. As I see it, we don't seem to have a shared (community specific) understanding for these cases, or may be my search failed me. I hope that this question should reach a consensus where anyone should be able to know what to do with those common half to one to two line vague answers.
I saw the answers to [One Liner answers](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/156941/one-liner-answers) and [How to differentiate a “low quality answer” and “answer that should be a comment”](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/221149/how-to-differentiate-a-low-quality-answer-and-answer-that-should-be-a-comment)? Couldn't find them much helping except the interesting fact:
>
> Determining what to flag and how best to flag content comes with experience and to be honest it is not as simple as the list you posted above - it is not black or white but many shades of grey.
>
>
>
Yeah, fifty shades, I got it.
So, what do I do with such answers? Should I just,
* leave them alone and hope that somebody else would take care of them
* comment on them in regard to explaining the quality requirements of the site
* downvote -- if only it is not *helpful*, the definition of latter may vary amongst users
* flag -- that's what I want to discuss
* or, you've something more interesting, such as the cocktail of the above points?
**Edit:**
Related reading(s):
* [Can we refrain from answering with lazy guesses or opinions?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/65/96277)<issue_comment>username_1: My proposal for such would be: Flags. Mods can convert answers to comments – and all those mentioned above IMHO should be comments rather than answers. Thus the info doesn't get lost, but quality isn't "downgraded". Additionally, a comment could be placed encouraging to make it a "full fledged answer, elaborating on the background and include missing details" (such as links, backing, etc). While converting an answer to a comment, there's an option to take the answer's comments along.
Even if the original answerer doesn't turn up to improve, someone else might (maybe even the OP if the hint helped solving the issue). It might as well happen that someone else turns up posting an answer based on that comment – and then the original answerer turns up complaining. In that case, tell that one "lesson learned" – do it properly next time, and you've got no reason to complain ;)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Izzy flagged this asking for a canonical answer, and I just declined a couple flags on such posts so I thought I would weigh in again.
**The length of a post does not determine its quality as an answer.**
Yes, it's strongly correlated with poor answers. But some questions only require short answers. Your concern should be whether it answers the question — not with whether it could easily fit into the comment space.
If a question is answerable by bad one-liners, you should also consider whether it's the question itself that is problematic (but again, it's just a correlation).
Beyond that I can't say too much concretely. It's a subjective and, as noted in the question, experience-based determination.
Upvotes: 1 |
2015/10/18 | 482 | 1,773 | <issue_start>username_0: When searching for questions/answers about some hardware-specific topics, would it not be useful to introduce tags for **chipset** vendors and models/model\_families?
Like MediaTek, RockChip, RK3066, MT6582, etc.
Even GPU tags like Mali400, Vivante, etc would (imo) help.
I am not advocating Vendor tags like LG, Motorola, etc.
I think, when used correctly (and frequently corrected by knowledgeable users, if used inappropriately) chipset tags could be very useful.
Specific example: I recently acquired a cheap DualSIM `Doogee Voyager2 DG310`. Using that name, hardly any information can be found. Using the specific chipset name `mt6582`, many more relevant posts can be found, and information can be collated much easier.
I see as an added bonus the fact, that people can then better curate their list of preferred/filtered tags.<issue_comment>username_1: What is the actual use in grouping phones by chipset? This site is for end-users, there is going to be virtually nothing relevant in common between two phones from different manufacturers than both happen to include MediaTek chips.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I wouldn't say "nothing relevant in common" as [Matthew put it](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2035/16575) (especially with MTK, which has its specifics). But what I agree with: This site is for end-users, and the majority of end-users probably has no clue whether their device features a `mt6582` or `rk3066` chip – and if they do, they can specify such in the question's text. A tag is not very useful if ignored by the majority even if it would fit – so I agree with Matthew we don't want/need those *on an end-user site* (it would look different if we were a techie-centric site, sure).
Upvotes: 2 |
2016/01/15 | 1,350 | 4,900 | <issue_start>username_0: It's 2016 now, and we've [made some changes to the sidebar size](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/272563/were-standardizing-the-sidebar-width-at-300px-on-all-sites). As such, we can now restart the Community Promotion Ads for 2016!
Keep in mind, we have updated some of the guidelines compared to previously - the changes are marked in bold in the Image Requirements section.
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be **300 x 250 pixels**, or double that if high DPI.
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of **150 KB**
* **If the background of the image is white or partially white, there must be a 1px border (2px if high DPI) surrounding it.**
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/2067).<issue_comment>username_1: [](http://twitter.com/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01B0NSGQA)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.free.nrw.commons)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://f-droid.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://github.com/jackpal/Android-Terminal-Emulator/wiki)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=net.osmand.plus)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.netguard)
Upvotes: 2 |
2016/01/26 | 2,007 | 7,212 | <issue_start>username_0: How does the questions limited to the scope of a nightly build of a ROM are helpful to site in long-run?
There are questions we receive that are more or less specific to a nightly build of a ROM. (In case one has never heard the term nightly build outside the scope of Android, I recommend reading wiki of [Daily build](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_build).) By *specific*, I meant examples like the following ones:
* [CM13 on Nexus 9: Any app that internally opens a webpage or otherwise uses System WebView crashes](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/134711/96277) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8O3Qy.png))
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/q/134981/96277> ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/l44he.png))
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/q/135350/96277> ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Okvwx.png))
* [Google Play app won't open on Cyanogenmod](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/133280/96277) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zemOq.png))
* [CM 12.1 Nightly Mako Home Button Not Showing](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/130854) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/j0478.png))
* [Phone Screen Blackouts and respond only to Power Key Long Press](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/129103/96277) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yTpjz.png))
* [CM 12.1 Nexus 5 stuck on bootloop and recovery load-up](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/131332/96277) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b0zD4.png))
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/q/110751/96277> ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W3NEG.png))
* <https://android.stackexchange.com/q/112894/96277> ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cBMhn.png))
* [Installed CM12 on Sprint Galaxy S4, GAPPS crashing upon start](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/101368/96277) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/snKTa.png))
* and the list [goes on](https://android.stackexchange.com/search?page=1&tab=newest&q=%22nightly%22%20is%3aquestion)..
If I've to give a brief of those examples, I would say:
* individual or all apps crashes or gives ANR messages intermittently or repeatedly
* any or all of mobile data, Wi-Fi and bluetooth does not work
* encryption does not work correctly
* screen blackouts during usage, including but not limited to calls
* navigational button stops working
* the famous boot-loop or "optimizing apps" at startup followed by a reboot and repetition of same cycle
* texts not sent or received
A nightly is:
* a ROM in progress, updates often and *users are supposed to use the latest version*;
* supposed to be *not used as a daily driver* (a fact folks ignore), hence, ideally not meant for any user but for a tester who takes risk of losing their data;
* *expected to have bugs* which may or may not be severe, but in any case it is expected that users report bugs whenever encountered so that the latter gets fixed ASAP before a stable build for all end-users is released.
While nothing stop the issues mentioned in my example cases to occur on stock ROMs or stable builds of custom ROMs, the likelihood of occurrence of them is greater on nightly builds and are often solved in a next build or some other build in near future once reported to ROM's developers. As such, while we may not be losing anything by keeping such questions, I ask again:
* **What long-term benefit does the site have from those questions?**
* **Is there a problem you also see or have I exaggerated the issue?**
* **As the title asks, what do you recommend for dealing with such questions, other than commenting?**
Do note that nightly builds are updated at a faster pace. Possibility of a solution for a bug in a next release is also high if developer is aware of the issue. Once the next build fixes the issue, *the question loses almost all of its usefulness.*
This reminds me of the [problem with shopping recommendations](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/) where the information definitely becomes obsolete in a matter of few months, if not weeks as in case of nightly builds here.
I noticed that the criteria of [automatic deletion of a question](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/5222/286110) isn't much helpful here.<issue_comment>username_1: I think you're right that these questions add no value to the site. They're almost never fixable by users, and we do seem to get a lot of them. I've tried to reduce their number in the past by adding to the cyanogenmod tag-wiki a note about nightlies and about how to get bugs fixed faster; also by adding a comment like "don't use nightlies" to such questions.
I'd be in favour of a "canonical" CW question of the form "I have problems using a nightly/unstable build of this ROM; what can I do about it?", with an answer that (a) suggests how to report bugs, and how to help out mod authors in other ways, and (b) tells you not to use nightlies on a phone you actually want to use. All these questions would be duped to this canonical question. I'd even be happy to write the question and answer, if the community agrees with this solution.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: In this case, 'prevention is better than cure'. On Stackoverflow, upon trying to submit a question, the editor is smart enough to realize there's more code snippets than text.
With that approach in mind, how about, upon asking the question, expressions like 'Unstable', 'Nightly', 'CyanogenMod' (or other custom ROMs with nightlies) in same sentence/paragraph are flagged, then a prompt appears pointing the asker to learn more about questions relating to nighlies.
I think its much easier stopping them in their tracks with such a hint. With that prompt, should an asker proceed to post nightlies related question(s), it becomes obvious the post needs to be deleted, and should be.
**Edit**
Hint might look like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x78KV.png)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I agree that there is little value in questions that are specific to a nightly ROM builds. I think it would be a good idea to have a policy of closing such questions. We want questions (and answers) for the "long tail", not questions (and answers) which are only helpful to the Asker in the here-and-now.
To that end, a canonical question and answer here on Meta Android (similar, perhaps, to [this question on the Uber Meta](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/56161/which-browsers-are-officially-supported-and-what-else-do-i-need)) would be useful. It should specifically call out the reasons why such questions aren't allowed (already well-delineated in Firelord's question).
A ROM should have a stable, public build before it becomes a valid topic here. If there is a ROM where a "beta" is as stable as most other ROMs "final" release, such an exception could be mentioned here.
Another canonical question and answer on the main site could be titled "I'm having trouble with a daily ROM build. What do I do?" The answer could explain why such questions are off-topic (with a link to the Meta question I mentioned above), issues need to be forwarded on to the ROM maker, and then list the major ROMs and their bug-reporting mechanisms.
Upvotes: 3 |
2016/03/14 | 2,280 | 9,258 | <issue_start>username_0: In connection with the moderator elections, we will be holding a Q&A with the candidates. This will be an opportunity for members of the community to pose questions to the candidates on the topic of moderation. Participation is completely voluntary.
>
> **The purpose of this thread was to collect questions for the questionnaire. The questionnaire is now live, and you may find it [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2120/2016-moderator-election-qa-questionnaire).**
>
>
>
Here's how it'll work:
* During the nomination phase, (so, until Monday, March 21st at 20:00:00Z UTC, or 4:00 pm EDT on the same day, give or take time to arrive for closure), this question will be open to collect potential questions from the users of the site. Post answers to this question containing any questions you would like to ask the candidates. Please only post *one question per answer*.
* We, the Community Team, will be providing a small selection of generic questions. The first two will be guaranteed to be included, the latter ones are if the community doesn't supply enough questions. This will be done in a single post, unlike the prior instruction.
* This is a perfect opportunity to voice questions that are specific to your community and issues that you are running into at current.
* At the end of the phase, the Community Team will select **up to 8 of the top voted questions submitted by the community** provided in this thread, to use in addition to the aforementioned 2 guaranteed questions. We reserve some editorial control in the selection of the questions and may opt not to select a question that is tangential or irrelevant to moderation or the election. That said, if I have concerns about any questions in this fashion, I will be sure to point this out in comments before the decision making time.
* Once questions have been selected, a new question will be opened to host the actual questionnaire for the candidates, containing 10 questions in total.
* This is not the only option that users have for gathering information on candidates. As a community, you are still free to, for example, hold a live chat session with your candidates to ask further questions, or perhaps clarifications from what is provided in the Q&A.
If you have any questions or feedback about this process, feel free to post as a comment here.<issue_comment>username_1: Here is a set of general questions, gathered as very common questions asked every election. As mentioned in the instructions, the first two questions are guaranteed to show up in the Q&A, while the others are if there aren't enough questions (or, if you like one enough, you may split it off as a separate answer for review within the community's 8).
* How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
* How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
---
* In your opinion, what do moderators do?
* A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
* In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Moderators are given the power to unilaterally delete posts. Given this ability, how would you approach answers that are objectively low-quality (vague, short, etc) but are an attempt to provide an answer?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Are there any existing policies or rules that you think should be amended or removed? Are there any new policies you would like to see added?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: You close a question that's clearly off-topic and the user comes to Meta, not to ask what they did wrong, say you're a [mean word here]. How do you react?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Like every other site, we also suffer from lazy answers. The problem has been discussed here: [Half line answers -- what would be the best course of action(s) to deal with them?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2032/96277) The problem is different from [this issue](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/57/96277) which is about lazy guesses or lazy opinions.
None of the solutions to the original problem have gained support (through votes) that can be considered as will of the community at large.
Consider the fact that no consensus causes or may be causing ambiguity to mortals from flagging those posts - mortals, who are the major reason moderators are able to keep the site clean or keep a tab on quality of posts.
Since there is no denying that there exists a major problem to deal with,
* *What are you going to do with answers similar in nature to the examples listed in that question?*
* *What clear suggestion for dealing with those posts do you propose for ordinary users of this site?*
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: How do you define [Android independent questions](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1997/96277)? The only available answer to the linked question doesn't seem to solve the original problem stated in the question.
Consider the fact that the result from the discussion on the linked post appears to be more or less *helpful to those who have been regular to this site for more than a year*. Too much is left on a user's experience which is definitely not good for any site dealing with significantly lower number of middle/high reputation but active close voters / flag raisers.
Here are some questions:
* *Do you think a good attempt can be made to draw a hard line to understand what makes or would make a question Android independent or does that answer suffices?*
* *In any case, how do you define what makes a question Android independent, in a manner which any ordinary user can use to judge a question?*
You *may opt* to address these related arguments:
>
> I think a question that's relevant to our site about using an Android app doesn't magically become irrelevant when the publisher releases an iPhone version of the app ([source](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/27958230#27958230))
>
>
>
>
> ---
>
>
> One thing I find odd about this drive to close questions about cross-platform apps is that it's always about mass-market social or message apps. Nobody ever suggests closing questions about Google Maps even though that's also on iPhone and a website.
>
> I think it's really an objection to certain particular apps, and the fact that they're cross-platform is just a pretext. ([source](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/27984020#27984020))
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: If you're a regular here, you would have soon realized that we have a huge [quite an] issue of crappy migration from one of the larger SE sites. That site deals with questions posted by enthusiasts and power users of computers.
* What is your stance on crappy migration?
* Do you've a preemptive solution? If yes, what is it?
* What do you suggest to regular flag raisers and close voters to do with such crap?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Even though we've a clear consensus on [Should users (non-Moderators) approve an edit made by a user posing as the author of the post?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1984/96277) you can still find two or three regular reviewers who do not go by that consensus and wrongly approve such edits.
Other problem is with reviewing *where careless or superfluous edits gets approved*, most likely to increase review count.
How do you deal with such reviewers or with their reviewing? If you don't see a problem, please tell us why do you not find such reviews a problem at all.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: We have *a significant problem* where a question lacks some *critical details* - the details required to formulate a good answer, absence of which may restrict few users from considering posting a detailed answer. Those details are usually the Android version and Android device name, but not limited to them.
Consider the fact that users *often* have to invest/waste their time into seeking those details - the details, which should have been provided by the user already or could have been asked from them via technical means.
Since the beginning of year 2016, there have been two attempts to change the tides. The attempts can be seen at:
* [Adding a template question to the Ask Question box](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2080/96277)
* [How can we ensure that users include relevant detail when asking a question?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2086/96277)
These attempts are a good improvement onto a [similar attempt](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1302/96277) made years ago. Unfortunately, the older one was lost in the shadows and the recent ones failed to take off for an unbeknownst reason.
There exists clearly a problem to deal with, so:
* *What stance do you have on this issue?*
* *What do you propose or have proposed to deal with this issue?*
Upvotes: 3 |
2016/03/21 | 8,895 | 35,795 | <issue_start>username_0: In connection with the moderator elections, we are holding a Q&A thread for the candidates. Questions collected [from an earlier thread](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2101/2016-moderator-election-qa-question-collection) have been compiled into this one, which shall now serve as the space for the candidates to provide their answers. Every question was compiled, plus 2 pre-set questions from us. Some were slightly shortened.
As a candidate, your job is simple - post an answer to this question, citing each of the questions and then post your answer to each question given in that same answer. For your convenience, I will include all of the questions in quote format with a break in between each, suitable for you to insert your answers. Just [copy the whole thing after the first set of three dashes](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/posts/2120/revisions). Oh, and please consider putting your name at the top of your post so that readers will know who you are before they finish reading everything you have written.
Once all the answers have been compiled, this will serve as a transcript for voters to view the thoughts of their candidates, and will be appropriately linked in the Election page.
Good luck to all of the candidates!
---
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
> 3. We have *a significant problem* where a question lacks some *critical details* - the details required to formulate a good answer, absence of which may restrict few users from considering posting a detailed answer. Those details are usually the Android version and Android device name, but not limited to them. Consider the fact that users *often* have to invest/waste their time into seeking those details - the details, which should have been provided by the user already or could have been asked from them via technical means. There exists clearly a problem to deal with, so... *What stance do you have on this issue?* *What do you propose or have proposed to deal with this issue?*
> 4. Moderators are given the power to unilaterally delete posts. Given this ability, how would you approach answers that are objectively low-quality (vague, short, etc) but are an attempt to provide an answer?
> 5. Are there any existing policies or rules that you think should be amended or removed? Are there any new policies you would like to see added?
> 6. You close a question that's clearly off-topic and the user comes to Meta, not to ask what they did wrong, say you're a [mean word here]. How do you react?
> 7. Even though we've a clear consensus on [Should users (non-Moderators) approve an edit made by a user posing as the author of the post?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1984/96277) you can still find two or three regular reviewers who do not go by that consensus and wrongly approve such edits. Other problem is with reviewing *where careless or superfluous edits gets approved*, most likely to increase review count. How do you deal with such reviewers or with their reviewing? If you don't see a problem, please tell us why do you not find such reviews a problem at all.
> 8. Like every other site, we also suffer from lazy answers. The problem has been discussed here: [Half line answers -- what would be the best course of action(s) to deal with them?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2032/96277) The problem is different from [this issue](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/57/96277) which is about lazy guesses or lazy opinions. None of the solutions to the original problem have gained support (through votes) that can be considered as will of the community at large. Consider the fact that no consensus causes or may be causing ambiguity to users from flagging those posts - users, who are the major reason moderators are able to keep the site clean or keep a tab on quality of posts. *What are you going to do with answers similar in nature to the examples listed in that question?* *What clear suggestion for dealing with those posts do you propose for ordinary users of this site?*
> 9. If you're a regular here, you would have soon realized that we have a huge quite an issue of crappy migration from one of the larger SE sites. That site deals with questions posted by enthusiasts and power users of computers. What is your stance on crappy migration? Do you have a preemptive solution? If yes, what is it? What do you suggest to regular flag raisers and close voters to do with such crap?
> 10. How do you define [Android independent questions](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1997/96277)? The only available answer to the linked question doesn't seem to solve the original problem stated in the question. [Some extra thinking material can be found in the original question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2110/7088).
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: ### username_1's answers
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
Friendly, of course – as I always try to do :) Exact action of course depends on the case (what kind of flags? what causes them?). Following an analysis, I'd seek a personal word with him, together finding a solution/plan hopefully fitting all.
>
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
As far as I've heard, there's a secret chamber for such cases. I'd see him there. Someone closes the door behind us – and we talk that over. Door will be opened if one of us is convinced.
Honestly: I was referring to the mods' chat room. I'd ask him there. Maybe he'd "missed a point" or I did. What I'd never do is simply reverting his action – that would be his task (unless he delegates it).
>
> 3. We have *a significant problem* where a question lacks some *critical details* - the details required to formulate a good answer, absence of which may restrict few users from considering posting a detailed answer. Those details are usually the Android version and Android device name, but not limited to them. Consider the fact that users *often* have to invest/waste their time into seeking those details - the details, which should have been provided by the user already or could have been asked from them via technical means. There exists clearly a problem to deal with, so... *What stance do you have on this issue?* *What do you propose or have proposed to deal with this issue?*
>
>
>
As I've done in the past, I'd leave a comment indicating the missing details. Depending on how big the gap is, being a mod I'd additionally put it "on hold" as "being unclear". Especially for new users, I'd add to my comment that updating the post with the missing details and a "ping" to my person would be a quick way to get it re-opened again. No pun intended, but that should add weight to the comment (and engrave the fact in memory ;)
>
> 4. Moderators are given the power to unilaterally delete posts. Given this ability, how would you approach answers that are objectively low-quality (vague, short, etc) but are an attempt to provide an answer?
>
>
>
Depends on. But in most cases I'll probably convert them to comments – while leaving a note (comment) on the original (then deleted) "answer" why I did so, and how to improve the post. For re-open etc. see previous question: My intention is never to punish, but rather to "enforce" quality while keeping useful information.
>
> 5. Are there any existing policies or rules that you think should be amended or removed? Are there any new policies you would like to see added?
>
>
>
{to be filled with a later edit}
>
> 6. You close a question that's clearly off-topic and the user comes to Meta, not to ask what they did wrong, say you're a [mean word here]. How do you react?
>
>
>
Being a coward, I'd ask one of my co-mods to close that Meta post (if it's off-topic anyway) or edit it (otherwise), keeping myself out. We don't need "personal vendettas" here – and I feel that would be the best way avoiding such.
>
> 7. Even though we've a clear consensus on [Should users (non-Moderators) approve an edit made by a user posing as the author of the post?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1984/96277) you can still find two or three regular reviewers who do not go by that consensus and wrongly approve such edits. Other problem is with reviewing *where careless or superfluous edits gets approved*, most likely to increase review count. How do you deal with such reviewers or with their reviewing? If you don't see a problem, please tell us why do you not find such reviews a problem at all.
>
>
>
I've not much experience in this field, but I'd try to contact them (eg. by "drawing" them into a private chat) to explain. Just remembering one comparable case from the past, I can imagine convincing them hunting for some other trophy (badge, that is), and keep the ball lower here – if it looks like "badge hunting", that is.
>
> 8. Like every other site, we also suffer from lazy answers. The problem has been discussed here: [Half line answers -- what would be the best course of action(s) to deal with them?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2032/96277) The problem is different from [this issue](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/57/96277) which is about lazy guesses or lazy opinions. None of the solutions to the original problem have gained support (through votes) that can be considered as will of the community at large. Consider the fact that no consensus causes or may be causing ambiguity to users from flagging those posts - users, who are the major reason moderators are able to keep the site clean or keep a tab on quality of posts. *What are you going to do with answers similar in nature to the examples listed in that question?* *What clear suggestion for dealing with those posts do you propose for ordinary users of this site?*
>
>
>
Smells like #3, just for answers, mixed with #4 – so my approach would be similar here. As I've already suggested [in my answer to that post](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/posts/2073/edit), I'd encourage users to flag such posts (low quality), and as mod deal with them as described in #4: convert to comment, leave a reason, hope for the user to improve the post. If the latter happens in appropriate form, immedialy restore the answer.
>
> 9. If you're a regular here, you would have soon realized that we have a huge quite an issue of crappy migration from one of the larger SE sites. That site deals with questions posted by enthusiasts and power users of computers. What is your stance on crappy migration? Do you have a preemptive solution? If yes, what is it? What do you suggest to regular flag raisers and close voters to do with such crap?
>
>
>
I've already been involved with this issue. Where possible, I'd seek out the mods of the corresponding origin site asking them to stop it. They are not always able to, e.g. if our site is a "regular target" and 5 users vote to migrate. In those cases I suggested them to "educate" their users. Migrated "crap" I'd immediately "return to sender" (aka "reject migration" – but don't nail me on a definition of "crap", as that's "primarily opinion based" :)
Of course this means I'd encourage users to flag such posts. And please don't forget I'm not the only mod (if elected, that is) – so this presents *my opinion*. If the majority of the mod team has a different stance, I'd seek agreement first.
>
> 10. How do you define [Android independent questions](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1997/96277)? The only available answer to the linked question doesn't seem to solve the original problem stated in the question. [Some extra thinking material can be found in the original question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2110/7088).
>
>
>
That's a tricky one to answer "canonically". There are some questions where it's clear (e.g. "repair the glass of device X", or "clearly carrier-related issues"), some that are border-line, and some where that's pretty much opinion-based. In dubio pro reo for one, and some specifics for another (anyone tell me how handling a LiIo battery is *not* Android-independent? Still I agree this is an important topic for *all* Android users, so I see why we even have a tag for that. We don't deal with the "glass repair" though, as that doesn't even affect a majority). This one I cannot give a clear answer, but will have to decide per-case.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: ### Answers from username_2
---
**Q&A #1**
>
> You close a question that's clearly off-topic and the user comes to Meta, not to ask what they did wrong, say you're a [mean word here]. How do you react?
>
>
>
It is a time to act, not to react. An *ad hominem* attack should not be tolerated on this site, no matter who initiates it and to whom it is targeted to. I'll analyze the question and see if it is worth saving by an edit. If yes, I would attempt to remove content meant solely to criticize me as a person while still having the post criticize my action constructively. I'll also attempt to comment why I made an edit as well as also address the criticism to my action(s). OTOH, if I find the post not worth anything, I'll ask one or more moderators privately and let them know that I *objectively* don't find anything constructive their but it *may not be interpreted correctly* by site's users if I close the question unilaterally.
---
**Q&A #2**
>
> If you're a regular here, you would have soon realized that we have a huge quite an issue of crappy migration from one of the larger SE sites. That site deals with questions posted by enthusiasts and power users of computers. What is your stance on crappy migration? Do you have a preemptive solution? If yes, what is it? What do you suggest to regular flag raisers and close voters to do with such crap?
>
>
>
You can find a brief of my stance [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2075/96277). I'll attempt to analyze through observation and via technical means whether the crap is coming occasionally or is regular from a site. If it is occasional or regular but comes from a moderator, hopefully, I would be able to sort things out privately with source site's moderators. However, if the crap comes regularly and from ordinary users who vote for migration, then I see three options worth trying:
1. talking to source site's moderators about the situation, *showing them hard facts* so that they take the situation seriously, and kindly asking them to educate their site's users about migration;
2. making my point (as a representative) on their meta. This should be done by having agreement from other moderators here;
3. if the said steps doesn't work out well, I'll seek consensus on our meta whether it is time to ask SE to have us removed as a migration target from the involved source site. I won't prefer it over other options and it would be considered if situation goes beyond of our control.
---
**Q&A #3**
>
> Like every other site, we also suffer from lazy answers. The problem has been discussed here: [Half line answers -- what would be the best course of action(s) to deal with them?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2032/96277) The problem is different from [this issue](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/57/96277) which is about lazy guesses or lazy opinions. None of the solutions to the original problem have gained support (through votes) that can be considered as will of the community at large. Consider the fact that no consensus causes or may be causing ambiguity to users from flagging those posts - users, who are the major reason moderators are able to keep the site clean or keep a tab on quality of posts. *What are you going to do with answers similar in nature to the examples listed in that question?* *What clear suggestion for dealing with those posts do you propose for ordinary users of this site?*
>
>
>
I've my full support to username_1's proposal [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2073/96277) since the time his answer was posted. I'll convert the post to a comment if it attempted to answer but didn't meet the details we expect from an answer and if possible for me, I'll let the poster know what improvements could be made. In accordance with that, I'll expect users to flag those posts as VLQ.
Major caveats: 1) I won't act retrospectively. It would not go well for both the poster and me. 2) We must sketch out on meta how an answer should be evaluated. *This is necessary*, else, moderators would be burdened with unnecessary VLQ flags. *Unless that meta post shows up and reaches a consensus, I'll act in accordance with status quo so that other moderators don't have to deal with the mess I could end up creating from this answer.* The latter in turn means that without the meta post and a consensus, the situation remains the same: flag the post based on your experience here with the quality control.
---
**Q&A #4**
>
> Even though we've a clear consensus on [Should users (non-Moderators) approve an edit made by a user posing as the author of the post?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1984/96277) you can still find two or three regular reviewers who do not go by that consensus and wrongly approve such edits. Other problem is with reviewing *where careless or superfluous edits gets approved*, most likely to increase review count. How do you deal with such reviewers or with their reviewing? If you don't see a problem, please tell us why do you not find such reviews a problem at all.
>
>
>
I'll follow the standard wisdom available throughout the SE network. If they've been consistent with poor reviews, I'll put a temporary ban on their reviewing *and in any case*, I'll talk to them privately to explain what needs to be improved and why (if exists) the ban has been put in effect. *Communication matters here* because I've no intention of losing a reviewer permanently just because I could not communicate well, but neither I intend to turn a blind eye to their poor reviews.
---
**Q&A #5**
>
> We have *a significant problem* where a question lacks some *critical details* - the details required to formulate a good answer, absence of which may restrict few users from considering posting a detailed answer. Those details are usually the Android version and Android device name, but not limited to them. Consider the fact that users *often* have to invest/waste their time into seeking those details - the details, which should have been provided by the user already or could have been asked from them via technical means. There exists clearly a problem to deal with, so... *What stance do you have on this issue?* *What do you propose or have proposed to deal with this issue?*
>
>
>
I'm not comfortable with status quo at all. As a contributor, I find the current situation a waste of my time and I assume the same for other contributors as well. I want *us* to focus immediately on solving the problem instead of waiting for *n* amount of time for OP to show up and state *I'm using X device with Y Android version* or something similar required for a good answer.
I made a shallow attempt to find out what possible solutions the rest of the SE sites use to deal with questions lacking details. I presented my finding as a community wiki [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2087/96277). In plain words, I'm looking to address this issue through technical means.
Until a competing solution emerges, I'll have to stick to what I and others have been doing, that is, post a comment to seek details or alternatively, flag/close vote if lots of details are missing.
---
**Q&A #6**
>
> How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
They are valuable but *not exempt from site's policies*. *Unless other moderators have already approached the user twice or multiple times to no avail or the user themselves don't go picking up a fight or engage in abusive exchange of comments, I would not go straight with a ban*. I'll talk to them and sort things myself. This is a small community, so I can invest a bit of my time on a valuable user to sort things out. As with reviewing, I do not hope to lose them at all at first, but neither I'm willing to compromise with or ignore the situation.
If they don't show considerable improvement *even after multiple attempts from both me and other moderators*, I would appropriately suspend the account. Seems harsh, but I must take care of the interests of other users as well.
---
**Q&A #7**
>
> How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
The first step is the private conversation which should be held. What incredibly matters here is how I'm going to engage there. I cannot afford to ask in a direct manner like I'm somewhat used to now with users, since that would amount to questioning a moderator's judgement. Howsoever I approach the moderator, I would try my best to understand the opinion they hold for the question and I'll try to *cordially* put my view as well, if only their opinion doesn't convince me. If things sort out, you'll have the post opened/undeleted by me or them. Otherwise, the decision will automatically be left on the community to have the post re-open/undelete through appropriate votes.
I would not find it professional to call out the moderator on a meta. That's for sure.
---
**Q&A #8**
>
> Moderators are given the power to unilaterally delete posts. Given this ability, how would you approach answers that are objectively low-quality (vague, short, etc) but are an attempt to provide an answer?
>
>
>
I would abide by my opinion expressed in the aforesaid answer meant to address the question about *lazy answers*.
---
**Q&A #9**
>
> How do you define [Android independent questions](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1997/96277)? The only available answer to the linked question doesn't seem to solve the original problem stated in the question.
>
>
>
There is no satisfactory answer I can provide given the nature of the question. However, I can share this observation: I've noticed that an issue becomes Android independent *automatically* for regulars once the issue involved doesn't remain limited to Android. This doesn't apply to all issues, such as with Google apps, but seems widely applicable on non-Google apps.
Unfortunate or not, until a new answer or discussion surfaces on the linked question, I'll continue to do and suggest what the regulars do: to rely heavily on experience for the judgement.
---
**Q&A #10**
>
> Are there any existing policies or rules that you think should be amended or removed? Are there any new policies you would like to see added?
>
>
>
New policies: 1) guidelines explaining how both questions and answers here should be evaluated. That I hope would significantly lessen the conflicting opinions we end up with whenever a post's quality comes into attention on meta or chat. We can do this. Skeptics did that, as a good example.
2) I didn't bother to raise this issue because it is not a significant problem here but I still can find two-three users who do not seem to learn from their past experience with asking questions. *They consistently continue to provide us non-(searched/researched) questions* every time. It is not unheard of that moderators alone decides to put a temporary question ban on such users in said case. If the situation deteriorates, I'll put up a generalized question on meta for discussion instead of imposing my view through a ban.
Existing policies: I've already stated my stance on lazy answers, where while not written, the status quo seems to accept such answers in some while remove them in other cases. I've also stated my intention on dealing with new questions about the missing details. Once that is fixed, the content in the page [How do I ask a good question](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask) can also be subsequently taken care of.
---
Strange feeling. 50% of the questions I answered here were posted by me!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: username_3
=========
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
I'd try to find out why the comments are so controversial and try to engage him in the ideal of keeping the site friendly. We don't have enough awesome answerers for the number of questions we have, so I wouldn't want to lose one, but we're fortunate at present that all of our good answerers work together well, even when we disagree. I think having that culture here makes it less likely that we'll have to face this kind of tricky situation.
>
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
It depends. If it were a simple mistake (say, closing as duplicate against another question with a similar title but completely different content), I'd just talk to them (in mod chat) and establish the facts. It's just as likely to be my mistake or misunderstanding as theirs. Once we've reached a shared understanding, then we could decide together what corrective action to take.
If it were a matter of policy disagreement instead, such as closing a question that's borderline, I'd just accept the decision. We don't have to all agree about every question. If it becomes a recurring theme then I'd open a question on meta, in general terms rather than about the specific posts, to establish the community's consensus on the issue, and then try to get all the mods to abide by that.
>
> 3. We have *a significant problem* where a question lacks some *critical details* [...] *What stance do you have on this issue?* *What do you propose or have proposed to deal with this issue?*
>
>
>
In the short-term, we need to keep up our campaign of commenting to ask for more details and closing when necessary. I think it's important to show the OP that we're not just complaining about their post: we ask for more details because that's how we will solve their problem.
Going forward, we need to find a way to improve this situation. We need to start by getting data on how many questions are like this, so that we can evaluate whatever solutions we try. My first idea would be to add some text to the "ask question" page to show users what information we expect: like you get on a bug reporting system. But that's something we need to go cap-in-hand to SE to ask for. Regardless of what we choose, if we can keep track of how many poor questions we're getting, we can try different ideas and find out which ones are effective.
I'd include app development questions in this category too. At least they're easier to spot and deal with when they do come up, but despite everything we've done so far to discourage them, we still get a handful per day. I think it's time to consider what the next step could be.
>
> 4. Moderators are given the power to unilaterally delete posts. Given this ability, how would you approach answers that are objectively low-quality (vague, short, etc) but are an attempt to provide an answer?
>
>
>
I'm going to take this question together with:
>
> 8. Like every other site, we also suffer from lazy answers. [...] *What are you going to do with answers similar in nature to the examples listed in that question?* *What clear suggestion for dealing with those posts do you propose for ordinary users of this site?*
>
>
>
I'd approach them the same way I do now. On the whole, I don't believe in deleting good-faith attempts to answer, even if they're unhelpful or lazy. Downvoting is an appropriate action for low-quality answers, but sometimes it's possible to edit and improve them to the point where they're high-quality. I believe that ending up with a high-quality answer on the site is a good outcome, regardless of who gets the rep. Editing to improve also helps the lazy answerer to see what we expect from answers on the site.
I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage users to do that more often, whether they're moderators or not. I know it sometimes feels like too much effort, but even if you only improve one extra answer, if we all do that we'll have a lot more good answers on the site.
>
> 5. Are there any existing policies or rules that you think should be amended or removed? Are there any new policies you would like to see added?
>
>
>
I would like to see the app recommendation close reason removed. To my mind, the reason to disallow app recommendations is for questions like "What email app should I use?" which are opinion-based. We should keep closing questions like that. But I see a lot of questions closed which are of the form "I want to [automatically feed my cats with my smartphone]. Is there an app for this?" To my mind, that isn't a recommendation question, it's about solving a problem. Obviously the questioner would assume that the answer is an app, but more often than not they would be just as happy with a non-app answer (most commonly, some Tasker profile). I don't like to see those questions closed just because the questioner used the magic word "app".
When people ask actual recommendation questions, we'd close them as opinion-based, or too broad. If a question asks for an app but isn't opinion-based or too broad, why would we want to close it?
>
> 6. You close a question that's clearly off-topic and the user comes to Meta, not to ask what they did wrong, say you're a [mean word here]. How do you react?
>
>
>
I'd let somebody else handle it. If the user has taken it personally, then any attempt by me to explain will make it about me *vs.* them, making the situation worse. If another moderator, or even better, a respected member of the community who isn't a moderator, can make a reassuring post, then it shows that a moderator is someone who acts out the will of the community, not just some kind of dictator. Of course, if it were a mistake on my part, or if the community consensus is to reverse my decision, I would answer the meta post myself. You can't delegate apologizing.
>
> 7. Even though we've a clear consensus on [Should users (non-Moderators) approve an edit made by a user posing as the author of the post?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1984/96277) you can still find two or three regular reviewers who do not go by that consensus and wrongly approve such edits. Other problem is with reviewing *where careless or superfluous edits gets approved*, most likely to increase review count. How do you deal with such reviewers or with their reviewing? If you don't see a problem, please tell us why do you not find such reviews a problem at all.
>
>
>
History suggests that when I see reviews like that, I deal with them by getting annoyed for a while. But when I've cooled down, I think the best we can do is make a new meta post to draw the attention of the reviewers to our policy (without naming and shaming), or talk in chat if they're active chat users.
>
> 9. If you're a regular here, you would have soon realized that we have a huge quite an issue of crappy migration from one of the larger SE sites. That site deals with questions posted by enthusiasts and power users of computers. What is your stance on crappy migration? Do you have a preemptive solution? If yes, what is it? What do you suggest to regular flag raisers and close voters to do with such crap?
>
>
>
This has two parts. First, to flaggers and voters: deal with migrated questions the way you would deal with any question. If it's off-topic, close it. If it's a valid question but shows no research effort or is not useful, downvote it. It looks bad to the questioner if their question gets migrated and then closed afterwards, but that's not on us, it's the fault of the people at the other site who migrated it.
Second, I think it's important to deal with this more generally by talking to moderators on other sites and encouraging them to get familiar with our on-topic criteria. SE sets a standard for moderators that you should only migrate to another site if you're an active user of that site (or if you've asked them first). I've gone out to SO before (as I'm a close-voter on that site too) and reminded them of their obligations, but this is going to be an ongoing process as people come and go on all those other sites. We just have to keep trying to get other sites' moderators to support the idea of not migrating crap.
>
> 10. How do you define [Android independent questions](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1997/96277)? The only available answer to the linked question doesn't seem to solve the original problem stated in the question. [Some extra thinking material can be found in the original question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2110/7088).
>
>
>
Most of the candidates have discussed this issue in chat many times, as well as on meta, so I know that I take a relatively broad view of what's on-topic for us. To my mind, the main purpose of having on-topic criteria for questions is so that the questions on the front page look *attractive* to visitors, in the sense that the people we want on the site see the front page and think, "this site is for people like me". With that in mind, I'm inclined to be *somewhat* accepting of questions about battery charging, touch screens, SIM cards, USB-OTG when they are interesting to Android users. Often it's hard for a new user to know if their problem is specific to Android or a more general problem, and I don't think it's fair to apply on-topic criteria that questioners have no way to judge. I think it's reasonable to continue to reject questions about carriers, phone shops, or websites, because they're not relevant to our community.
I've noticed a recent trend to push the "Android-independent questions" close reason to cover questions that are about apps rather than about Android itself, or about apps that have an iPhone version as well as an Android version. I think if we followed this suggestion in the terms that are proposed, we'd be closing most questions on the site, as well as applying a close criterion that almost nobody can judge fairly. It seems to me that this drive is simply a pretext for closing certain low-quality (but valid) questions, but I think that abusing close-votes for low-quality questions would hurt the site in the longer term.
When I see each case and I consider whether to vote-to-close, I ask myself: if I saw this on the front page, would I think the site is for me? Can we help this person without hurting the site? That's something I apply not just for Android-independent questions, but also for other hard-to-judge borders like the line between automation (on-topic) and app development (off-topic). Often close-voters get into the mindset of rules-lawyering the on-topic reasons, considering whether the question matches a particular form of words, and trying to close questions to keep the site neat or improve our "unanswered questions" stats; but to me, those are all secondary to our main goals of helping out our fellow Android users and making the site welcoming to them.
Upvotes: 3 |
2016/03/23 | 650 | 2,304 | <issue_start>username_0: Let's say I'm planning to buy a new Android device. I have a certain list of criteria for the device. I want to know which devices fit most or all of my criteria, and possibly get feedback from users who have already tried the devices in question.
Would this be on or off topic here?
If it's off topic, where would it be on topic to ask that?<issue_comment>username_1: If you check the [On topic](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) page you will see that:
>
> Please note the following topics are expressly **off-topic** here:
>
>
> Questions asking the community to find or recommend something for you (a device, app, ROM, website, etc), including what to buy and where to buy it
>
>
>
so no, it would not be on-topic here.
As for where to ask, we have a post [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/371/where-can-i-ask-questions-that-arent-android-enthusiast-questions) which may help. If you do not find what you're after there, feel free to add an answer there if you find a suitable site.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: * Quoting from reasons for closure under *off-topic* (emphasis supplied)
>
> Questions asking us to find or recommend an app, **device**, ROM, accessory or off-site resource are off-topic for Android Enthusiasts as they tend to attract opinionated answers and spam and become obsolete quickly
>
>
>
* Asking for feedback on a particular device is [*polling*](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/662/131553) , which is also not permitted
AFAIK none of SE sites entertain shopping recommendations
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: There's a beta site for [hardware recommendations](https://hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com/). It's for a specific type of recommendation, though, so be sure to check [their on-topic guidance](https://hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) and be sure to ask [something that counts as "high-quality" on that site](https://hardwarerecs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/205/what-is-required-for-a-question-to-be-high-quality/206#206):
>
> A question on Hardware Recommendations has one of two goals:
>
>
> * A request for a product recommendation, OR
> * A request for information that will lead to a product decision
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2016/04/21 | 1,526 | 6,019 | <issue_start>username_0: [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") tag **doesn't have user guidance**. Lacking user guidance, it can be (mis) used for anything related to power without checking for suitable tags available, as is the case
Going through 52 questions in the tag and appropriately adding tags, I found the questions , mostly related to [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'"), [power-options](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-options "show questions tagged 'power-options'"), [charging](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/charging "show questions tagged 'charging'"), [battery-lfe](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/battery-lfe "show questions tagged 'battery-lfe'"). As such there is no value in duplicating under [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") and the fact that no user guidance has been approved since inception adds to the argument that it is redundant
I discussed this with mods in chat and seek consensus for:
* Burnitating [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") tag
* Making "power" a synonym for [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'") so that it is not recreated in future
**Edit:** If you have reasons to retain the tag, please present them<issue_comment>username_1: I'm one of the mods beeshyams discussed this in chat, and I've also checked some of the questions using this tag. My results where exactly the same, as was my conclusion:
* replace the [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") by one of [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'"), [power-options](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-options "show questions tagged 'power-options'"), [charging](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/charging "show questions tagged 'charging'"), [battery-life](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/battery-life "show questions tagged 'battery-life'")
* if one of those "replacement tags" is already present, and none of the others fits, simply remove the [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'")
* if there are no more questions using the [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") tag, convert it to a synonym to [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'").
All in favor of this, raise your … ahm … mouse-pointers and upvote this answer – as I also agree with beeshyams we should have some consensus here :)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I agree that [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") is a bit uninformative. I'm not yet convinced that making it a synonym for [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'") is the right thing in the long term. While a lot of existing uses of [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") are about startup, there are a lot more about the power button. If those questions start being tagged with [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'"), then that tag will become as useless as [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") is now. Maybe we need a new [power-button](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-button "show questions tagged 'power-button'") tag.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [power](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power "show questions tagged 'power'") tag has been burninated!
Some analysis:
1. The tag was usually used in conjunction with:
* Powering a device: [power-on](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-on "show questions tagged 'power-on'"), sometimes [boot](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/boot "show questions tagged 'boot'")
* Power consumption: [battery](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/battery "show questions tagged 'battery'"), [battery-life](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/battery-life "show questions tagged 'battery-life'")
* Charging process and rate: [charging](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/charging "show questions tagged 'charging'")
* Power button and its behavior: [buttons](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/buttons "show questions tagged 'buttons'"), [power-options](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-options "show questions tagged 'power-options'"), *see (3)*
2. Given many different meanings, it's too ambiguous, **don't synonymize** to any tag. When someone create the tag in the future, just remove and replace it with available tags.
3. Creating [power-button](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/power-button "show questions tagged 'power-button'") should be a reasonable choice, given that there are not too many physical/hardware [buttons](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/buttons "show questions tagged 'buttons'") on Android device, while it can also help categorizing the question in better scope.
Possible search query to help retagging: [`power button is:q -[power-button]`](https://android.stackexchange.com/search?tab=votes&q=power%20button%20is%3aq) (sorted by score, exclude questions already tagged with it). If you want to participate in retagging, please *ensure* that the question is really asking about power button issue.
Upvotes: 2 |
2016/05/04 | 839 | 2,997 | <issue_start>username_0: Is this is a mistake or a deliberate move that the terms "*regular people*" are not mentioned in the [tour](https://android.stackexchange.com/tour) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Unyzz.png)) of the site? As of now it currently notes:
>
> **Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange** is a question and answer site for enthusiasts and power users of the Android operating system.
>
>
>
On the other hand, in the page [what topics can I ask about here?](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) ([record](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8G3YP.png)), one gets to see:
>
> **Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange** is for enthusiasts, power users, and ***regular people*** who use the Android operating system.
>
>
>
(Emphasis mine)
Moreover, the said help center page now makes me wonder why do we not simply write:
>
> **Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange** is for users of Android operating system.
>
>
>
Per [this question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/201/96277), I conclude that the terms "*regular people*" have been there for quite a long time, but I'm not sure whether the question notes the mention of the same in help center or tour in particular.
"*Regular people*" are also welcome on this site per [this post](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1687/96277), so I don't see why the terms are missing from the tour?
Surprisingly, [Ask Different](http://apple.stackexchange.com) shares the same problem in [help center](https://apple.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) and in [tour](https://apple.stackexchange.com/tour).<issue_comment>username_1: This is likely a result of how [Area 51 instructs users proposing a new site](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/create?category=technology).
>
> We're creating sites for experts.
>
>
> Your site should focus on pilots, not passengers; lawyers, not lawbreakers; professional photographers, not Uncle Marv with his digital point-n-shoot.
>
>
> If the site can attract the experts, the amateur enthusiasts will follow!
>
>
>
So, the box "This site is for \_\_\_\_" gets filled accordingly, and then used for the tour of the site.
Regular folks arrive later and eventually become the majority of visitors. At this point the tour may need an update.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I've updated the tour and help center to both use the phrasing "users of the Android operating system".
I also took this opportunity to split out the section of the help center article that notes that development-related questions are off-topic. I don't know if it will make any meaningful difference, but it is certainly much more prominent now:
>
> What if I have a question about Android development?
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Development/programming questions are not covered on this site. You can visit our sister site, [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/android), instead.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2016/05/13 | 1,125 | 4,345 | <issue_start>username_0: I haven't been a member of this community for very long, (or SE as a whole for that matter), however:
I feel that this site is going down the tubes. There are a ton of people asking low quality questions about rooting, why something doesn't work in a custom ROM...
I could be wrong, but I doubt those types of questions will EVER get an accepted answer.
Even this question, that I asked, and which I believe is completely on-topic, has been ignored: [WiFi direct on 5Ghz band?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/144024/wifi-direct-on-5ghz-band)
Therefore, I'd like to propose one of two things:
* Rooting, custom ROMs and the like become off-topic
* There is a separate category exclusively for these types of questions.<issue_comment>username_1: You are right in a lot of ways:
* Many of these questions are underspecified, and we need to prompt the user for details.
* Many are not applicable to very many users, or if they are then they are hard to find via search.
* Many are common issues that we should be collating into a single comprehensive question/answer.
* Many are due to bugs that we can't help with or can't reproduce.
And so on.
However, the site is not "going down the tubes" because *this is not new*. We have always dealt with high numbers of these questions, and right now our activity levels are pretty consistent with the past.
Making rooting questions off-topic is not really an option. They can be perfectly good questions and answers ([example](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/18171/1465)) and are obviously highly relevant to many Android users. Many of our most active users are also experts on those types of questions — it is a core part of the site.
I also don't think that separating them out into another area/site will help. One of the biggest issues we have here is people who completely ignore our existing types of off-topic questions, so such separation would (a) be ignored and (b) not reduce the number of low-quality questions in any way.
Instead, I think we should focus on how we can improve them. We've slowly been forming many "canonical" questions for common issues; continuing this is important so that we can quickly mark relevant questions as duplicates and reduce the clutter. There have also been some suggestions that we ask SE to alter the Ask Question interface to have some sort of warning about our scope and the required level of detail which would be helpful if we could convince them to add it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Rooting, custom ROMs and the like become off-topic
>
>
>
Definitely not. They are a genuine part of Android to many of us. While I agree that many of those questions are of poor quality – that doesn't make the *topic* poor.
I agree [with Matthew](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2157/16575) here:
>
> * Many of these questions are underspecified, and we need to prompt the user for details.
>
>
>
And this is how I deal with those usually:
1. Adding a comment pointing out what's wrong and how to fix it (edit-in missing details etc.)
2. Close the question (unclear/too broad, or whatever matches)
So if OP improves the question in a way it "becomes useful", I immediately re-open it. If not (and as long no one starts a discussion in the comments), Roomba will take care for it.
>
> * Many are common issues that we should be collating into a single comprehensive question/answer.
>
>
>
This is what we address in several places already, e.g.:
* one rooting question per device
* closing ROM requests as dupes to our central "Where can I find a ROM"
Looks sufficient for me.
>
> * Many are due to bugs that we can't help with or can't reproduce.
>
>
>
These we often close as off-topic already, and point the OP to the corresponding forums, bug-trackers, etc. We could "enforce" this a bit more, maybe, via a separate post on Meta with a strong consensus declaring them "off topic". Still, a "gray area" might be left with us (how to tell when it's a "clear bug report" or a misbehavior caused by other reasons?)
If you'd ask me for what I'd declare off-topic, I had a clear candidate though: 95% of the WhatsApp questions fall into that category ("Android independent"). But not being an expert in "asocial media", I keep my fingers off of those :)
Upvotes: 2 |
2016/05/17 | 1,002 | 4,057 | <issue_start>username_0: I have come to notice that although we have a flag-to-close reason for questions related to ROM development, the help center's [on topic page](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) does not do a good job at all of showing that. See the development and expressly off-topic sections (reproduced below):
>
> ### What if I have a question about Android development?
>
>
> Development/programming questions are not covered on this site. You can visit our sister site, Stack Overflow, instead.
>
>
> ### What about other Android-related questions?
>
>
> The following topics are expressly ***off-topic*** here:
>
>
> * Marketing your Android app or doing market research
> * Issues with the Google Play Store (or any other app marketplace) from the point of view of a developer or publisher
> * Questions asking the community to find or recommend something for you (a device, app, ROM, website, etc), including what to buy and where to buy it
> * Speculative questions, like "When will X be available in my country?" or "Why does Company X do this?"
> * Legal questions, such as "Will X void my warranty?"
> * Android-independent questions, such as "Does Carrier X have prepaid plans?"
>
>
>
Development is covered, but I suspect some more stubborn ones will object to the fact that ROM development/modification *ex-situ* can't be off-topic as "development" is misconstrued by them to mean "app development".
My proposal: Can we reword the "Development" section of the on-topic page to go something like:
*App and ROM development (including modification of existing ROMs in a manner enabling redistribution)..."*
Too much legal-proofing there. Please do suggest something more natural if possible.
Edit:
-----
I forgot to add the reasoning behind this.
It's somewhat like, someone flags to close a question based on the fact that it is about ROM development, and leaves a comment on the matter, with a direction to the help center's on-topic page, as the auto-review comments do. Now if someone goes through the link, he/she may find no explicit mention of ROM development, and protest the comment, all since the question has not been closed yet (the "closed" message and the reasons there mentioned aren't shown), so the reason for the close flag *has no official justification*.
### Alternative proposal:
I do not disagree with the text of the custom close reason, it is most definitely to the point and unambiguous. In this context, I suggest that the "Development" section of the help center page have its contents mirror the custom close reason, which goes:
>
> Questions about writing and publishing Android apps, writing custom ROMs, and other topics that are primarily of concern to developers are off topic.
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: The form of words in the site-specific close reason is certainly broad enough:
>
> Questions about writing and publishing Android apps, writing custom ROMs, and other topics that are primarily of concern to developers are off topic
>
>
>
I think this is clear and reasonably unambiguous - or at least, any areas of ambiguity are in areas where the community has differing ideas of what questions we want answered. In any case, it seems eminently sensible to me that the wording we use to tell people their question was off-topic should be the same wording that we use to tell people up-front what questions are off-topic.
If anything, we could do with an extra explanatory sentence below the bullet points, to explain that SO takes app development questions, some kinds of ROM development questions, but no publishing questions.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: eldarerathis [recently split off](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2154/1465) that section to give it more prominence, which is great. I think you have a fair point about the wording, though. I've added this line:
>
> Creating or modifying custom ROMs is also off-topic.
>
>
>
I think that should be sufficient, but let me know if not.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2016/05/18 | 1,227 | 5,077 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm bringing this up because of [this answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/145161/1465) and because I don't recall how we've handled them in the past.
IMO, it is a valid answer and might also help some adventurous users. I also don't see it encouraging any more developer questions, or overwhelming end-user answers. What do you think?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not an Android programmer and thus cannot evaluate whether it's solving the issue. But if it does, I agree: it might not address our "main target group", but that doesn't make it invalid. Specifically:
* it solves the issue
* it *is* an answer (not a comment, not "NAA")
* it's not "offensive" or spam
So I see no reason for action – as long as we don't get flooded with such approaches in a way it affects our audience negatively.
A hint to the answerer (as placed by username_3 in this case) I feel justified, though: we shouldn't *encourage* "purely programming solutions" on an end-user site, and those should be exceptions.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: That particular answer has my vote (and the only vote as of now). The reason I voted (in past I *successfully* sought moderator attention for deletion of similar posts) is because it doesn't serve what we consider an end-user here by any metric. In any general post, I do not find it objectionable if its author explains how some code is the cause of the problem, but I believe an answer should not limit us to that. The author should strive to find other means to solve the problem instead of asking us to modify the code (because modification of source code is off-topic here so *there is no reason we should be suggesting something as an answer which we do not welcome at first place as a question*). If the author fails to find other means or comes to a conclusion that only the modification of source code would solve the problem then they should bother to stress that in their answer.
I do not see any need to treat that post as an exception. If the author believes that their time and efforts have not been compensated with review from competent peers and their upvotes then I recommend they frame up an appropriate question on SO or on a forum of programming questions and then post their answer. That would be best for everyone with no harm done to anyone.
I'm sure that those *adventurous* users in our community must be active on SO or in other programming questions forum given the nature of their interest so their interests won't be hurt either if my recommendation is followed.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: There is a precedent here, a programmatic [answer to one of my questions](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/129486/131553) that guided me to flag this answer as NAA ( flag history reveals this as *disputed*)
Simply put, the point here is *usefulness of answer Vs Site Guidelines*. Making exceptions based on utility of answer invites *setting up a precedent*.
Hypothetically, if one knew a better way to code and post alternative answer highlighting that, what should one do? Or, if the OP/ another visitor who also knows coding seeks a clarification? (Agreed, I am stretching possibilities)
IMO, it would be more prudent to adhere to site guidelines and I fully support [username_2's view](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2163/131553). He has pointed out successful moderator intervention in past, for deletion of such answers
There *can and should be* a discussion on border line cases but not in cases like this where it is clear cut (= *it does not belong here*)
**Edit:** Another possible instance where *non adherence* to site guidelines wouldn't help. There are accepted ( commercially implemented ) solutions pertaining to charging, which are in the nature of shorting some pins or connecting a resistor across some pins to achieve results
*These work, are useful but do they **belong here ?** (on this site, as an answer)*
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: One factor nobody has mentioned yet: an answer that says, "you have to modify the ROM to do it" could well lead someone (the questioner, or someone else who sees the answer) who has never tried making ROMs to start doing it. Or it could lead to a ROM developer adding that feature to their ROM. Or, in this particular case, someone might see it and realise that a particular ROM already has that feature.
I think those all sound like good outcomes. ROM developers don't just spring into existence fully formed: they're just users with problems who try to learn something to solve them. I'm generally quite happy with an answer that leads people into a non-end-user solution, as long as we don't start scaring people off.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Why hasn't anyone suggested this till now?
Mod-Lock the post with the message that this post is important for historical reasons but it is not a good fit for the site (I guess that can be done for answers too?) - SO does this for questions which are popular/informative but technically off-topic.
Upvotes: 1 |
2016/06/01 | 1,853 | 7,161 | <issue_start>username_0: Factory reset protection is a hot new feature, and one that's catching a lot of people out, judging by how many questions we get about how to get around it.
These questions are all asking pretty much the same thing, but the answer depends strongly on what phone is involved (and will change for different firmware versions too). The situation is somewhat analogous to "how do I root my phone?" or "how do I install a custom ROM?" questions, and like those topics, I think there's a risk of these questions getting messy. Unlike "how do I root my device?" we should expect that the answer for the majority of phones will simply be "you just can't", so I'm not sure if the "one question per phone" approach will work here: we'd end up with a lot of unanswered questions. OTOH, it's likely that if someone discovers a way to bypass it for a phone where it was previously thought impossible, they might ask and self-answer a question about that phone, and I think we want to encourage that (rather than closing the question and making them merge the answer by hand).
<NAME>'s [answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/127745/12442) is pretty close to being a *canonical answer* for this question, but the question it's on is for one phone only, and of course the answer only deals with a small selection of phones. I'm not sure that trying to edit this question to be more generic and then making the answer *community wiki* is the right thing to do here; nor does breaking up the existing good answer into answers on separate per-phone questions.
I'm a bit lost about what we should do, and I think that now is the time to act, before we have a spaghetti dish of overlapping questions to clean up. I'd like to hear the community's opinions on what's the best option, or to hear some new and better options.<issue_comment>username_1: Following approach may be considered:
1. Make a new question (henceforth as OQ). This question would serve as an index with entry for a device and that being hyperlinked to a relevant answer on the same page.
2. The question may or may not be made a community wiki. Decision of the community shall take priority.
3. Let users post device specific answers to OQ. If a user knows detail of the concerned FRP bypass mechanism for multiple devices, they may choose to consolidate the information in one answer or in multiple answers.
They shall link their answer in an entry in OQ. If they fail to do so, one of us users shall do the job. It's akin to how we update rooting index.
4. The beginning of an answer must have a note or a heading that it concerns with XYZ device(s) and Android W.Y and/or firmware D.E...
5. *There shall be one and only one answer alone* (henceforth as OA) that explains that FRP cannot be bypassed. I noticed that username_2 already posted one such answer some time ago. It may or may not be considered as OA.
In the body of OQ, there should be one entry or a line that must be hyperlinked to OA. That entry/line would be for those devices which have not received a device specific answer to OQ.
6. A new device specific question shall be immediately marked/voted/flagged as a duplicate of OQ, whenever noticed. A user is encouraged to tag such a question with something, such as [device-specific-frp](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/device-specific-frp "show questions tagged 'device-specific-frp'"). The tag shall help moderators to move useful answers from this question to OQ, if required or when time permits.
This requires effort but one of us *must* mention in a comment that all wannabe answer posters to this question shall invest their efforts on OQ, should they intend to post their findings.
Now, until challenged with findings on OQ, the answer to the new device specific question would always be OA.
7. Useful answers to existing device specific question can be moved to OQ by a moderator or so.
A mock up of OQ:
>
> *A set of information to let the readers know what OQ is all about*.
>
>
> List of devices having compromised FRP:
>
>
> * [ABC] → [link to A.ABC on same page]
> * [DEF] → [link to A.DEF on same page]
> * [GHI] → [link to A.GHI1 on same page], [link to A.GHI2 on same page] (in case of same or different bypasses discovered for one or multiple firmware versions)
> ...
> * [XYZ] → [link to A.XYZ on same page]
>
>
> Solution for devices not mentioned above can be found [here] → [link to OA on same page].
>
>
>
A mock up for a device specific answer:
>
> ### FRP bypass for Model IKJ running Android X.Y and/or firmware A.Z.
>
>
> ....*bypass mechanism in detail...*
>
>
>
A mock up of OA: refer to Matthew's answer [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/127741/96277) to get an idea.
### Difference from *How do I root my device?*
The said approach stems from author's *disliking* for the following hypothetical answer:
>
> I've searched web a lot and came to this conclusion that FRP in your XYZ device cannot be bypassed....*blah blah*..
>
>
>
It would be impractical for us to challenge the claim(s) in such kind of answers every single time they are posted. Keeping them intact doesn't appear to be a good move given that until proven otherwise FRP is supposed to be considered impenetrable. ***Why keep the obvious answers then?***
---
The author is well aware that the said approach deviates from traditional Q&A style.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The reason I opted for a single expansive answer is because there are really only two core things involved (most of the time):
1. Get USB Debugging enabled.
2. Get the Factory Reset option enabled.
Likewise, these generally involve the similar sub-steps — trick a browser window into opening, trick Settings into opening, maybe create another user account, flag first-time-setup as being completed, etc. Any user capable of doing these things should be able to piece together something that works on their device — and if it doesn't, most possible work-arounds would apply to many devices and thus we want to have one central spot to gather them as they are discovered.
Because of this, providing a per-device answer would be duplicating a lot of information and hindering that sort of centralized list of strategies. IMO, splitting these up would be akin to removing the list of many-device rooting tools found at the end of [How do I root my Android device?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/1184/1465)
I do think it's valid to leave some specific questions open, like this one: [Lg G4 email verification bypass cant do anything](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/146070/1465). It could be improved (as per my comment there), but in general something like "I took the recommended steps X, Y, and Z but the option is still greyed out and trying A and B didn't work" seems like a great candidate for a separate question.
I of course am saying all of the above in good faith, but obviously it must be noted that I am biased because of my answers there. (Side note, it would be awesome if someone wrote another answer with the exact details of how to erase the partition directly.)
Upvotes: 3 |
2016/07/19 | 1,490 | 6,112 | <issue_start>username_0: In [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/149072/131868), there is [an answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/149083/131868) which was posted (by me, but that doesn't matter) nearly a month ago.
Today, a user posted [new answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/151384/131868) which (as far as I can see) is the exact same, just with different wording and formatting. I don't see this answer adding anything new.
What should I do when i see such a duplicate answer? (Not just in the case of this question, but in general.) Should I :
* Comment?
* Downvote?
* Flag for moderator attention?
* Do nothing?
What should people with moderator priviliges do in such cases?<issue_comment>username_1: I can't answer for every moderator, and the closest thing I found to an official policy is [this question on meta.SE](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/171494/duplicate-answer-as-late-answer-from-new-user), but I can tell you my perspective.
In the case you describe, where a user has written a new answer that isn't the exact same text as an old one but has the same information, typically I'll leave a comment telling the new user that their answer doesn't add anything new, and hinting that it would be better to spend their time on unanswered questions. If there's *any* possibility the new answer might be useful as a complement to the old one (e.g. it explains things differently, some users might find the new answer clearer, it's updated for a newer version), then I'll leave the answer in place. If it adds nothing at all, I'll usually delete the new answer: not to punish the answerer, but just to keep the site tidy, and to reinforce the message that we're not interested in duplicate content.
As a non-moderator, you can add such a comment yourself, but please make sure to keep it encouraging. The new user is probably used to a forum site where you have to repeat replies to show that you agree with them, instead of being able to upvote. They spent their time writing the duplicate answer because they wanted to help, so complaining at them can feel very negative even if it doesn't seem that way to you. Make sure to say that there's **no need** to write a new answer, rather than that it's "wrong". Tell them that answering unanswered questions is **more helpful**. Welcome them to the site and thank them for contributing.
If that all sounds like a lot of work, there's no need for you to do anything. Having the duplicate answer doesn't really harm the site, it just makes it a little harder for the best answer to "rise to the top" with upvotes. If you want to add a custom flag to the answer to let the moderators know, feel free, but the outcome will probably depend on which moderator happens to look at the flag. :-)
---
There's another case, which is when a user posts the same exact text as another answer, either by the same or a different user, on the same or a different question. **Please always flag these.** We'll typically delete the duplicate and tell the poster why, but sometimes the situation is more complex and requires more effort. Sometimes it's a mistake, and the duplicate should have been an edit; sometimes it's plagiarism; sometimes it's an honest attempt to help, but it lets us know that there were duplicate questions that should have been closed. The system does quite a good job of detecting them, but some duplicates slip through. Typically I'll always mark those flags as helpful, even if I end up taking no action.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: What is a duplicate answer?
===========================
A duplicate answer is an answer that does not add any information not alerady in an older answer.
What should I do about that?
============================
1. **Be sure to be on the duplicate answer, not the original one.**
2. Leave a comment kindly saying that the answer doesn't add anything new to the question, and thus should be appropriately edited or deleted.
3. Expect the following.
* A reply within a short time (I would recommend 18-24 hours).
* An appropriate edit or deletion (I would recommend 18-24 hours).
4. If you got a reply, expect an appropriate deletion or edit within a short period (I would recommend 2-30 minutes).
5. Flag the answer as "in need of moderator intervention". In the reason box, type the following:
1. "Duplicate of "
2. [link of original answer]
3. "."
Note that the above text is only an example, but you *need* to provide the link to the original answer, if you want quicker mod action and/or don't want mods to search for a possibly long time to find the original answer because they have to do other things too and you are uselessly delaying them with that.
You said I *need* the link of the answer, but how do I obtain it?
=================================================================
At the bottom of every answer, just above the comment section, there are at least these 3 buttons: "share", "edit" and "flag" (if this isn't there you couldn't flag in the first place.)
1. **Be sure to be on the original, non-duplicate answer.**
2. Click on the "share" button
3. Copy the link from the white text box that appears
Then, go to the duplicate answer and do step 5 (or 5.2, if you managed to keep the flag window open all that time).
What if the duplicate answer is posted *much later* than the original one?
==========================================================================
A duplicate answer is a duplicate, no matter when it is posted. It just needs to be posted at least 1 second later than the original one in order to be recognizable as a duplicate.
What are other cases of this problem?
=====================================
* Two answers are posted the same second; one is a duplicate of the other. What should I do?
+ This is another story.
* An answer is a duplicate of more than one other answers; what should I do?
+ This is another story.
* An answer is posted on a duplicate of this question, and doesn't add anything new to the original question.
+ This is **another story**.
Upvotes: 1 |
2016/08/30 | 1,682 | 6,580 | <issue_start>username_0: This is a sibling to [How should we handle obsolete answers?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/635/16575) – but with a completely different focus: while the answers there are simply not longer valid for Android versions newer than X – I'm asking about answers which became completely invalid. Examples:
* [How do I send SMS from PC through Android Phone or to Android Phone?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/1784/16575#18101) Link rot: the recommended service is no longer available (and the website is in "parking mode", i.e. only showing ads and maybe other unwanted content)
* Services and their approaches might have been completely changed. I'm not talking about "Menu › X" must now bee looked for at "Menu › Z › Y" (in that case: Edit the post and fix it! :) – but rather working completely different now, thus no longer matching the question
And other things that "invalidate" an answer in a way not easily recoverable by "edit and fix it".
It would be unfair to the answerer to…
* downvote it (at least if it was a valid answer "back then")
* delete it (unless older than X (180d?)), as the reputation gained by the answer was earned at the time the answer was valid
An option might be to "mark" it:
* prepend a "quoted emphasized" block with details (a la "this answer is no longer valid because…")
* strike-through "broken parts"
* remove "rotten links" (to prevent dangerous affects with new content popping up there)
Before acting in any way, I'd like to see your opinions – and reach a community consensus. So please point out your thoughts!<issue_comment>username_1: N.B. I'm posting this answer to explain what happened with Izzy's first example, in case any non-moderators are confused. It's not meant as an authoritative statement of policy, and I'd love to hear (agreeing or differing) reasoning from the rest of the community.
---
In the case of the first example you posted, I started editing the question in the way you suggest: removing the rotten link, and adding a note to say why. I was thinking exactly the same way you suggest: that's fairer to the answerer. On Stack Exchange, we tend to dislike deleting people's stuff unless it breaks the site or is actively harmful to the community.
But while I was making the edit, I changed my mind. As I wrote the note saying that the recommendation was no longer useful because the product doesn't exist any more, I felt silly. Why would we continue to carry a recommendation that isn't useful to anyone? All the people the answer might have helped have been helped and have moved on; it's not useful to anyone any more. And because it's no longer useful, there's the risk that future visitors might downvote the answer. Is that what the answerer would want? I don't think it is. I think that they'd come back and delete the answer themselves if it started getting downvotes because it was no longer valid.
In this case, the answer was old enough for the rep gain to survive the deletion of the answer, so the asker lost nothing. I'd hope that that's always the case if the answer has been invalidated by outside change. So in this one case, I decided to delete the answer instead.
I'd rather much see that kind of flexibility - choosing the response that's best for everyone in the particular situation - than a blanket policy. Sure, it opens the possibility of different moderators on different days doing different things - i.e. inconsistency - but I think it's worth it.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: just ask the person who asked the question for what do with the question
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: I am wondering if we need to have a re-look at the [accepted answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2206/131553) which is the de-facto policy.
**Context:**
* I flagged about 30 answers for deletion today having “Sound About" App as the answer. AFAIR, this app worked fine till Android 7.0, meaning it served the advertised purpose for users on 4.3 to 7.x.Let's have a look at the [distribution chart](https://infogram.com/android-10-distribution-1h7g6k3jy0lo2oy)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1sUp5.jpg)
The crux of the reason in accepted answer is
>
> All the people the answer might have helped have been helped and have moved on; it's not useful to anyone any more. And because it's no longer useful, there's the risk that future visitors might downvote the answer
>
>
>
* Now, if you compare with the infographic, it would show that the answer is **still relevant and useful to about 40% of users**, and visitors /users of the site are deprived of this working answer (unless they have the reputation to view deleted answers). This aspect is **not considered in the accepted answer**
* It's certainly **not my case** that one compares every such case with distribution (more so, when [Google stopped providing these inputs](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-distribution-chart-1105405/)) but to to have a re-look, and decide if this policy is in the best interests of the site.
**Alternatives?**
* Users flag, answers are not deleted and AppBrain links be added as suggested here [Should app dependent answers with dead links be replaced with AppBrain's links?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2500/131553).
* Users flag, answers are not deleted. A mod points to the above question, so that future visitors know both - the app is unavailable and where they can look for it (this can be done by users too, but it's better handled at mod level, since some apps are available in selected regions only and wrong comments need to be cleaned up)
* Something better?
**Edit:** One more reason **not** to delete is the reputation loss, which [happens unless](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/7237/how-does-reputation-work/7238#7238) (Thanks to Andrew for clarification)
>
> reputation earned for posts with a score of 3 or higher, and where the post has been visible on the site for at least 60 days, is retained
>
>
>
This means that users may stand to lose reputation, if they don't meet the above conditions for no fault of theirs! Possible reputation loss was briefly mentioned in question and comments **without perhaps taking the specifics into consideration.**
It may be best to retain answers IMO, without deletion and as suggested in question, **prepend a "quoted emphasized" block with details (a la "this answer is no longer valid because…")** with additional link to AppBrain
Upvotes: 2 |
2016/12/25 | 264 | 1,009 | <issue_start>username_0: In the following image you see a question posted as an answer. Normally, I'd just flag this question as **not an answer** and move on. However, I ran into this question in the Low Quality Posts queue and I already recommended its deletion. Should I also go and flag it as **not an answer**?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iiJ78.png)<issue_comment>username_1: I don't know if there is general SE guidance on this, but I would say yes — clear cut cases seem like a good place for flags. This site is not at the point where moderators need to heavily triage flags, as yet. That said, I also go fully through most queues regularly, so a flag is not strictly necessary.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: You can, but it's not a good use of your time. The "not an answer" flag puts a post in the Low Quality Review Queue. If the post is already under review there, the flag isn't of any use (it doesn't do any harm, either).
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/02/02 | 1,047 | 4,108 | <issue_start>username_0: It is a bit late into this new year, being that we're already in the second month, but we are now cycling the Community Promotion Ads for 2017!
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting or fun Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be 300 x 250 pixels, or double that if high DPI.
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
* If the background of the image is white or partially white, there must be a 1px border (2px if high DPI) surrounding it.
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/2241).<issue_comment>username_1: [](https://twitter.com/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://iot.stackexchange.com/)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: [See all questions with active bounties http://stack-exchange-dynamic-ads.herokuapp.com/android.stackexchange.com/bounty.png](https://android.stackexchange.com/?tab=featured)
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/03/10 | 295 | 979 | <issue_start>username_0: In the home page, you can see the user `Community` is shown. But when opening the question, there is no involvment of community at all
Question link : [Captive Portal detection causing phones to disconnect from Wi-Fi in intranet environment](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/139588/captive-portal-detection-causing-phones-to-disconnect-from-wi-fi-in-intranet-env)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/f3yF4.jpg)
Image : (the second question; click image to enlarge)<issue_comment>username_1: Take a closer look:
>
> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WPO8J.png)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: "Community" is not a real user. Several actions that are taken automatically by the system are shown as being done by the "Community" user, including this action of occasionally touching old questions to put them on the homepage.
Upvotes: 3 |
2017/03/11 | 734 | 3,095 | <issue_start>username_0: I asked a question [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/170738/force-inactivity-lock-on-application-that-circumvents-it) and the first user to answer it deleted their answer with comment:
>
> I have deleted my answer, [since] there was no feedback from you as requested.
>
>
>
I don't remember the entire answer, but it seemed to have useful points for me to research.
This looks like rage deletion to me i.e. revenge for not complying with whatever "requested feedback" he demanded in arbitrary time period he considers "acceptable". And as far as I remember rage/revenge is frowned upon because it gives quite bad impression of Stack Exchange sites to general user. What can be done about such behavior?<issue_comment>username_1: It seems that way to me as well, and I don't understand why it happened in this case.
I have undeleted the answer. In the future, you can simply flag your question an explain there (though coming to Meta was totally fine here, and thank you for doing so).
Answers are ultimately community property here and should not be deleted if they are useful answers to the question. SE can disassociate answers from user profiles in exceptional cases if need be, but it's up to the author to contact them about it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I am the one who deleted answer
Your assumption is valid given my explanation in comments - which was incomplete and should have clarified more
I tested the macro with one "screen holding" app and the results were surprising - sometimes it would work, other times it wouldn't. That's why I requested for a feedback while posting the answer and in the absence of which, assumed that it didn't work for you and hence was not a working solution and deleted
I should have explained the circumstances clearly, to avoid this misunderstanding and confusion, as I did on the case of another [self deleted answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/170761/power-management-configuring-battery-cutoff-voltage#comment218523_170761)
Sorry for this and will take care to clarify adequately in case such a situation arises
BTW - I am still interested in the feedback to figure out erratic behaviour
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I do share the same sentiments at times, sometimes it's worth **sharing the feedback** to the poster of the answer so that the author may be assured their post was helpful.
Honestly I think getting feedback from time to time is very important. Some users indeed put so much effort and time their when acquiring and researching information when posting answer to assist the asker in the best way possible, so its really encouraging to get feedback from the asker on the whether the given answer was helpful or not (its not necessarily about upvoting or anything) but just a **comment** is worth it.
Of course time won't permit every user to do that, in that case its okay, otherwise a small feedback will do much good to encourage users to post quality answers and reduce trash and this will help the community at large.
Upvotes: 1 |
2017/04/03 | 491 | 1,964 | <issue_start>username_0: I've recently purchased a [Samsung Gear S3](http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/gear-s3/) smartwatch, and already I have some questions I'd like to ask of experienced users.
However:
1. I am aware that the watch's OS is Tizen-based, not Android.
2. My current questions have nothing to do with the watch connecting to an Android device. (In fact, my current phone, until the Galaxy S8 comes out, is still Windows-based and the watch is presently in Standalone mode.)
Considering that the watch seems primarily to target Android users (though it does support iOS), I expect there is a certain audience among this site who would be interested in and knowledgeable of the device. However, since it is not actually an Android-based device itself, I am not sure that questions which are solely about the Gear S3 would really be on-topic here.
Could someone please point me in the right direction for where questions about this watch would be on-topic within Stack Exchange, if such a site exists?
Sample question (currently the only one I have in mind):
>
> "Can I change the time display format for the built-in digital watch faces on my Gear S3?"
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: We only support questions about non-Android devices inasmuch as they relate to using them with Android. So your point #2 disqualifies you from asking here.
I do not believe there is a current SE site where you could ask your question; we no longer have a generalized Gadgets site for devices/OSes that don't have the critical mass for their own site.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: As much as I prefer such questions to ones about WhatsApp usage (duh), off-topic is off-topic.
For device-specific questions I'd look at XDA-Developers before here. They do have a [Gear S3 subforum](https://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s3), where you could ask such questions without restrictions, although the chance of getting an answer is debatable.
Upvotes: 1 |
2017/06/07 | 712 | 3,046 | <issue_start>username_0: Whilst in the process of reviewing suggested edits, I mistakenly approved an edit that did not aim to improve the post.
Before I could do anything to fix, the link is gone and I fear this mistake could have bad consequence of rewarding users for harming otherwise good posts.
How can I revert this, in case I manage to track down the question?<issue_comment>username_1: Looks like someone came to the rescue. As said by @bmdixon in comments, the suggested edits require two reviewers approval.
After going over links of suggested edits, I managed to grab the link of the faulty approved edit and noticed, that at the tine it was not awarded but was waiting for another review.
So if one reviewer approves and the other rejects, a third reviwer is needed to either approve or reject accordingly depending on the post.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xgm26.png)
Lesson learned: I have to be thorough in reviewing posts and prevent suggested edits that harm post or deviate intended meaning of post from being awarded to users, to ensure that quality is preserved on the site and high levels of reviewing are also maintained.
It tends out for now no one is getting banned for approving bad suggested edits this time but it is a wake up call :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You can't undo a review approval, but there's something you can do instead. Every post has a revision history, which you can get at by clicking the "edited *time* ago" link below the post. On this page, you can rollback to an older version of the post by clicking the "rollback" link on that version. This has the effect of undoing the edit (and any subsequent edits), but the person who suggested the edit still gets the +2 rep. You should explain why in the comment for your edit, because too much rollback-ing automatically raises a flag to alert moderators.
As bmdixon points out, just because *you* approved the edit doesn't mean the mistake is binding. Two reviewers need to approve a suggested edit. If the edit was that bad, presumably nobody else will approve it, so your mistake just means the suggested edit stays in the queue longer before being rejected. Even if somebody else makes the same mistake, the author of the post can now override the review result if they disagree. So it may be that the suggested edit never gets applied in the first place, and there's nothing to correct.
---
Automated review bans aren't a thing on this site. Stack Overflow has them, because there are a lot of users who "robo review" - clicking the buttons without thinking - just to get the badges. I'm proud to say we have a much better community here, so there's no need for such a system. Review bans are still possible for us, because the software supports them, but I don't think we've ever used them: there's simply no need. Even if we did use them, one mistaken review that you immediately try to fix wouldn't be a reason to ban you.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2017/06/19 | 852 | 2,822 | <issue_start>username_0: Basically all text on Android.SE and its child meta are showing up as gray when I use Google Chrome, but it appears fine on Firefox.
Chrome:
An answer:
Main page:
Meta:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9GG5c.png)
Firefox:
Main:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QAUSs.png)
Meta:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AFHa9.png)
I'm using Ubuntu.
---
This is also a problem on Opera:
<issue_comment>username_1: Not a real answer to this, but I've experienced this font issue in at least 3 of my Windows 10 laptops/PCs.
Things common to all those PCs, if I remember correctly, were:
1. Windows 10, drivers, Chrome, and all software up to date.
2. Copy of Roboto font family (downloaded directly from Google) installed locally.
3. Font issue was noticeable not just on Android SE, but even on Google's sites using Roboto.
Issue was gone once I uninstalled the font family from my system. I suppose it was a Chrome-specific issue where the local Roboto family competed with the Google fonts' online version of it.
This could be relevant to Ubuntu as well.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I use Arch Linux, and have instaled ttf-google-fonts-git. Roboto has always been a part of the package. But the site still looks awful on my computer. When I was typing this as a comment, I couldn't see what I'm typing well enough. Though I can see this just fine when typing in the Answer section.
If you must use Roboto, please use Roboto-Medium or Roboto-Regular instead of thin or light variants. The site is currently unusable for me. And please set up fallbacks for people who don't have Roboto.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I use the [Web Override](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-override/lllllobkincmdnjfkbknjacacmnlajll?hl=en-US) extension for Chrome to fix this.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uvq9g.png)
Then just add the following to the CSS tab:
```
body,textarea,input {
font-family: Arial !important;
}
```
p.s. I *cannot believe* this has not been fixed...
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Glad to confirm that this issue has been fixed today (2018-01-06) as seen from my 2 Windows devices. I have the Roboto font family installed locally and the issue had plagued Chrome until last night - logged in today and it looks normal again.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GUivI.png)
Upvotes: 0 |
2017/07/15 | 379 | 1,445 | <issue_start>username_0: Are questions related to specific custom rom or specific availability to a specific device allowed?
Example: [This question](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/179480/225285)
Are questions related to install guides for specific device allowed?<issue_comment>username_1: As you can see following your link, the answer is **No:**
>
> "Questions asking us to **find or recommend an app, device, ROM, accessory or off-site resource** are off-topic for Android Enthusiasts as they tend to attract opinionated answers and spam and become obsolete quickly. [Instead, describe your situation and the specific problem you're trying to solve.](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping)
>
>
>
In this specific case it's even double-off-topic, as it asks for a non-Android ROM (so it's not even Android related).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No. If we took that kind of question, we would end up having to create an index of every device and custom ROM there is. Not only that, we'd have to update it with new versions and to replace dead links. There's no way we can maintain that big a collection of links.
For this reason, such questions are always closed as a duplicate of [Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/17152/12442), which has a list of places where you can find ROMs for various devices.
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/07/27 | 702 | 2,812 | <issue_start>username_0: There's a question on the site concerning [tethering detection](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/47819/) (on the part of mobile carriers). The accepted answer ranks highly for searches on this topic and is often cited on sites like reddit.
The section on detection via MAC address is blatantly wrong and suggests a misunderstanding of network fundamentals. Yes, at the physical layer there is a concept of a MAC address - but the phone will be doing NAT when tethering! Numerous comments have identified this issue. Ideally this entire paragraph needs removing or at least considerably revising.
Unfortunately the question is locked, and as I discovered in the chat, no edits can be made. I'm not debating the reasoning behind the question being locked - but it seems silly that it's still *discoverable* but cannot be corrected.
Is there any way the answer can be corrected?<issue_comment>username_1: This appears in the main meta in relation to *historical locked* posts [What to do when I want to improve a locked post?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/267781/308746) where the accepted answer says (in part)
>
> So that is it. A locked post is locked, and will probably always remain what way (note that actively maintained posts shouldn't be locked, so this one wasn't maintained at least for some time). **These posts will not be maintained any more, no matter how good your edit might have been**
>
>
>
(Emphasis Supplied)
So it looks like there is nothing that can be done, unless there is a policy decision to reverse this
Coming to the *discoverable but not editable (and votable)* portion, it is by design - from [What is a historical lock, and what is it used for?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/126587/308746)
>
> Historically-locked questions are omitted from normal question lists (those on the home page, /questions, and the various per-tag lists), but can still be found by searching for words in the post or title (via either site-search or Google, etc). The visual appearance of the entire post is altered by removal of the voting arrows from the question and all answers.
>
>
>
Being discoverable has the unfortunate consequence of being misinterpreted / misquoted , and I am not sure *how* that can be addressed, *if* it needs to be ( given that incorrect information is plentiful on the Internet )
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> The section on detection via MAC address is blatantly wrong [...] Ideally this entire paragraph needs removing or at least considerably revising.
>
>
>
This is incorrect -- changing the fundamental meaning or intention of someone else's post is never allowed on Stack Exchange. If the post wasn't locked you could comment, downvote, or provide another answer.
Upvotes: 1 |
2017/08/08 | 756 | 3,009 | <issue_start>username_0: [This question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/180747/how-to-do-jupyter) has a bunch of development-related keywords like "build" "development" and "package".
However it is not really a question about "developing **for** Android", it's about "developing **on** Android". Using Android as a development platfrom is, in the concept of Android, **using**, not developing.
It's asking about missing shared library symbols, and after searching on Google, I found the answer is "Build ZeroMQ from scratch by yourself". This answer is, however, off-topic on Android. But it does not affect the question.
In short, the question is similar to
>
> I wrote a program on Android using Termux, and the dynamic linker said it's missing a symbol "pw->pw\_gecos".
>
>
>
So what? I can well remember <NAME> ♦ said (from my memory, exact wording may vary)
>
> If your question is about using Android as a development platform, it's OK. But if you ask something like "I wrote this code on my Android phone, what's wrong with it", it's clearly off-topic
>
>
>
I can't find the quotation above but I'm fairly sure it's said by <NAME> somewhere on this site (A.M.SE).<issue_comment>username_1: Development related questions are always flagged as "Off topic" in AE.
Either you are developing "for" Android or "on" Android, it's a question referring some "Development".
>
> Just took an example:
>
>
> You can install compilers in Android devices. Lets assume you need to compile a program written in any language (commonly it's a development process).
> You can build using your Android device, but what if it didn't compile properly? You can not ask those compilation issues in any of the Android platform forums, because its not related to "Operating system" which you use to build your program. Its purely coding related issue. Better to be posted in coding forums.
>
>
>
Similarly here "**It doesn't matter you build it 'for' or 'on' Android**", OP tries to compile an app, so needs to be flagged as Off topic.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I don't actually participate on the main site much, so I held my tongue the first the first few times I saw this question, but... disallowing developing-on-Android questions simply because of the word "development" feels like an incredibly prescriptivist view of the rules to me.
Setting aside the the specific main site post that led to this question, and looking at the general case: this site is for people who are using Android devices, rather than developing for Android devices. Whether writing a program on an Android device, playing a game on an Android device or watching a movie on an Android device, the person involved is acting as a user of the device, not a developer **of that device**. For all we know, the development taking place may not be for that device at all, or even be mobile-related; after a few minutes of searching, I found Android-based IDEs for C++, JavaScript and C#.
Upvotes: 1 |
2017/08/10 | 3,127 | 12,057 | <issue_start>username_0: Following [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/181028/), someone wants to "trial for ever" by tricking an app with false date/time. Of course that's unethical (but *not illegal*, we have closed a few "obviously illegal" questions).
By "ethical", we mean *A reasonable person would find it inappropriate for concepts of right and wrong conduct*. [Wikipedia's article about "Ethics"](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics).
Several people are having a disagreement whether unethical questions should be closed. Let's discuss it.
Related on Meta Stack Overflow: [How do we handle questions that are potentially or blatantly illegal or malicious?](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/267699/5958455)<issue_comment>username_1: ### Leave open.
As long as it does not violate any existing law (tricking with date/time , AFAIK, does not violate any) in applicable countries, we should be welcome to discuss. As per [my answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/181029/205764), such tools does exist.
That trick does not involve any cracking or reverse engineering. It makes no difference (to that specific app) from changing the global time of my device. Then why global but not to only one app? What if the OP did not mention "trial period" at all? What if the OP wants to test an alarm app or *Trigger*'s timed event?
It's wrong to judge that "*because your intention is unethical, your goal/objective is also wrong*" (and closing the question). As said above, the answer may be useful to someone looking for a way to test an alarm app.
I agree that such questions should be closed:
>
> How can I bypass the trial period?
>
>
> How can I get the full version for free?
>
>
>
... but not these:
>
> I know setting a fake time can bypass the trial. How can I set it?
>
>
> Placing this key file grants me the full version. How can I move this file to the desired place? I already have it in my SD card.
>
>
>
---
Let me repeat: **It's not hacking.** It's unlike Freedom or Lucky Patcher. I agree that F/LP should be OT here for illegitimacy (referencing [Stack Overflow's opinion](https://stackoverflow.com/search?q=freedom+%5Bandroid%5D+%5Bin-app-*%5D)).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: What's the **intent** of OP?
>
> ...Changing the date and time in the phone can "evade" the version and trial and continue to use it
>
>
>
Further, they want to know
>
> .... if it was possible to change the date of a single app even by changing the source code of 'App
>
>
>
To my mind, there is no ambiguity around that
* Is it legal ? - we are not equipped to discuss
* Is it ethical ? To me clearly, NO
* Could OP have other *valid* reasons for asking , which might have triggered this question ? - possible, but if not stated, let's not assume either ways but go by what's presented ( also note that there was no response to my first comment, stating that it is unethical )
Should we permit such questions (not withstanding the fact that a diligent search on Internet would reveal ways and means ) ??
Emphatic **NO**
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: ### Unethical for whom?
(Scroll to the end to find my stance.)
That would be my first question. For a die-hard follower of [libre software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) ideology, personal use of a proprietary software could be unethical for them. But they may also extend their definition of ethics on others, arguing that if a user willingly chooses to use a proprietary software than they lack ethics.1
We collectively prohibit questions on blatant piracy not only because piracy of a software stands illegal in many jurisdictions but because there is enough agreement elsewhere that it amounts to *theft* which jurisdictions and many individuals (barring pirates of course) finds unacceptable. Furthermore, piracy doesn't lead to innovation/betterment in/of the product, neither does it, primarily, gives any insight, technical or otherwise, in the software. It further would cause legal ramifications for our site, so we steer clear from it.
The date-time issue in the linked question is a flaw in the app (no matter if it is prevalent in various apps) and the OP intends to use that for personal gains. Leaving aside any violation of intellectual property (IP) of the developer, I think OP's actions amount to *theft* if the software is a paid one. For me, that is an unethical practice and I would not support it if the motives are clear or the app or its features has to be bought.
But, what if the app was free for use forever? What if OP decided to see the behavior of the app when the date-time or something else is tweaked? What if the app couldn't handle this and force-stops or produces garbage output on screen? There involves plain and simple curiosity at their side. But, though no theft of potential money is involved, there may be a violation of somebody's IP.
Consider SHAREit as an example. Assume that you don't like the shipped user profile icons set and wants to add more into it. Say SHAREit does not offer one, neither would it in the near future. Now, you decided to take things in your hands. You found that you need not to disassemble its APK to add more images since the data directory of the app has them at a dedicated location. You just added more of your icons there, restarted the app, and voila! objective completed.2
But, SHAREit's *Terms of Service* (TOS) notes:
>
> You will not, nor username_5w third parties on Your behalf (i) to resell or charge others for use of the Application (ii) to **duplicate, disassemble, decompile, transfer, exchange or translate the Application**, create derivative works of the Application of any kind whatsoever or **attempt to** reverse engineer, **alter or modify any part of the Application**
>
>
>
(Emphasis mine)
They say that TOS is binding legal agreement subjected to jurisdiction of courts in Beijing. Now, if you're outside the Chinese jurisdiction, you may not consider the modifications illegal because you as a sovereign would be subjected to only those laws your State has ratified or promulgated. However, what about ethics?
* Are you not violating a contract that you have with somebody?
* Did you take their consent to modify the app for your purposes, even if non-commerical they may be?
There is definitely a clear violation of IP which hurts their interests over yours.
**So I leave this to you to ponder about**: just because there is not a paid product involved, do you find the modification ethical at the cost of IP? Did you consider that IP finds its place and protection in [Universal Declaration of Human Rights](http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/udhr/article_27.html).
---
Now, as a member of the community, where do I stand than?
* If I'm convinced that product or its features has to be paid for, I would downvote and close vote because I don't want the developers to suffer monetarily at the cost of my curiosity or of asker's. If there is an answer, I would flag it for moderator intervention. Their judgement would stand final of course.
* If the product is free for use, then I consider case-by-case approach. My very limited experience tells me that developers (Corp./Org./Companies,etc.) *often* do not legally chase away just anyone any time. When there is considerable damage to them, say brand image being tarnished, or product used for anti-social/anti-national/illicit activities, or monetary damage of some kind, or some alike cases, only then they come into action.
It is when any of this has been established I consider it unethical for myself to support app's modifications publically through knowledge dissemination. However, I don't find it unethical to modify the app if the knowledge to do so remains with me or when I'm unaware of the aforesaid developments taking place.
The reason I use case-by-case approach is because I cannot trade my curiosity for somebody's IP every time. Curiosity is my driving force to hang around on this site and post working answers and gain satisfaction and ultimately, end up helping people along the way.
1: I'm neither supporting free software ideology nor opposing the use of proprietary software.
2: This is purely hypothetical. No violation of TOS took place for this answer.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I should point out a situation here.
If an app has some kind of hidden spyware, bloatware, or malicious virus of some kind, cracking the particular app to figure out how to stop it and cure phones of it (especially if its hijacked the phone in some way) may be one of the most ethical things you -could- do in relation to you interacting with apps. That said, I would say attempts to force a certain ethical judgement may actually be unethical from that viewpoint.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: The point on the question from the headline is about changing the date/time in one app, not about piracy.
The whole text *is* about piracy, and that is what makes the question a bad example for the real question here. In principle, you will often encounter questions with a technical and neutral question, which has one paragraph of motivation which is not ethical. Like when this question would be framed as
---
Introduction:
>
> I have a trial version of an app and like to continue using it after the trial period.
>
>
>
Question (about date/time settings):
>
> To do so, I would like to change date and time on the phone, but only for this app. Is there a way to do it without changing the source of the app?
>
>
>
While other cases are more clear:
>
> how can I continue using a trial version after the trial period? Any hint welcome, I just do not want to change the time for every app on the phone to do so.
>
>
>
Actual question: How do I evade the trial period?
---
In the end, you should not forget, that a question about how to evade the trial period in this way even comes handy for the app author, which learns how users avoid his restriction in the app. The knowledge is there anyway and if it is not answered here, it will be answered elsewhere. But here it is visible for everybody, including the victim of the piracy.
So it is kind of full disclosure (in computer security terms) to have an answer here, which can be used by the next author of a trial app to avoid making it too easy to keep using the app after the trial period.
And then there is @liljoshu's point: Where do the ethics begin and where do they stop?
Avoiding trial periods costs the author money, so it is not ethical. What about ad blocking? And finally, some app authors are making money by selling your data. Do you want to prevent people from asking how they can protect their data against apps, which sell your data?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: I agree with the sentiment here, that if someone obviously is being unethical, then the question should be closed. BUT, then the other side of me says, this is all computer science, right? The information that you share to help me hack an app illegally may help someone else tremendously in another way. It's like if I'm a gunshop. A person comes in and wants his gun fixed. I don't give him a form and grill him to make sure he won't shoot anybody in order for me to fix it. I fix it, and if I have suspicion that he's acting illegally I will notify the police. He may be an honest hunter. But if I refuse to fix the gun, or tell him what he needs to fix it, he will go away disappointed and without a solution.
So, I'm not sure that we should be really suspicious of possibly unethical questions. Provide the information, and it's up to the person to be ethical with it.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: From illegal and unethical question and response, we learn about the situation and best way to prevent or patch it. The unethical or illegal thing is to use it.
That is the difference between [Hackers](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.en.html#Hacker) and Crackers/HiJackers/Anonymous/...
Upvotes: 0 |
2017/08/29 | 909 | 3,596 | <issue_start>username_0: Over the past few days, a particular user have been submitting a lot of suggested edits (both on the main site and Meta) that changes all SE links in the post from `http` to `https` - example [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/181527).
While I agree that such edits are generally beneficial security-wise, I recall that when the shift to `https` happened, the site automatically did most of the modifications, and thus I think such type of changes should be left for the site management system, rather than being a chance to accumulate edit count and rake in renown.
What's your opinion on this?
P.S. I personally still approved all such edits to this date.<issue_comment>username_1: Edits to *posts* are completely unnecessary. As you suspect, the site updated those links automatically when the switchover occurred.
The edits you've been seeing lately are to tag wikis. [The request was already made on the global meta](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/300235/222389) to automatically update these to HTTPS, so this will probably happen at some point.
As people have already been warned on that question not to waste reviewers' time by suggesting edits on tag wikis (when they don't have enough rep to do it unilaterally), it's perfectly OK for you to reject those suggested edits to discourage that behaviour.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I was the user doing the job. As I heard from this meta post, I stopped the activity on the spot.
As a precaution, I stopped it also on other sites, where it didn't cause any negative feedbacks, and the edit suggestions were quickly accepted.
A more recent [comment](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/300235/convert-http-links-to-https-in-tag-wikis#comment976002_300235) in the related MSE post, from an SE insider, indicates that an automatized solution from the SE to the problem likely won't happen in the foreseeable future. It has a technical reason: the fixup, what they used, use their internal elastic search engine, which doesn't index the tag wikis. Thus, the suspection that it could be done easily by improving their http -> https conversion script, is unfortunately false.
I collected the tags containing internal http links with [this](https://data.stackexchange.com/android/query/716656/tag-wikis-with-internal-http-links), since then a little bit improved SEDE query.
On the Android SE, there are around 110 tag wikis back. On most other sites, particularly on smaller betas, I could finish the task in a single rush.
A user, without tag wiki edit privilege, can have at most 5 edit suggestions coincidently (20 on betas). Over it, the "edit" link doesn't appear in the tag wiki pages any more. The "Submit" clicks on the already edited tag wikis fail with an error message. In my opinion, this flow control should be enough to defend the review queue from an overload, but I accept the community consent.
Anybody having the tag wiki edit privilege could finish the job without loading the review queue. You can get the list of the tag wikis to fix by the refered SEDE query. This is not really the funniest task working with computers, but the data to process is really not too big. And once it has to be done.
I am sorry for the trouble - hopefully I will be more productive for you in the near future, with real, positively scored, main site posts. :-)
P.s. the small count of the problematic tags avoids to get any significant rep/badges with the edits. Beside that, I edited not only the main, but also on the meta sites.
Upvotes: 3 |
2017/09/25 | 480 | 1,916 | <issue_start>username_0: Back before June 2017 and earlier, I rarely saw the FP queue exceeding 10. But since August, I've been rarely seeing it falling under 15, sometimes growing to 60. The same is for the LQP when it has grown from 5 to 15.
<issue_comment>username_1: Thanks for raising this issue. To simply answer this, I would like to attribute this to **time availability**. There is a fair number of users with reviewing privileges for first posts ([500+ rep users ≈ 430](https://stackexchange.com/leagues/54/week/android)) and much less for other review queues.
Some of these users of late have not been active on the site, to perform various duties as reviewing (myself included) due to **time constraints**, however occasionally find time to carry out the duties wherever possible.
In conclusion there is a growing number of new users (which is good) but it's not necessary that reviewers are declining in number, only time constraints. I think other users can give more reasons why review queues are retaining lots of posts than before.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I had been an active reviewer of all queues including the First Posts, and I currently top the First Posts review stats at 5436 posts reviewed. In the past I always clear the queue (or use up the daily 20 limit), but starting last month I personally no longer visit the First Posts queue. 3 reasons:
* It's too time-consuming, since there's almost always a full queue everyday.
* The queue is heavily mixed in type and quality, whereas the posts in Close Votes and LQ Posts are almost always in need of action, and both those queues have a unified pattern of action, making it easier to go through.
* Since flagging a post as non-answer or low quality would push it to the LQ queue at a later time, often I end up processing the same post twice.
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/10/24 | 725 | 2,882 | <issue_start>username_0: Over the last hours [one particular user](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/241528/thunder-bolt) has posted a series of answers under app-related questions. While the answer themselves are not always completely unrelated to the question itself (I'm being conservative here), all of them has one or more links, either claimed to point to "premium" app downloads or video guides, but all wrapped in a revenue-generating (advertisement) URL shortener.
(Not to mention the download links are hosted under Google Drive, which does not guarantee the safety of the source; by "premium" and "cracked" this also implies piracy; those are separate issues)
For now I've flagged all answers from him that doesn't address the question itself properly as VLQ. I'm thinking of flagging all as spam as well, but at the same time it doesn't seem to fit well. I will also edit all these answers to remove the layer of URL shortener to directly expose the link if it's proper (regardless of whether it's on point - leaving it for other reviewers who are seeing my flags), or remove the link altogether if it's related to app piracy.
With Stack Exchange's editor, I don't believe a URL shortener is necessary in the first place, let alone one that could make money off the visitors to the site.
What's your stance on this?<issue_comment>username_1: Many common link-shorteners are already [blocked by the site](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/289658/150283) because of the problems that they pose. As a general rule, editing the post to replace the shortened links with regular ones is the right way to go, and the same applies with ad-based shorteners.
If you feel a specific user is especially overbearing with the links then leaving a comment may not be a bad idea. Flagging one of their posts for the mod team to look at is also a reasonable option, particularly if you find the links to be of questionable usefulness and more for the purpose of driving traffic through the link service.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The founder of Stack Exchange thinks [affiliate links should be treated as spam](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/2727/21960). Unfortunately, Stack Exchange has not clarified their policy further.
To me, they should be immediately removed and the user warned. Things could very easily escalate to edit wars (I want to use my affiliate code, not theirs) and [spammy behavior](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/220158/21960) (I'm going to add my affiliate code to this answer that I had nothing to do with...it won't change the text...nobody will care).
It's a bit of dirty pool, that.
By the way, any links to Amazon.com are re-written to include Stack Exchange's affiliate code.
That said, of course, I think it's not unreasonable to have a couple of affiliate links **in your profile**, but only there.
Upvotes: 0 |
2017/12/09 | 1,217 | 4,559 | <issue_start>username_0: I just joined Stack Exchange in order to answer a question. I discovered I was not allowed to because I have no reputation. Fair enough; I can understand the caution. However it creates a Catch-22.
That Catch-22 is best illustrated by the automated welcoming email I received from Stack Exchange a bit later:
>
> The Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange community only works because users like you generously share their knowledge to solve each other's problems.
>
>
> Want to help?
>
>
> Find a question you can answer.
>
>
> Other users will vote up your answer if they find it helpful.
>
>
> For every upvote, you earn reputation, which unlocks additional privileges on the site.
>
>
>
Unfortunately you need reputation BEFORE you are allowed to answer a question. But the only way to earn reputation appears to be to answer a question.???
What am I missing?
And I've just discovered I can only post once every 40 minutes. Okay, I shall wait long enough to post this but won't likely be back. If I'm going to contribute it's typically in a single session that in total may be far less than 40 minutes. I have no interest in setting a timer and returning once every 40 minutes to answer another question.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Unfortunately you need reputation BEFORE you are allowed to answer a question.
>
>
>
Usually it doesn't work like that. But a small number of questions attract a lot of non-answers by new users. Especially with questions that rank high on Google, people will create an account just to post "yeah, this problem is awful! we need an answer!" or "thanks to the other answerers!" - posts which people are used to from forum sites, but don't fit on our Q&A site at all. Those questions get specially *protected*. Brand new users can't answer them any more, to avoid inundating the site with non-answers.
Although it's a shame this happens, it's a tiny fraction of questions, and it only affects brand new users. You only need *one* upvote on an answer, or two on a question, or *one* answer being accepted, before you can answer a protected question, so *any* useful contribution at all will get you past this block. It's just to reduce the extra work caused by the 95% of people who come here only to create noise, so the rest of us can get on with helping each other.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In most cases, there's no requirement before you can ask or answer. Some questions are **protected** because they attract a lot of new users to add useless answers like *Thank you* or *Me too*, so they got a special handling, that they're made to require 10 reputation for the user before answering. 10 is a considerably low threshold, because **1** upvote on an answer gains you that much.
According to statictics, new users tend to generate content of a lower quality, so Stack Exchange decided to add more restrictions, especially rate-limiting to new users. It's also good that you get to learn something before asking. There's already a bunch of rare questions solved and good answers posted, which can solve your problem in most cases without you having to ask again.
---
Reference from Meta Stack Exchange FAQ:
### 1. [What is a "protected" question?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/52764/350567)
>
> **What does it mean for a question to be protected?**
>
> [Protected](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/06/new-protected-question-status/) questions have the additional restriction that [new users](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/privileges/new-user) are not permitted to answer the question. Unlike [locked](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/22228/what-is-a-locked-post) questions, they can still be edited, commented on, and voted on. You can even vote to close them.
>
>
> **Why are some questions protected?**
>
> Questions are usually protected because they have attracted either spam answers or "noisy" answers such as "thank you", "this worked for me", or "I'm also having this problem" from new users who may mistake the site as a traditional forum.
>
>
>
### 2. [The Complete Rate-Limiting Guide](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/164899/350567)
>
> **Asking**
>
> - Users with < 125 rep, [40 minutes since their last question anywhere on the network](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/322265/5958455) (This applies to the user's IP address, not their account. If the user shares that IP with other users, they can be limited by the other user asking a question anywhere on the network.)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/12/13 | 1,087 | 4,030 | <issue_start>username_0: Sometimes when I'm editing posts which need preformatting (mainly code pre formats), If I click on the {} icon on editing tools tab:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6z9uv.jpg)
I can't achieve the effect I want, instead the text appears to be just indented and not preformatted as a block. I have noticed this frequently
with lengthy paragraphs which need to be formatted as code. Inline preformatting works fine with `` .
How can I create a preformatted block of text during editing? For example I was trying to edit this post: [Tasker to programmatically uninstall apps](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/187834/209414).<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Unfortunately you need reputation BEFORE you are allowed to answer a question.
>
>
>
Usually it doesn't work like that. But a small number of questions attract a lot of non-answers by new users. Especially with questions that rank high on Google, people will create an account just to post "yeah, this problem is awful! we need an answer!" or "thanks to the other answerers!" - posts which people are used to from forum sites, but don't fit on our Q&A site at all. Those questions get specially *protected*. Brand new users can't answer them any more, to avoid inundating the site with non-answers.
Although it's a shame this happens, it's a tiny fraction of questions, and it only affects brand new users. You only need *one* upvote on an answer, or two on a question, or *one* answer being accepted, before you can answer a protected question, so *any* useful contribution at all will get you past this block. It's just to reduce the extra work caused by the 95% of people who come here only to create noise, so the rest of us can get on with helping each other.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In most cases, there's no requirement before you can ask or answer. Some questions are **protected** because they attract a lot of new users to add useless answers like *Thank you* or *Me too*, so they got a special handling, that they're made to require 10 reputation for the user before answering. 10 is a considerably low threshold, because **1** upvote on an answer gains you that much.
According to statictics, new users tend to generate content of a lower quality, so Stack Exchange decided to add more restrictions, especially rate-limiting to new users. It's also good that you get to learn something before asking. There's already a bunch of rare questions solved and good answers posted, which can solve your problem in most cases without you having to ask again.
---
Reference from Meta Stack Exchange FAQ:
### 1. [What is a "protected" question?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/52764/350567)
>
> **What does it mean for a question to be protected?**
>
> [Protected](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/06/new-protected-question-status/) questions have the additional restriction that [new users](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/privileges/new-user) are not permitted to answer the question. Unlike [locked](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/22228/what-is-a-locked-post) questions, they can still be edited, commented on, and voted on. You can even vote to close them.
>
>
> **Why are some questions protected?**
>
> Questions are usually protected because they have attracted either spam answers or "noisy" answers such as "thank you", "this worked for me", or "I'm also having this problem" from new users who may mistake the site as a traditional forum.
>
>
>
### 2. [The Complete Rate-Limiting Guide](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/164899/350567)
>
> **Asking**
>
> - Users with < 125 rep, [40 minutes since their last question anywhere on the network](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/322265/5958455) (This applies to the user's IP address, not their account. If the user shares that IP with other users, they can be limited by the other user asking a question anywhere on the network.)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2017/12/27 | 1,119 | 4,089 | <issue_start>username_0: The Nokia smartphones have come to the market, and a lot of people are using them.
In Android Enthusiasts SE, we are finding questions on Nokia smartphones. [This search](https://android.stackexchange.com/search?q=Nokia) reveals the questions that are on Nokia smartphones.
So, it is quite evident that a tag for Nokia is needed. I believe that rather than making tags for each version of Nokia smartphones, firstly we should make a tag on Nokia itself: [nokia](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/nokia "show questions tagged 'nokia'"), like there is one on Samsung: [samsung](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/samsung "show questions tagged 'samsung'"). Later, we can go forth and make tags on the popular versions.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Unfortunately you need reputation BEFORE you are allowed to answer a question.
>
>
>
Usually it doesn't work like that. But a small number of questions attract a lot of non-answers by new users. Especially with questions that rank high on Google, people will create an account just to post "yeah, this problem is awful! we need an answer!" or "thanks to the other answerers!" - posts which people are used to from forum sites, but don't fit on our Q&A site at all. Those questions get specially *protected*. Brand new users can't answer them any more, to avoid inundating the site with non-answers.
Although it's a shame this happens, it's a tiny fraction of questions, and it only affects brand new users. You only need *one* upvote on an answer, or two on a question, or *one* answer being accepted, before you can answer a protected question, so *any* useful contribution at all will get you past this block. It's just to reduce the extra work caused by the 95% of people who come here only to create noise, so the rest of us can get on with helping each other.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In most cases, there's no requirement before you can ask or answer. Some questions are **protected** because they attract a lot of new users to add useless answers like *Thank you* or *Me too*, so they got a special handling, that they're made to require 10 reputation for the user before answering. 10 is a considerably low threshold, because **1** upvote on an answer gains you that much.
According to statictics, new users tend to generate content of a lower quality, so Stack Exchange decided to add more restrictions, especially rate-limiting to new users. It's also good that you get to learn something before asking. There's already a bunch of rare questions solved and good answers posted, which can solve your problem in most cases without you having to ask again.
---
Reference from Meta Stack Exchange FAQ:
### 1. [What is a "protected" question?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/52764/350567)
>
> **What does it mean for a question to be protected?**
>
> [Protected](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/06/new-protected-question-status/) questions have the additional restriction that [new users](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/privileges/new-user) are not permitted to answer the question. Unlike [locked](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/22228/what-is-a-locked-post) questions, they can still be edited, commented on, and voted on. You can even vote to close them.
>
>
> **Why are some questions protected?**
>
> Questions are usually protected because they have attracted either spam answers or "noisy" answers such as "thank you", "this worked for me", or "I'm also having this problem" from new users who may mistake the site as a traditional forum.
>
>
>
### 2. [The Complete Rate-Limiting Guide](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/164899/350567)
>
> **Asking**
>
> - Users with < 125 rep, [40 minutes since their last question anywhere on the network](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/322265/5958455) (This applies to the user's IP address, not their account. If the user shares that IP with other users, they can be limited by the other user asking a question anywhere on the network.)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/01/25 | 1,566 | 6,422 | <issue_start>username_0: [My android device has been splashed/soaked by sea water](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/24436/my-android-device-has-been-splashed-soaked-by-sea-water)
Has an accepted answer that says:
>
> next, **submerge the phone (without the battery) completely in water.**
> **Leave it there for 24 hours.**
>
>
>
**It doesn't take a genius to realize that putting a water damaged phone in water will just make it worse.**
I suggested an edit that removed the parts of the answer that actually damage hardware. I cited a credible source that explains the proper way to clean water damaged electronics. I've worked in the small electronics repair industry and I personally know the correct way to clean electronics and also how to destroy them.
It is our duty to protect our visitors and users from destroying their devices.
---
I did the "recommended" action of providing the correct answer. Nobody will ever see this answer as it's buried beneath 3 destructive answers that destroy electronics.
The destructive answers receive more upvotes and the correct answer receives no attention.
**It makes sense at this point to just edit the accepted answer and remove the parts that are dangerous and destructive. The answer owner doesn't lose any rep, everyones happy.**
---
### TLDR: This accepted answer is equal to delete System32 to speed up your computer.
### This wouldn't fly on any other part of stack exchange why is it okay here?
Why isn't my edit accepted?
===========================
---
[**This is a citation for why rice is a myth and the proper way to clean water damage. Rice doesn't fix water damage or help at all in anyway. It's pseudoscience**](https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Don%27t_Put_Your_Device_in_Rice._Here%27s_Why...)<issue_comment>username_1: If you have a better answer, post it. Explain what should and should not be done, and why. Downvote any wrong answers you see. Comment on their flaws when applicable.
But don't try to change someone else's answer to say what they did not intend to say. Respect the original author even while disagreeing with them.
Contrary to your claim, there are many dangerously wrong answers on other sites, such as Stack Overflow. Following someone's wrong advice regarding information security can be much worse than destroying a phone. Those answers still exist. When there's is a dangerous misconception around, it's better for it to be voiced and refuted than never be voiced.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: First to read: [What is the etiquette for modifying posts?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/11474/350567) and [Why can people edit my posts? How does editing work?](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/editing)
The first link is an FAQ from Meta Stack Exchange (aka the main meta), and the second link is an article in the Help Center. It is clearly stated that
>
> Edits are expected to be substantial and to leave the post better than you found it. Common reasons for edits include:
>
>
> * To clarify the meaning of the post (without changing that meaning)
>
>
>
---
Things about the answer itself
------------------------------
**TLDR** The answer is right.
Fairly sure I know what will go on... (I will expand this later) It *does* need a genius to realize that the answer is **CORRECT**.
The current revision of the answer has an **emphasis on deionized** water, which is the key that makes the answer correct. You'll actually destroy the device if you put it in some random solution, or water collected directly from your tube.
Deionized (or distilled) water contains the minimum amount ion possible in chemistry. Random ion in normal water like Calcium and Magnesium and Carbonate is going to react with the material on the PCB and the chips, which is the core cause of water damage. On the contrary deionized water is NOT going to do the same. It does not contain random ion at an amount sufficient to cause chemical reaction. Submerging an affected device in such water will lower the concentration of ion in the sea water (or whatever solution) that's already inside. This will clean off and slow down chemical reaction caused by that sea water, before the device is getting dried.
Then the answer requires you to put the device in dried rice, which is nothing wrong.
I left out the part that random ion increasing the conductivity of water because that's a really minor factor compared to the damage mentioned above.
Blah blah, whatever...aldjgskaksdhsgagkdlalajd
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: OP changed his answer a bit based on the citations I provided.
==============================================================
[I still strongly disagree with any mention of rice as it is pure pseudoscience](https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Don%27t_Put_Your_Device_in_Rice._Here%27s_Why...), **but the answer itself is no longer harmful to devices.**
Therefore, my problems with this answer are gone. I've given it an upvote.
---
**I'd like to mention that this is only possible because OP still uses stackexchange.** I think some system should be in place for **maintaining harmful accepted answers from abandoned accounts.** I respect and admire the rules of this site a lot actually. That's what makes this place amazing, but there should still be some exceptions to the rules for certain dangerous scenarios.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: I disagree with the answers regarding both types of water. Both ionized or de-ionized water will essentially destroy your devices very quickly, as in "becoming inoperative". Batteries are damaged very quickly by any water that can get to the electroyte. LCD screen are particularly sensitive to water leaking in at the edges; they may be usable, but would definitively look damaged, and will likely become inoperative. Other electronic components like chips are more than likely going to be damaged by ingress of water molecules via their connection leads; at the frequencies that most chips operate, any water molecules will have detrimental effects such as "stop operation".
I don't know how that would have affected the consequential arguments regarding if the posting should be allowed, but it does change the technical basis for the arguments. We therefore have a good argument for not editing a posting to make it correct, but to add comments or answers that point out the error(s).
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/01/29 | 1,355 | 4,934 | <issue_start>username_0: It's almost February in 2018, which isn't supposed to be the proper time to cycle these, but for this year it'll be once again, so we'll be refreshing the **Community Promotion Ads** for this year now!
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting or fun Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be 300 x 250 pixels, or double that if high DPI.
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
* If the background of the image is white or partially white, there must be a 1px border (2px if high DPI) surrounding it.
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/2398).<issue_comment>username_1: [](https://twitter.com/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://f-droid.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.netguard)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=net.osmand.plus)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.free.nrw.commons)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://microg.org)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://android.stackexchange.com/review)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](http://opengapps.org)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/24 | 1,112 | 4,515 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently realized that there are *a lot* of questions asking "what is this notification icon?":
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/75BO2.png)
The Tour page says they are a good fit for the website:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VI7ki.png)
However, the subject is *so* broad, there could be 100,000 "what is this icon?" or "what does this icon mean?" questions for all the Android apps that send notifications and all the system icons.
Could there be a canonical question with a few examples (of some harder-to-guess app icons and system icons, like the Cast icon) to help cut down on these questions? It would also tell viewers to find the notification belonging to that icon and tap-and-hold it to find the app name (or look above the notification on some Android versions, like 7.x).<issue_comment>username_1: I think you're right that there could be a canonical "how do I identify which app sent a notification?" question, and I'd encourage you to write one if you can't find an existing one (I don't know of one).
I don't think this would quite work with all the "identify this icon" questions, because a lot of them are not notifications, and in some cases the questioner reports using the **App info** feature without much success - for example if it's a system app with an esoteric name. For those questions, I'd encourage questioners to put as much as possible into the question title and body as possible, to make it easier to find the question in searches, and to recognise it as relevant in **Related questions** lists. To be more specific, taking examples from your screenshot:
>
> What notification icon is this fish?
>
>
>
That seems very good: "fish" is an obvious search term, and if you're starting from a picture of a fish and you see this question title, you might guess it's about your icon.
>
> What does this app Icon mean?
>
>
>
This is a bad title. It doesn't have enough information to distinguish it from another icon identification question. When you find questions like this, please go ahead and edit them to be more descriptive.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There are some questions which follow this template:
>
> Can you tell me what is this icon in the following image **that I received from my son/daughter/wife/friend.. ?**
>
>
> Followed by some low resolution image (which gives us virtually nothing relevant in Google reverse image search) and sometimes they don't even bother to upload one.
>
>
>
I think specially this category of questions need to be closed as ***too broad*** or as "Questions asking us to find an app...are off-topic". They really are, as we cannot be expected to guess out of millions of apps for a question which doesn't seem to be worth answering for. Why not worth it?
Such questions can easily be solved if only the asker *directs their curiosity* to the person who sent them the screenshot instead of directing it here. *We should not serve as an alternative to the [interpersonal communication](https://interpersonal.stackexchange.com/questions?sort=votes) problems of people.*
Furthermore, such questions are not solving a real-world problem of us. Curiosity is fine, and we do have many questions born only out of curiosity but they are mostly along the technical lines, and that often *creates a boundary within which an answerer can always work* and feel rewarded (generating a content that explains something or leads to a solution is a reward in itself) even though they may never get an upvote for their efforts.
In addition, serving an answer consisting of only an app's name rewards such askers' to ask such poor questions again, then again, until we are overwhelmed with so much noise that we can't answer them anymore.
Yes, nobody is obliged to answer any of them and can ignore them through tags, but leaving the mess to continue seems irresponsible to me.
I, thus, appeal to others to consider closing at least this category of questions.
As for the ones where the asker has the icon related problem in their own phone, I agree that a canonical Q&A should be made, or the questions be closed as a duplicate to the ones mentioned by <NAME>. in his comment. If the existing answers doesn't work for the potential askers, then ***they should offer a bounty instead of popping up a new question.***
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/27 | 1,019 | 3,877 | <issue_start>username_0: This is the answer I'm taking about: <https://android.stackexchange.com/a/202062/205764>
The initial revision reads
>
> Mim ajudem, com essa mensagem q esta aparecendo no meu lenovo z5the bootloader is unlocked and software integrity cannot be guaranteed. any data stored on the device may be available to attacker, do not store any sensitive data on device
>
>
>
I recognized Portuguese and knew that it translated to
>
> Please help me with this message that's appearing on my Lenovo Z5
>
>
>
and flagged it as NAA after leaving a comment telling the author that they used a wrong language, as well as that the answer form was not for questions.
Izzy saw the answer and my comment, applied machine translation to the Portuguese part, got this result and declined my flag:
>
> I help, with this message that is appearing in my Lenovo Z5
>
>
>
My reason for the answer being an NAA is rather obvious: It said "please help me" with a common bootloader warning, while Izzy claimed that
>
> poetic license. Put this way, it's a valid answer, isn't it? "How is this a security thread?" › "any data stored on the device may be available to attacker" :)
>
>
>
Per my understanding, Izzy thought it was a valid answer because the BL warning contained information that could serve as an answer alone, and it could remain a valid answer with the wrong-language part translated (wrongly).
And now I disagree: While the BL message could provide some directive to an answer, it did appear in a wrong manner (coming as the error message after "please help me"). Therefore, it should not be considered as an answer, IMO. Think if the post came in English starting with "please help me" instead of an unrecognized language "mim ajudem", most people would have taken it correctly as an NAA.<issue_comment>username_1: I'm in agreement with you. It is indeed a [general bootloader warning](https://source.android.com/security/images/boot_orange.png). What's more? Yes, Google Translator, Bing Translator, and a voluntary translation from a trusted user on Portuguese Stack Exchange [chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/46925685#46925685) give us the same result for the first sentence of the post, which translated to what you thought as *"Help me, with this message that is appearing on my lenovo z5the bootloader is (...)"*
What really follows after that sentence is not important here. I get it that we do have a policy of appreciating partial answer, but the beginning of the post already made the intention clear that it was not to serve as a partial answer. ***It was not even intended to be an answer by the user*** when the context is applied, which we must.
Even for the sake of this post we apply an exception and ignore the context, the rest of the sentence (warning that is) does not form an answer, simply because the questioner specifically mentioned in the question these two constraints:
>
> (I am not talking of risks of unlocked boot loader. I understand that)....
>
>
> I am looking for realistic threat assessment
>
>
>
The bootloader warning is nothing but a general and vague message (it is not even close to a realistic threat assessment which the question specifically demanded) indicating the risks of an unlocked bootloader. Since questioner already knows it and *indirectly* asked not to repeat it to them, the warning, thus, does not qualify as an answer to the concerned question.
I, hence, as a fellow user, agree with your judgment.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: tl;dr: NAA, it's asking for help.
---
Your translation is correct, Izzy's is not.
The language is not grammatically correct, but it asks:
>
> Help me, with this message that is appearingon my lenovo z5the bootloader is (...)
>
>
>
It is not offering help or suggesting solutions; it's NAA.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/10/09 | 1,463 | 5,750 | <issue_start>username_0: As part of implementing the new unified themes across the network, we're gradually rolling out updated site themes for each site. As of today, we have enabled your updated site theme for testing.
If you can't see it right now, that's by design! This is a very early test implementation of your design and we need your help finding issues with it before we make it live for everyone permanently. So, keep in mind, there will be things that need fixing! We'll address those things as we can.
If you'd like to review it, here's how:
How do I enable it?
-------------------
[Click here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/users/preferences) and check the "Beta test new themes" option. This will turn on the new theme for all sites that have one in testing, including this one. *Here's [more info](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/314542/opt-in-to-beta-testing-new-themes) on how to opt in.* You can uncheck the box to revert to the older theme until the site is live for everyone. **Note, while turning it on is immediate, it will take a few minutes to revert to the old view - *but it will go through!***
What type of feedback do we need?
---------------------------------
### On this post: Bugs related to this site's design elements
Please help us look for issues/bugs related to the theme design and how we have mapped the old theme to the new. This needs to be done within the [limits of the new unified theme](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/307862/ch-ch-ch-changes-left-nav-responsive-design-themes).
This could include colors of sections of the design or text, problems with JavaScript add-ons (if applicable), the logo or top banner appearance or other artwork.
You can also feel free to ask questions about the new layout if you're unsure how to navigate it.
### On Meta Stack Exchange: General concerns about left nav or theming
There are some things that are definitely changing everywhere and can't really be adjusted on a per-site basis. A few of them include:
* Top banner is shorter in height, so some artwork has to be adjusted along with some logos.
* Left Navigation is active everywhere (but can be collapsed into a menu by visiting your site preferences - [instructions here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/311237/284336)).
* Responsive layout is active, which lets the site adjust as browser widths change - no side scrolling (some pages haven't been updated, yet, though). For now, if you prefer the scrolling, you can disable this by clicking the "disable responsiveness" link in the footer.
* Many site elements including tags and voting arrows are standardized across the network.
* Link underlining is active. In an effort to make links more visible, they are now being underlined.
If you have concerns or issues regarding the left nav or the overall approach we are taking to theming, then [this Meta Stack Exchange post](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/310908/live-left-nav-new-theming-and-responsiveness) is the right place for feedback.
As I mentioned earlier, there are some unique design elements like voting arrows and tags that are being standardized in this process. Keeping these custom elements makes our ability to maintain the sites too complex and, while we're very sad to see them go, we're in a difficult position of needing to make the site designs work together so that we can continue to address feature requests and bugs that will make your Q&A experience better. This is addressed in a [Meta Stack Exchange post](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/314799/why-we-initiated-the-latest-round-of-design-changes-and-the-role-of-meta) if you want more detail.
What new themes?
----------------
If you're like, "What the heck are you talking about?", then you should read the Meta Stack Exchange post entitled [Rollout of new network site themes](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/312365/rollout-of-new-network-site-themes) (and maybe the posts it links to for the full background). To follow along with the rollout of these new themes, go [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/314979/rollout-of-responsive-design-site-themes-tracking-post).
Thanks so much for your constructive feedback!
----------------------------------------------
### Oh, Who am I?
If you don't know me, I'm one of the [Community Managers](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/99338/who-are-the-community-team-and-what-do-they-do?s=1%7C141.4591) here at Stack Exchange. I'm here to listen to your input and convey it to our Design team for responses and fixes to bugs. I'll do my best to respond to your concerns and explain whether changes we've made are bugs that can be changed or if they're by design and why.<issue_comment>username_1: After the new design was launched, I noticed that the badge spacing is off.
It looks like it was optimized for circle badges, but since the Android head is longer then a circle, there isn't a margin between the badge icon and the badge.
Here's a screenshot of the issue.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DG7t5.png)
(In particular, notice how close the silver badge icon is to the "2".)
This issue is not present with the new design disabled.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7YMqa.png)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Although I knew about the new simplified themes coming up, I was really surprised today to find this site received a blue colored top (instead of the specific Android green) and not even the logo was left green :(
It really feels like a bug, is there any logic in choosing the blue instead of the original green?
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/29 | 1,323 | 5,551 | <issue_start>username_0: Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange is scheduled for an election [next week, November 5th](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5). In connection with that, we will be holding a Q&A with the candidates. This will be an opportunity for members of the community to pose questions to the candidates on the topic of moderation. Participation is completely voluntary.
>
> **The purpose of this thread was to collect questions for the questionnaire. The questionnaire is now live, and you may find it [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2462/2018-moderator-election-qa-questionnaire).**
>
>
>
Unlike the previous election back in 2016, this time the Q&A question collection will be provided one week in advance of the actual elections. This will allow users some extra time to evaluate their decision on whether to nominate, as well as let them provide answers to the questionnaire during the nomination phase itself.
Here's how it'll work:
* Until the nomination phase, (so, until Monday, November 5th at 20:00:00Z UTC, or 3:00 pm EST on the same day, because we finally banish an accursed hour what shouldn't exist over that preceding weekend), this question will be open to collect potential questions from the users of the site. Post answers to this question containing any questions you would like to ask the candidates. Please only post *one question per answer*.
* We, the Community Team, will be providing a small selection of generic questions. The first two will be guaranteed to be included, the latter ones are if the community doesn't supply enough questions. This will be done in a single post, unlike the prior instruction.
* If your question contains a link, please use the syntax of `[text](link)`, as that will make it easier for transcribing for the finished questionnaire.
* This is a perfect opportunity to voice questions that are specific to your community and issues that you are running into at currently.
* At the start of the nomination phase, the Community Team will select **up to 8 of the top voted questions submitted by the community** provided in this thread, to use in addition to the aforementioned 2 guaranteed questions.
* Once questions have been selected, a new question will be opened to host the actual questionnaire for the candidates, typically containing 10 questions in total.
* This is not the only option that users have for gathering information on candidates. As a community, you are still free to, for example, hold a live chat session with your candidates to ask further questions, or perhaps clarifications from what is provided in the Q&A.
If you have any questions or feedback about this process, feel free to post as a comment here.<issue_comment>username_1: Here is a set of general questions, gathered as very common questions asked every election. As mentioned in the instructions, the first two questions are guaranteed to show up in the Q&A, while the others are if there aren't enough questions (or, if you like one enough, you may split it off as a separate answer for review within the community's 8).
* How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
* How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
---
* In your opinion, what do moderators do?
* A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
* In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **This is a tough one** but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation.
Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
But, there are a couple of issues around this:
* **Low strength** of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago [You need the bourgeois blues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/578/you-need-the-bourgeois-blues)
* **Low activity levels** of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on *review* aspects ([How can we spend some effort on improving our overall activity?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2380/how-can-we-spend-some-effort-on-improving-our-overall-activity)). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote.
(Possibly, there are other meta questions covering these aspects but above serve the purpose to illustrate)
**As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?**
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/11/05 | 9,089 | 36,301 | <issue_start>username_0: In connection with the moderator elections, we are holding a Q&A thread for the candidates. Questions collected [from an earlier thread](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2454/2018-moderator-election-qa-question-collection) have been compiled into this one, which shall now serve as the space for the candidates to provide their answers.
Due to the submission count, we have selected all provided questions as well as our back up questions for a total of 6 questions.
As a candidate, your job is simple - post an answer to this question, citing each of the questions and then post your answer to each question given in that same answer. For your convenience, I will include all of the questions in quote format with a break in between each, suitable for you to insert your answers. Just [copy the whole thing after the first set of three dashes](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/revisions/95114446-098c-4504-b2d5-58708f5af462/view-source).Please consider putting your name at the top of your post so that readers will know who you are before they finish reading everything you have written, and also including a link to your answer on your nomination post.
Once all the answers have been compiled, this will serve as a transcript for voters to view the thoughts of their candidates, and will be appropriately linked in the Election page.
Good luck to all of the candidates!
**Oh, and when you've completed your answer, please provide a link to it after this blurb here, before that set of three dashes. Please leave the list of links in the order of submission.**
To save scrolling here are links to the submissions from each candidate (in order of submission):
* [iBug](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2463/205764)
* [Firelord](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2470/96277)
* [beeshyams](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2471/131553)
* [<NAME>.](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2477/44325)
---
>
> 1. **This is a tough one** but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation. Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
>
>
> But, there are a couple of issues around this: **Low strength** of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago [You need the bourgeois blues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/578/you-need-the-bourgeois-blues). **Low activity levels** of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on *review* aspects ([How can we spend some effort on improving our over all activity?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2380/how-can-we-spend-some-effort-on-improving-our-overall-activity)). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote. **As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?**
> 2. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
> 3. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
> 4. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
> 5. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
> 6. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: [iBug](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5#post-203530)'s answers to your questions
============================================================================================
In case anyone is wondering, my answer to the first question is at the bottom, because I think it's the most important one and should be put at last.
>
> 2. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
I'd like to answer this question from two aspects.
First, we value our users. I am also a believer in the saying that "human is born kind". I will try to **communicate** with the user, via chat or mod messages, to figure out why they're behaving like this, and more importantly whether they know they're being disruptive and can stop. Communication is always the key to success. If the user stops such behavior and continues to contribute valuable answers, then who would object that this is a happy ending?
Second, we have our policies. If the softer approach (talk to them) doesn't work, then unfortunately, we have to hold our ground with the weapons we're equipped with. I will gently ask the user to have a break, and if that doesn't work, manually put them to a break. In my opinion, keeping a site clean, free of abuse and harassment, is *more important* than having valuable knowledge. To sum up this paragraph, I'd say that the Be Nice policy is NOT optional.
Some extra words: Coming from the same source "human is born kind", I don't think this will ever be a real case, as users who gives valuable answers are *highly unlikely* to become disruptive. I'm confident that our moderator team can handle it if it really happens.
>
> 3. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
First allow me to put the same bold word again: **Communication** is the key to moderation.
In general, I believe that the other mod who closed/deleted/etc the question has their reasons. Therefore I will talk to them and ask for their reasons. I will try to understand their thoughts and ideas. If we can't form an agreement between us, I'll try to hear from other mods or the community. That's why we have moderator *teams* and the supporting community so any one moderator don't act like a dictator.
>
> 4. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
>
>
>
Moderators are moderators. They keep the site clean and healthy. As said in [A Theory of Moderation](https://stackoverflow.blog/2009/05/18/a-theory-of-moderation/), moderators are also the human exception handlers whenever something needs their attention and input.
>
> 5. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
>
>
>
I'm fine with that. I am always careful about what I say, while in the meantime trying to maintain a baseline sense of humor. That says, what I've said in the past are what I'll say in the future. I am and will still be proud of them. The primary difference will be in what I do. For example, I will become more careful when doing reviews, closing questions, flagging NAAs, etc, because there will be no more community consensus before those actions take effect.
>
> 6. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
>
This one is another tough question. As brought up many and many times on Android Meta, gaining reputation is particularly difficult here due to the lack of overall activity. This makes it very hard to gain more moderation privileges by reaching higher reputation. Gaining diamond moderator privileges enables me to moderate the site more effectively, by cleaning NAAs, off-topic questions, filling out tag wikis etc, quickly.
>
> **1.** As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?
>
>
>
First I'd like to thank @username_3 for bringing this question up again. I am the one who asked [one of the two](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2380/) Meta questions linked in [the proposal of this question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2460), so I can say that I'm a bit prepared for this.
As I have addressed in *my* question, the real problem behind these two issues is that we aren't effectively turning new users into long-term users. Many users just ask one question or two before turning away.
To start with, I'd like to first state that moderators aren't much different from a regular mid-to-high-rep user, in terms of dealing with this problem. The special privileges that moderators have don't particularly help. Everyone can share their efforts and dedication to helping with this. From the most simple tasks like guiding users through the help center, especially [the tour](https://android.stackexchange.com/tour), to advanced ones like improving others' posts by suggesting edits or going through the review queue, none of them are specific to diamond moderators, or the moderator privileges help doing them more effectively or efficiently.
As a moderator, I will try to focus on what moderators can do better than regular users, for example encouraging users to participate in review queues and advocating good behavior, alongside doing those tasks myself. Since this is a *community*, we need *our* effort in making the site better and healthier, not just the moderators. I'd also like to thank whoever has helped the site grow, because without you. this site would not have been so great and kept attracting attention from visitors.
I wrote a more detailed answer [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2468/205764), although it doesn't directly answer this. Warning: Blocks of text ahead.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [username_2](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5#post-203693) answers to your questions:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>
> 1. **This is a tough one** but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation. Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
>
>
> But, there are a couple of issues around this: **Low strength** of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago [You need the bourgeois blues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/578/you-need-the-bourgeois-blues). **Low activity levels** of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on *review* aspects ([How can we spend some effort on improving our over all activity?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2380/how-can-we-spend-some-effort-on-improving-our-overall-activity)). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote. **As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?**
>
>
>
My full explanation can be found [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2469/96277), so I summarise that Moderators don't really have much time, because they are regular users, like us, with added burden and responsibilities. We are at liberty to stay away from this site, don't return for long, but Moderators have to think a lot (I believe) to do just that, at least I would for being a carrier of so much trust of community. So there is not much the Moderators can do within their free time reserved for this site, especially when they are working professionals and have a family too, *except to do their job well enough, efficiently and in time*. As long as they clear the mess swiftly, amicably, maintain good will with others, and guide users wherever needed, the overall burden of the responsibility actually falls over the shoulders of us, the community, together.
Please follow the link if you feel unsatisfied with this response.
>
> 2. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
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>
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Network wide Be Nice policy evolved into [Code of Conduct](https://meta.stackexchange.com/conduct) for many reasons and primary among them is to remain respectful to others, no matter the degree of their expertise, efforts and behavior, at all times. That said, our site suffers with an adversity of persistent contributors adding valuable answers, so I must consider the community's health vs community's needs. While I would continue to fulfill my duty of handling flags, I would gladly setup a private chat with the user and make attempts to have them follow our Conduct. In addition, if the situation calls for, I would ask a fellow Moderator's assistance to help mould that user's behavior in compliance with our Conduct. However, if the user continues to violate the policy, I would take graded action as sketched out in the policy.
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> 3. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
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Opinions sometime can be misplaced, be it theirs or myself. If a fellow Moderator takes any of the aforesaid actions, I would first reevaluate my own opinion in light of that Moderator's action. The reasoning behind is that another Moderator also carries the trust of the community and stands at equal standing as mine, so it never hurts to undertake a reevaluation when a competent person does something contrary to your position on a matter. If I still continue to hold onto my view, I would privately talk with them and explain my opinion. Hopefully, things would work out well. Unlike what I would do as any ordinary user, *I would not* take the matter on public chat or meta site because disputes between Moderators themselves, discussed openly, is never good for community, since if we cannot solve our own disputes *amicably* than for what reason the community would trust us with settling other users' disputes.
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> 4. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
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Primarily, they are exception handlers. They, but not limited to, perform mundane and repetitive tasks which if not performed regularly, frequently and efficiently, can bring to ground the site's quality and community within time. Primarily among them is to handle disputes in the form of flags, reviewing queues just like ordinary fellow users but with additional powers of immediately closing, deleting, reopening, undeleting, merging, migrating *et al*.
If not all, *at least some of them* needs to be easily accessible, so they have to be available in or at least visit a chat room frequently. They have to frequent Meta in order to answer/solve/dispose/ of a matter.
All of this sounds easy but it comes with one big disadvantage. As the representative of the trust of their community, all of their actions are
in-turn decisions, executed immediately, with overriding power sometimes resting with Moderators only, and so, they should take only that decision which they can justify at any point of time in future. Even if they make a mistake, they have to own it when need be.
>
> 5. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
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>
>
Barring the stint in my initial days here when I did silly things just like any new user, I have got nothing I need to worry about for what I have done, as I have done everything in good faith, for the benefit of my intellect and the community. I have learned tremendously from this community, and I have been able to contribute to community in the form, behavior and manner it expects from any other ordinary user. In addition, I believe I can channel more contribution in certain areas, hence, I'm here for your support for me in the elections.
Furthermore, Moderators are representatives of the community outside the site, be it in chat rooms and meta of other sites network wide, or in the real world, so they have to be careful to a degree and sometimes sophisticated in what they say or do. This would necessarily help me to become more careful, helpful and useful (mostly on network) when dealing with people outside the community for the benefit of latter.
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> 6. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
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I firmly believe in my decisions, and so, compared to privileges limited by reputation points, I would be able to handle posts, with respect to closure and deletion, immediately. I would be able to get rid of "not an answer", custom Moderator attention posts, plagiarism, spam, and what not, immediately and help increase signal-to-noise ratio more which we are always in dire need.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: **[username_3](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5#post-203730)**
>
> 1. **This is a tough one** but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation. Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
>
>
> But, there are a couple of issues around this: **Low strength** of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago [You need the bourgeois blues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/578/you-need-the-bourgeois-blues). **Low activity levels** of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on *review* aspects ([How can we spend some effort on improving our over all activity?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2380/how-can-we-spend-some-effort-on-improving-our-overall-activity)). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote. **As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?**
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This is the elephant in the room and has been for a while and a tough one to deal with. It warrants a serious discussion beyond the confines of election platform and asked a question on meta with [my answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2466/131553).
This task is **not that of moderators alone**. It is to be *owned and acted upon by the community*. Moderators are doing what they can, it is for others to pick up the baton and run. See the linked answer for details on what I think the community needs to, the most important being to up vote more (without diluting standards) to increase this base and encourage milestone achievements and further exercise associated privileges.
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> 2. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
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* .... a user who produced a *steady stream of valuable answers* is an **asset** ! That is what the community needs in sufficient numbers. We have a huge base of askers but a small group of people who answer (for various reasons). That’s one reason why many questions go unanswered. ibug [says](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2468/131553) *13149 out of 20975 questions on our site has zero answers*, that translates to a whopping **62%**. So all efforts need to be made to retain and encourage such people.
* Next, it is unlikely that such a contributor is being deliberately disruptive. *Engage and understand why*. There are many ways of doing that but my preferred way would be *discrete*. I would give an example of myself being almost like the contributor. Use [Hanlon’s razor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor) as guiding principle
>
> Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
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expanded to
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> Never attribute to malice/ disruptive behavior/ [Insert behavior term]..... that which is adequately explained by stupidity / ignorance / [Insert reason other than deliberately disruptive].....
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Confession. When I joined the site , I was bitten by the reputation bug and gaining rep was my sole aim without even understanding what this site was about (Thankfully, that started reducing and now not anymore my focus). In early stages I got this crazy idea , a game plan of having only 100 highest voted answers to my account and deleting low score answers (zero to start with) . I just wanted to see what is the highest rep I could get with just those 100 top voted answers. Crazy. Stupid. Yes , agreed. This periodic deletion caught the attention of <NAME>. He mailed me . Extracts below
>
> Stack Exchange auto-generated a flag because you recently deleted a bunch of your answers. I took a look through them and noticed that some were on closed questions and some were more like extended comments than answers. However, a few were great answers that just hadn't gotten much attention. Please don't be discouraged when this happens! It's unfortunate that we have a lot of "drive-by" users, but your answers will help future visitors — and as such, I undeleted **(and up voted!)** a couple of your posts.
> **I don't believe this was done maliciously, so I'm not suspending your account temporarily (as we typically do when this happens)...**
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(Emphasis mine)
I replied and told him that indeed I had no malice , shared my 100 answer only plan and the thoughtlessness behind it. The issue was closed win-win. Now imagine if my account had been suspended. One thing for sure I can say *for sure* is that I **wouldn’t have been a regular contributor** with about 750 answers and 50 questions if that happened. Power of positive moderation.
* In case I failed, I wouldn’t hesitate a wee bit in seeking help of other mods. In the unlikely eventuality that it is proved to be *willfully disruptive* beyond doubt, I wouldn’t hesitate to take remedial action. Details would, of course, depend on specifics of case.
(Matthew Read: thanks again, I hope you see this)
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> 3. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
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This, is a rhetorical question, knowing the current and prospective mods and having interacted with them closely, I am confident this wouldn't happen. If it does :
* Discuss *discretely* and hopefully resolve the perceptions that lead to the disagreement.
* If we can’t resolve, *agree to disagree* and move on without the shadows of this incident colouring our future interactions.
* In case, this deeply affects me, put it in the storage for a while and revisit. If it doesn’t help , drop it and move on.
All this is behind *close doors* with other users completely out of the loop.
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> 4. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
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They are elected for *life* and not term based. While *human exceptional handlers* is a functional description, they need to be focussed on keeping the site healthy and vibrant both in the community of SE sites and outside. It sounds like a hyperbole and I am not sure what it takes to do that but that’s the long term vision- that’s why they are elected for life
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> 5. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
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No sweat. There would be evidences of my rep mania, beginner indiscretions et al. They are a reminder to me not to take a *holier than thou* attitude and for others to know that I too did wrong things and worked on becoming better. And continues to work on it.
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> 6. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
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On second thoughts, this again is a rhetorical question which is relevant only if moderator actions in clearing flags, closing questions etc are delayed. The present lot of moderators are doing an excellent job, so I don't see any need for wanting privileges to do things faster
How effective one is not governed by the privileges one has. It is *how well does one exercise* the privileges.
In an indirect way, this is related to what the second part of my answer on meta is about.
---
**Note:** In case you missed reading my nomination , please do read the caveat section again. In short, I may not be able to met the job / community expectations due to time constraints and I want to state that clearly (unlike real world elections). If elected, I will obviously work with other mods to optimize.
It's your choice and I fully respect it
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [<NAME>](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5?tab=nomination#post-203876)'s answers to your questions
===============================================================================================================
---
>
> 1. **This is a tough one** but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation. Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
>
>
> But, there are a couple of issues around this: **Low strength** of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago [You need the bourgeois blues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/578/you-need-the-bourgeois-blues). **Low activity levels** of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on *review* aspects ([How can we spend some effort on improving our over all activity?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2380/how-can-we-spend-some-effort-on-improving-our-overall-activity)). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote. **As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?**
>
>
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[elderarthis has thoroughly explained the underlying issues](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/581/44325) in which I fully agree, but *as a mod*, don't really have a ready solution. This is something that needs community participation to work on, but there is not enough community participation, which is already a vicious circle. Without the community, moderators are as powerless because they don't really have better tools to fix this situation.
As for some ideas... I observed some sites have **"weekly topic challenges"** (detail on Meta SE: [How do weekly topic challenges work?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/240634/how-do-weekly-topic-challenges-work)). The community can propose a topic idea that covers a widely-used/popular app or a hot topic based on recent news. With current community participation, we can extend from weekly to *monthly*. Hopefully, this can attract more participation and make the site more active.
In addition to that, I think some sites have a **"bounty week"**, in which a meta post is opened to nominate posts that are extraordinary and deserve the bounty. Hopefully, this can help to bridge the reputation gap that is needed for the community to moderate more effectively and also encourage users to contribute more quality posts at the same time.
One thing that I also want to focus on is the large number of "troubleshoot my device plz" questions. They take time to be triaged (is it unclear? is it a duplicate?) and it also affects the impression of this site on future potential answerers, that this site is just "another boring troubleshooting forum" (personally, that's one factor I reduced my activity since back then).
The reason I bring that issue specifically is because of "moderation fatigue". Not only moderators, but regular users are also exposed to this. When they are too often reviewing bad posts, they might get tired and give up the review queue (could be worse because they don't have a binding vote and feel powerless, which is the reason I stated in my nomination).
Unlike diamond mods, moderation by regular users is certainly a voluntary action. If we can reduce the source of moderation fatigue, hopefully it will increase the community's enthusiasm in reviewing once more. However, this might need multiple iterations which is better to be discussed on another meta post in the future (e.g. rescoping? specific close-reason banner? guideline in meta?).
In my humble opinion, a site with only 10 regular active reviewers is already enough to maintain the site. In the end, moderators can only facilitate the feature, they need the community to work together in improving this situation.
>
> 2. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
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>
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Knowledge is extremely valuable, but after all, we are all human beings and have some ego.
Recently, there's a change in "Be Nice" policy to a more extensive ["Code of Conduct"](https://android.stackexchange.com/conduct) which applies to everyone, and also I believe is a good guideline for moderators to follow.
However, considering the current situation, we desperately need users who are knowledgeable *and can self-moderate*, and a large number of arguments/flags will just worsen the situation. I believe the best approach is to guide and make them understand what are the acceptable practices without a need to be aggressive/confrontational, so they can lead others by example too.
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> 3. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
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First, try to know their reasoning privately and politely, and then try to work on the solution constructively. If no consensus is reached, ask for other mods' input to prevent conflict of interest. At this point, I really hope the issue can be resolved without requiring the community input, but if the consensus is still not yet reached, then...
Next, just like regular users, open a meta discussion on child-meta to discuss the issue *only* (no need to call out if it's by a mod, etc.). There's a possibility that input from the community may give a different and better insight than just of the moderators. Take their input into consideration to make a better decision. \*\*Different opinions can't be avoided, but \*\*
In the end, I believe in open, transparent, and civil discourse for the better of the community. The reason I'm okay with letting the community input is that most of the moderation actions are already public (anyone can access the `/timeline` or `/revision` of a post). It can look more suspicious to the community when there are contradicting actions done by different mods without any discussion at all.
>
> 4. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
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>
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Borrowing the terms from [the 9th question of 2014 Stack Overflow election](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/299969/2014-so-moderator-election-qa-questionnaire), moderators are considered as *"janitors"* and *"exception handlers"*. They are janitors, in which they have more powerful tools to clean-up the site, but they are also exception handlers when there are disputes between the members.
The balance between being a janitor or an exception handler might be different on this site while it lacks active reviewers, but ideally in a situation where reviewers are plenty, they should mainly be an exception handler.
They are also the *"leaders"*, not the "bosses" (further reading: [The Difference Between a Boss and a Leader](https://www.volarisgroup.com/blog/article/the-difference-between-a-boss-and-a-leader)). They lead the community by example and care for the overall result, not only thinking about their own goals.
>
> 5. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
>
>
>
I have no problem with that.
While I did have a period where I was brash in commenting for moderation (moderation fatigue is real when you're so obsessed with it), the past is the past, and I always strive to become a better person (I learned so much, changed, and improved my approach on moderation while participating on Anime.SE). If else, the diamond will always remind me to become more humble.
As for perceiving by other users, I personally don't see my "diamond indicator" (if elected) as a special status, because in the end, mods are also parts of the bigger community. With or without the diamond, everyone (including me, nonetheless) should strive to build a conducive community.
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> 6. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
>
One of the biggest impacts is *comment moderation*, something that even high-rep users cannot do until now (and [one of the popular but controversial feature requests on Meta Stack Exchange](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/252691)). I have to admit, I'm in the "no unnecessary comments" group because I love to see clean posts, and will possibly clean-up comment thread if it has served its purpose. (I have raised many useful flags on Anime.SE to clean-up comment threads)
Second is... *the binding vote*. While this should *not* be the answer, the current dire situation that has been stated on the question (1) makes this feature more effective, though I really hope we can improve the situation if possible ("treat the cause, not the symptom").
However, all of these won't be effective without the support of underlying community. (There were some SE beta sites that got closed because they were not moderated for a long time. While Android.SE is already graduated and won't be closed, we certainly don't want to be that site)
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/11/08 | 4,402 | 18,695 | <issue_start>username_0: This question was posed by me in the ongoing election campaign.
>
> This is a tough one but to stimulate your thinking to what you can do as a moderator to improve the situation. Our site has about 180 users with reputation in the bracket of 2k to 10k and this number doesn't seem to have changed significantly, at least in the three years I have been a member of this community. I like to think of this section of the community as the White Blood Cells (immunity cells keeping the site clean and healthy by editing questions and answers, casting close & reopen votes, approving tag wiki edits, reviewing and deleting questions) while the moderators are like lungs, liver and kidneys taking care of eliminating more toxic stuff.
> But, there are a couple of issues around this: Low strength of this section of community is perhaps endemic to the site as discussed several years ago You need the bourgeois blues. Low activity levels of this section as discussed recently, though focusing only on review aspects (How can we spend some effort on improving our over all activity?). A clear indicator of the low involvement is the fact that one rarely sees even a blatantly off-topic question being closed by 5 votes; invariably you find the mod hammer as the deciding vote. As a moderator, how would you address these two issues (if possible) to keep the site more vibrant and active, while freeing your time for more important stuff that only moderators can do?
>
>
>
Elections apart, this question merits to be discussed separately in site meta to address this white elephant in the room for improving health of the site. The very fact that it is the only question asked highlights the indifference and is symptomatic of the problem being discussed. It should be a wake up call for some introspection and healthy discussion<issue_comment>username_1: Since this was asked in election run up, I would like to address it from the point of “What would one do if elected a moderator”.
After several thought cycles on this, I have come to the firm conclusion that moderators are already doing what they can and the ball needs to picked up the community itself. The basic difference between a moderator doing activities to encourage and a normal user is that of *impact*. Reasons are evident – a moderator being a figure of authority carries more respect and their attention makes one feel special . As a consequence *reinforcing positive behaviour* is more impactful
I would like to list out things which moderators are doing , and which perhaps can be added on just so that it is formalized and would probably help new moderators :
* *Improving the quality of questions and answers*. Be it, new comers or existing users. Izzy, is a moderator who does this par excellence and is a legion (In Izzy’s case it was true even before becoming mod)
* *Appreciating good work* done be it in a salvaging edit, efforts taken to find a dupe or giving a meaningful suggestion. This I have seen both as a comment below the question that can be seen by all or mentioning in chat
* *Correcting mistakes* and offering suggestions to improve. More often on chat giving an opportunity for the user to correct and discuss if needed , without making it obvious to all (unlike a comment below on the question). This and above I have often seen from <NAME> and this shows a sense of discretness (Sorry to see you go Dan)
Only additional suggestion I have is that the user group we have under discussion is small < 200, of which say about 20 are active . Tracking those and giving a shout out when they reach a milestone and offering hep in case they have difficulty in handling review tools may help in two ways. One is recognition and second an indirect reminder that they need to also use tools they are empowered with to help the community.
In response to username_3’s observation that mods have their hands full already and should not be expected to focus on this, my thoughts are different. Fortunately , our community hardly ever sees snark, trolling, flaming and clash of egos. These I can understand can be major time and energy suckers for mods, so in the absence of these, new mods can make a conscious effort towards this end
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**What can other high rep users do?**
Practically everything that is stated above . To supplement and complement moderator efforts. This cannot be externally driven and needs to be realized within the group that they too owe their bit to make the site a better place. In doing so,there may be push back from new users especially , in which case it is best to flag and move on
There is one thing that we can do that is more impactful - **upvoting**
Our site for some reason is very parsimonious, when it comes to upvoting. Users who are active on other sites attest to this. Reasons may be many and valid and this may need a separate meta question to discuss . Yet, I think we could :
* Be a *little* more liberal in upvoting and make it easier for more to join the backbone pool. I do not mean that this should be at the cost of dilution of standards but when in doubt , to upvote or not, upvoting may be better
* Upvote if the answer is a good effort and is on the right lines, and mentioning it along with hints to improve it. Again Izzy is the indisputable champion in this. More than a few answers of mines are entirely his in substance
* Existing answer may lack a detail , instead of posting another answer to draw attention to it , maybe it is more helpful to provide that to the the person who posted the answer and once done upvote that
* Instead of just upvoting a right answer, also comment that the answer is right. It a) sends a positive vibe and when you point out a mistake on some other occasion, it is taken in the right spirit b) It helps future visitors to see affirmative comments, especially in cases when it is not the accepted answer
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That said, I am at a loss to suggest more impactful means. Perhaps, this is partly due to the structure of our site and the topic as username_2 points out
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> *Houston, we've been having a problem.*
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>
>
From my experience here since early 2017 (or late 2016 - doesn't matter), there are *a large portion* of users thinking we're a help forum ask asking their specific, highly specialized questions, like "My Android phone had this and it's now behaving like this". These questions are generally hard or impossible to answer without checking the OP's phone, and therefore they're best asked to the aftersale service rather than a public forum. Further more, there are many, many duplicated bad questions just like that, and we can't even close them as duplicates because we don't know what the causes are, and more importantly, whether the same solution applies. While this issue more or less also pertains to Stack Overflow, it's probably not a real issue, as most new users' questions are easily answered if they Google for 5 seconds (fun fact: the new CoC banned comments like LMGTFY). Questions from new users on our site? *No. You can Google them?* A small data collected at the time of composing this answer: 13149 out of 20975 questions on our site has zero answers - worse than almost every single beta site - and a number of them even have 10k+ views. Meanwhile, A note on this is that XDA is having the same issue, but very way too much significantly less severe than we're having here. This issue has been well-addressed in the 2016 moderator election questionnaire (I just read it all a few days ago).
We are a Stack Exchange site designed for professional or at least civil Q&A, not a help forum. There are too many differences between us and a forum like XDA. We have a relatively strict quality requirement, as designed by SE, and consequently more restrictions for *users* to participate. For example, one needs 50 reputation to be able to comment on others' posts, making the startup difficult for users wo *want* to contribute. It *is* difficlt because the majority (> 80%) of our questions are those personalized, specialized questions, as talked about in the 1st paragraph, which, without asking for further information, are solely impossible to answer. Consequently, we're getting 10+ NAA's on a daily basis, which roughly takes up 1/3 of our daily answers (from all users).
As a result, it's getting harder for new users to be able to participate effectively. In the meantime, there's no way we can stop existing users for quitting. It's a constant process. Existing users, especially high-profile users, often quit for reasons that no one has control over, for example their lives are getting busier, they're moving to their new jobs, etc. Every commmunity faces this, and we're no exception. A community needs a sustainable stream of new blood to keep alive, and that's what we're dying for.
Stack Exchange is a series of websites, whose value depends almost 100% on UGC (user generated content). If we don't have valuable content, we can't attract new users. While we *do* have some noticeably good questions and answers, the quantity is just too small. Have a look on XDA. They have many posts about Xposed (where rovo89 is a moderator of that section) and modules, Magisk, TWRP, SuperSU (now dead) etc. They have separate sections for those topics, and dedicated sections for developers who want to discuss about developing on those frameworks or announce their projects. Users can ask questions about corresponding projects developed. Users who are familiar with the projects, sometimes developers themselves, answer them. That's a healthy cycle, where problems continue to get solved, and discussions go. We, on the other side, being a Stack Exchange site, have been rejecting open discussions, which is more or less unavoidable.
There's another thing that I'd like to talk about - Android itself. It's year 2018, the era of smartphones. Nokia's Symbian has long died, and Microsoft killed Windows Phone by repeatedly carrying out developer-unfriendly updates. There are only two living industries in the smartphone market - Apple's iOS and Google's Android. iOS is Apple's proprietary software and never runs outside of iPod touches, iPhones and iPads. Apple controls everything about iOS. They're raising the prices so iPhones and iPads are less and less affodable by the lower class. While I dislike the contempt between iOS users and Android users (it's been an old meme in at least China), I can't deny that it's true, even if it's partially. Apple users are generally richer and tend to be more educated (more literate), whereas a huge amount of Android users fall into that "lower class". This is a decisive reason (one of them) that Android forums attract more low-quality than Apple forums. Slighter symptoms are like when they submit online posts as if they were chit-chatting, employing bad English language, and subsequently less readability and overall quality. Heavier symptoms are such people don't know how to Google, or even how to ask. This results in bad questions, usually lacking key details or being plainly uncomprehensive. (Stack Overflow don't really suffer from this, as questions of such class are generally Google-able, and sometimes better yet, closed as duplicate.) We're a greater victim of this, as as it's currently designed, we have little to no way to defend against the stream of LQ questions. This adds another burdening layer to our overall post quality. A lesser problem is that we don't rank high in search engines, as opposed to Stack Overflow or XDA Forum, but I don't know the exact impact on this case.
An immediate conclusion I can draw now, is that in the framework of Stack Exchange's Q&A style, we're unfortunately *out of luck*. While I'm not any good at community moderation, all the conspicuous solutions that I can suggest for now, are partially or totally against the design of Stack Exchange, and therefore impractical, for example, opening up to open discussions.
Sorry if all the above paragraphs feels depressing, but that's my real thought. I'd like to fill the last paragraph with some practical, possible eases, if not solutions. The first thing is that we can manually add useful content to our knowledge base, by posting self-answered questions. We generate many questions on a day-to-day basis, by playing with Android (not just using Android). While such questions are easily self-solved by an Android Enthusiast, an average person may not easily find out the solution and usually end up asking. If we share. That says, we can "blog" here, in the form of providing useful self-answered Q & As. It'd probably be acceptable and beneficial to enforce Stack Exchange's quality requirement less strictly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Yes, the situation seems endemic to our site only with only 60-70 users between 2k and 10k reputation points. On top of that, not all of them are active Q&A contributors which aggravates the problem. The situation is so bad I can easily count on my fingers the users who participate on the site regularly and visibly (to others). I also know that we have the [second lowest percent answered](https://stackexchange.com/sites#percentanswered) rank network wide. So, I understand the gravity of this situation well enough.
So what I can do as a Moderator to ameliorate this situation?
First, we must grasp the reality that we are not a site oriented strictly to professionals (which makes us different from SuperUser which shares the same motto with us), and that acts as a problem. ***We are a site oriented towards consumers***, who do not care about anything our community needs, expects or wants (and why should they, as we are, too most of them, just an online support). On top of that, the consumer base is incredibly big, something Apple.SE doesn't have to deal with, so despite sharing the same motto, it is we who are different!
***Being an enthusiast is a hobby, not a profession*** . You can be an enthusiast when you are young, in school or college, or have a profession giving you ample time to spend your time on your hobbies. But once life kicks in, enthusiasm fades away or has to give space to more serious things in life. (Movies.SE and Travel.SE are no different from us in this regard.) It happened with me too, when I could barely post 30 answers within a span of 12-13 months, with nearly no other contribution to the site in 2016-17. Even two of our veteran Moderators recently left (one is due soon) because they just couldn't maintain the same level of enthusiasm or perhaps, couldn't find time for it.
We are an anomaly. We have survived and thrived, to an extent, for 8+ years. We have to adapt accordingly, and we may not be able to meet all the criterias other sites in the network do, in terms of overall performance. A mature (in terms of age) generation prefers more signal over noise over time, so they can easily see the benefit in sticking up with this site than the various forums out there, provided they can find time. So we need to actively target new and young blood, provide an atmosphere where they can thrive without deteriorating signal-to-noise ratio beyond a point, contribute here, and possibly, make them understand (action speaks louder than words) the merit of contributing here than elsewhere.
Some hardcore power users cannot join us such as Magisk (topjohnwu), Xposed (rovo89), GravityBox (CEC0) *et al*, because they develop things so they need feedback and for that, forums are much suitable. We have to aim for users who stick with former's products because they are often power users too and many of them are willing to find solutions technically and simultaneously help others. They are the same people who sometimes stick up with forums for quite some time, despite the various structural shortcomings in their forums.
I really do not know why this latter category of users do not come and hang around on this site. Do they not know about us much in general or do they fail to find content useful to keep them here, or do they like a community more on informal side?
I can't change people's taste. All I can do is help in increasing this site's visibility and improving its content. I have always believed that great, insightful and helpful content drives, attracts and inspires people to help others, as it inspired me to stay here and see merit in this site and the whole network, in general.
Hence, since my beginning here, I have tried some reasonably doable things, in my capacity as an ordinary user.
First and foremost is the quality control of this site. It is no doubt that Google search often, if not always, links to our site in first few results when searched with Android related issues. I have sometimes made well written (i.e easily comprehensible) answers, even both Q&A, with that thing in mind. I have also heavily flagged, close voted (explicitly, and not much through review queue though), and edited posts. And I could continue to do this because the Moderators did their job well enough despite the workload of this site and their life.
At other times, I have been around subreddit Tasker, whenever time permitted, and linked to a Q/A of our site's wherever felt appropriate. This part is something our very active users with active presence here and on other forums can do without explicitly making efforts.
On the part of maintaining that user base, I have became *somewhat* liberal over time in dealing with noise, whether flagging it, or reducing my expectations for upvoting, when I calculated the contribution a user seems to be making, just to help in providing an atmosphere aligned with their taste.
I really don't have a pompous offering of organising some virtual or real-world event to attract people, because I have been doing aforesaid things all alone (and I know some users who do it better than me), on my own initiative, to make this site a more better place for me and fellow users who shares the same passion like mine.
So honestly, I conclude that Moderators don't really have much time, because they are regular users like us with added burden and responsibilities. We can chill out, don't return for long, but they have to think a lot (I believe) to do just that. So there is not much they can do within their free time reserved for this site, especially when they are working professionals and have a family too, *except to do their job well enough, efficiently and in time*. As long as they clear the mess swiftly, amicably, and maintain good will with others, the burden of the responsibility actually falls over the shoulders of us, the community, together.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/11/27 | 835 | 3,115 | <issue_start>username_0: Android Enthusiasts's [fifth moderator election](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5) has come to a close, the votes have been tallied and the two new moderators are:
[](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/96277/firelord) [](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/131553/beeshyams)
They'll be joining [the existing crew](https://android.stackexchange.com/users?tab=moderators) shortly—please thank them for volunteering, and share your assistance and advice with them as they learn the ropes!
Also, please join me in thanking <NAME> and <NAME> who will be stepping down as moderator.
For details on how the voting played out, you can download the election results [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/5), or [view a summary report online](https://www.opavote.com/results/4867559245479936/0).<issue_comment>username_1: I thank the community for trusting me with this privilege. I deeply respect that, and I would, to the extent possible and permissible, attempt to ensure that my actions as a Moderator contribute to the betterment of our community.
I'm, however, shocked to find three Moderators leaving their diamond privilege in a row. They are some of the most valuable veteran users we have. I've personally learned a lot from them, from their actions as a Moderator and equally from their inspiring high-quality answers.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for serving this community as Moderators in keeping the site tidy and neat to the extent they could, and more so in its troubled times. I hope that they would continue to stay with us, visit us whenever they could, and contribute here with their expertise which we genuinely crave for. :-)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: A sincere thanks to the community for reposing your trust and confidence in me to be a moderator.
Dan leaving us was known since he communicated his reasoning on Meta. It was an unpleasant surprise but I fully respect his decisions.
Matthew leaving is a shocker coming out of the blue. At a personal level, I wouldn't have been an active member of this community without him guiding me out of (self created) mess.
As they say of Veterans *Old soldiers never die, they fade away* ; leaving behind their imprints and inspiring us to do better.
I wish both veterans, the best and hope that they do not go off the radar and continue to help the community.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Congrats to the beloved guys, username_2 and username_1! You two have been super helpful since long ago, and we all believe that you are great candidates for this holy work of keeping our site clean and tidy!
Thank you for all your dedication towards helping the site grow!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: 1.5 months after the election, [username_2](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/131553/username_2) no longer has a diamond.
The site now has **fewer** mods than before the election.
Upvotes: 0 |
2019/01/07 | 1,221 | 4,761 | <issue_start>username_0: My question may seem like a duplicate to [How shall we deal with outdated answers no longer valid?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2205/96277) but I'm here seeking consensus for a specific category of answers only, the ones which which feature an app's link and relies on them to be useful for a user. Consider this answer which I recently encountered:
>
> The "Graffiti" writing technology from the old PalmOS devices is available for Android now, and supports letter at a time text input with a stylus (or presumably a finger). [Graffiti for Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.access_company.graffiti).
>
>
> However, something like [DioPen](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.diotek.ime.diopen) or [PenReader](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.input.PenReaderStandard) seems to be more what you're after. They both have very mixed reviews, and do seem to be better on some devices than others, and take some getting used to.
>
>
>
All the links to Play Store are dead. The answer, as of now, is of no use. Given the consensus which emerged [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2206/96277) I have so far deleted such answers leaving a one line justification and a link to the consensus for further reading.
However, I lately realized that information about an app which is unavailable in Play Store can still be found on AppBrain. For example, [here](https://www.appbrain.com/app/com.access_company.graffiti) is the Graffiti for Android. AppBrain doesn't provide a link to such apps, but shows adequate information for a user to locate that app on web. It provides the package name in the URL, developer's name, size of the app, and the changelog showing when the app was unpublished *et al*.
While I am in complete agreement of the linked consensus, I want to ask if replacing Play Store's dead app links with AppBrain's is worth the effort? Of course, I'm asking this as a secondary approach, in case one is hesitant to take down or flag an answer.
One problem I could think of is for how long this feature of AppBrain would be available for dead Play Store apps? If they remove this feature, our replace links would turn dead. Perhaps knowing since how long this feature has been available could bring some confidence.
To be precise, this approach is proposed to be optional for everyone. If you think it is worth to save the answer and you've got the time, then only edit the links. Else, do flag for deletion.<issue_comment>username_1: I wouldn't bother. If you can use AppBrain's information to find a legal download for the app, then replace the link with a download link. (For example, apps which have been removed from Google Play but still available through F-Droid or the publisher's site.) If you can't legally download and use the app any more, then information about the app doesn't help you solve the original problem, so I'd remove the answer in that case, to protect the answer from being downvoted.
Of course, if the answer contains other information that's useful apart from the app link, then an edit would be more appropriate. For example, "You can solve the problem with these steps, or download this app to do it for you." If the steps are still relevant, you could edit it to say "You can solve the problem with these steps. There used to be an app such-and-such which automated it, but that app's not available any more because ..."
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I disagree that answers containing dead links to Play/Whatever Store are useless or should be deleted. There are usually plenty of places where you can find apks, so answer with dead links at least tells that some app exists. I think you should undelete such answers.
Maybe only answers containing links to apps which require some kind of web service which is down forever e.g. clients for dead social network should be deleted.
Looks like all apps from your example only changed names and package names and are still available on Google Play: [Graffiti for Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.access_company.graffiti_pro&hl=en), [DioPen](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.diotek.diopen.script&hl=en), [PenReader](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.input.PenReaderInApp). Anyway old apk versions are also available from first pages of google search (of course user should be careful with these) or e.g. from 4pda.ru.
As for AppBrain I don't really like it because of this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nFqYq.png)
Got it after ~5 pageviews.
I'd prefer links to WebArchive instead (or maybe to both of them).
Upvotes: 1 |
2019/01/23 | 1,355 | 4,893 | <issue_start>username_0: 2019 is here! And with the new year, as usual, comes a new iteration of **Community Promotion Ads**! Let’s refresh these for the coming year :)
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting or fun Android apps
* the site's twitter account
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be 300 x 250 pixels, or double that if high DPI.
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
* If the background of the image is white or partially white, there must be a 1px border (2px if high DPI) surrounding it.
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/2505).<issue_comment>username_1: [](https://twitter.com/stackandroid)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://f-droid.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: [](http://tasker.dinglisch.net)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=net.osmand.plus)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.free.nrw.commons)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.netguard)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage:Kiwix#Android)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://lineageos.org)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: [](https://microg.org/)
Upvotes: 3 |
2019/02/04 | 2,077 | 8,145 | <issue_start>username_0: In connection with the moderator elections, we are holding a Q&A thread for the candidates. Questions collected [from an earlier thread](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2515/2019-moderator-election-qa-question-collection) have been compiled into this one, which shall now serve as the space for the candidates to provide their answers.
Due to the lack of submissions, the Q&A will comprise of our default questions for a total of 5 questions.
As a candidate, your job is simple - post an answer to this question, citing each of the questions and then post your answer to each question given in that same answer. For your convenience, I will include all of the questions in quote format with a break in between each, suitable for you to insert your answers. Just [copy the whole thing after the first set of three dashes](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/revisions/2cde7727-db6d-481e-8c0b-974d82723477/view-source).Please consider putting your name at the top of your post so that readers will know who you are before they finish reading everything you have written, and also including a link to your answer on your nomination post.
Once all the answers have been compiled, this will serve as a transcript for voters to view the thoughts of their candidates, and will be appropriately linked in the Election page.
Good luck to all of the candidates!
**Oh, and when you've completed your answer, please provide a link to it after this blurb here, before that set of three dashes. Please leave the list of links in the order of submission.**
To save scrolling here are links to the submissions from each candidate (in order of submission):
* [<NAME>.](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2525)
* [xavier\_fakerat](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2526/)
---
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
> 3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
> 4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
> 5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: [username_1](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/6?tab=nomination#post-207412)'s answers to your questions
================================================================================================================
Also, [my answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2477/44325) to the 2018's election; 3 months ago
---
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
In general, I will be quite direct in following and enforcing the [Code of Conduct](https://android.stackexchange.com/conduct): warning, account suspension, and account expulsion.
However, at this moment, Android.SE is *lacking* experts. Making them left the site because of arguments/flags is the very last action I want to take. With help of other moderators, I'll try best to make a compromise and persuade them to improve their behavior while still reducing/preventing the friction within the community.
>
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
Discuss with them casually but politely, just like how I will do even as a regular user. Our moderators are very rational and open-minded, and I believe we can give feedback to each other constructively without being intimidated. If it is just a single instance of disagreement, then I can live with it ;)
However, if it becomes a pattern, I will request the moderator to discuss the *cause of the issue* ("focus on the content, not the user") on the meta with the community, just like how regular users can and should do.
>
> 3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
>
>
>
Borrowing the terms since then, moderators are "super janitors" and "exception handlers"; "super janitors" because they are basically unrestricted in cleaning up the sites, and "exception handlers" for issues that regular users cannot handle by themselves.
While in general moderators should be the "exception handlers" and let the community moderating the site, Android.SE has multiple problems that prevent the community from doing their moderation effectively. This is where moderators can support them by being the "janitors".
>
> 4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
>
>
>
Personally, I will not feel scared/shameful/discouraged. The past is the past, it cannot be changed, but let the prior bad experiences be a lesson for improving in the future, both as a regular user and especially a moderator.
>
> 5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
>
* Binding votes: reduce the time needed for the effect to be applied and prevent wasting the regulars' votes on the same post.
* Comment moderation: regular users cannot do it effectively.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: [Xavier's](https://android.stackexchange.com/election/6#post-207421) answers to your questions
==============================================================================================
>
> 1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
>
>
>
I will stick to the regular protocol here; Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time (through **Account Suspension**). After that, have nothing to do with them (**Account Expulsion**) But as stated already in the Code of Conduct, most issues are resolved after the first warning.
Let me be a bit clear here- A warm and friendly community will always take a higher priority over a "stream of valuable answers". Bad/unfriendly behaviour tends to drive away new users to the site, besides there are always other people who can answer questions.
>
> 2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
>
>
>
Talk to the mod nicely perhaps in chat, It could have been a mistake - after all we are all humans, perhaps worth noting- "nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood" a thing one person may overlook may be a serious case to someone, and this can be resolved through the art of communication.
>
> 3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?
>
>
>
A moderator is a servant. These guys have to toughest job in the community, they lead by example which makes them good servants. They check for untoward behaviour among users, constantly check for content quality and help decide what is suitable/unsuitable for the community.
>
> 4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
>
>
>
Knowing I have committed myself to being a good servant of the community, makes me feel great, and will remind me I have a big role to play on the site and should always lead by example and maintaining a kind and friendly environment.
>
> 5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?
>
>
>
As a mod, there is active engagement, A 10k/20k user may decide to commit less time to active moderating duties, but as a mod you constantly have to 'be in the game' to make sure there is sanity in the community.
Upvotes: 3 |
2019/02/16 | 4,015 | 15,304 | <issue_start>username_0: I edited [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/207842/rooting-panasonic-eluga-pulse-x-phone) by changing the title and it was [rejected](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211709) (I kept the body unchanged due to past experience with editing). I wanted to add a tag related to the phone but it didn't exist. It was later on edited and approved (I am fine with the edits made by Andrew T.).
When I started with editing posts, there used to be many of them rejected because I only changed [capital letters](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/208930) or corrected a few grammatical errors or [formatting](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/208880) that were not considered not good enough. I learned from them thanks to a moderator who told me what I can and should not do to make my edits better. Although I have carried on with editing posts, I refrain myself of others (usually when checking first post, I just click `Skip` even when I see there are possibilities to edit a post). But when a moderator or high reputations users modify the posts, even when their changes are not that different from what a user with a low reputation would have made, they are approved (sorry, I am too lazy to find many examples; I will only mention the link above as example).
There is a question in StackExchange that deal with whether "Thanks", "Thank you" and such, should be kept or removed (edited out) on questions. There were some users who said that they should be kept, yet it was removed from the original [post](https://android.stackexchange.com/posts/207842/revisions). There are other edits on the aforementioned post that are also correcting capital letters, punctuation, etc; and yet it was approved (I have made other similar changes to post like the one described on the previous sentence and they were approved).
Why are they (the edits from moderators and high reputation users) consider better? How does the edits that would have been rejected when made by a new user or user with a low reputation be accepted when moderators and high reputation users?
**Note:** I am not sure if I should consider myself lower or higher reputation.
**Fun fact:** I learned today that Community is able to reject edit.<issue_comment>username_1: I'd like to start this by explaining why I rejected that edit.
I rejected (and edited) that [suggestion1](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211709) after I have approved (and edited) 3 suggested edits by you consecutively: [1](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211639), [2](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211711), [3](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211716):
* [1st suggested edit](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211639): image resizing is mostly welcomed (due to the current notorious buggy Imgur's image scaling), though the title shortening and the addition of Android version tag were questionable. The suggested title would make the question too general, and there's no indicator that this was specific to Android 8.1. However, I decided to err on the side of caution and approved the suggestion as good intention, then [clarified the title, removed the tag, and added a more relevant tag](https://android.stackexchange.com/posts/197239/revisions).
* [2nd suggested edit](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211711): the suggestion added paragraphs to make it more readable, fixed some capitalization, and clarified the steps. Though there were some missed capitalizations ("chrome" on the first paragraph) and typo on the name of the app ("Pintrest"), the overall suggestion was good and hence my approval. I also took a liberty to [fix the rest & remove fluff that I feel didn't add anything to the answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/posts/207862/revisions)
* [3rd suggested edit](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211716): fixing code formatting properly is welcomed, though I wondered why you didn't fix all capitalizations and punctuation in the beginning. I decided to approve for the code formatting and [edited the rest](https://android.stackexchange.com/posts/207837/revisions).
* [4th suggested edit](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/211709) (1 the review preview is misleading because only the title was changed, compare to the [original revision](https://android.stackexchange.com/revisions/207842/1) instead): the suggestion only fixed the title. Ignoring the fact that the editor couldn't create a new tag (which is understandable), while the title fix was an improvement, I couldn't ignore the rest that none of the capitalizations ("android", "i") and the spacing after punctuation were fixed. At this point, I decided to reject and [fix all obvious issues](https://android.stackexchange.com/posts/207842/revisions). The fluff removal was my personal judgment. **Had the suggestion fixed all the obvious issues even without removing fluff, I'd approve it**.
I understand your good intention on improving this community by suggesting edits, and I really appreciate it! However, the [help center on 'edit' privilege (2000 reps)](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/edit) mentions this
>
> **Tiny, trivial edits are discouraged** - try to make the post significantly better when you edit, *correcting all problems that you observe*.
>
>
> (*italic* emphasized mine)
>
>
>
The first 3 suggestions were certainly improvements to me, and that's why I approved them. However, the last one... fell short to me, and hence my decision to reject it.
Now, please don't be discouraged due to that rejection, keep up on suggesting edits! But I'd like to also take this as an opportunity to let you know about this and edit more carefully from now, and we'll have a win-win situation :)
---
Now, for the rest of the meta question
>
> When I started with editing posts, there used to be many of them rejected because I only changed [capital letters](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/208930) or corrected a few grammatical errors or [formatting](https://android.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/208880) that were not considered not good enough.
>
>
>
Personally, if I faced the "capital letters" review independently, I *might* have approved it (though I could also see the edit as too minor). However, it might be a similar case to this when you suggested many consecutive edits with some questionable quality and made the reviewers wary about the edits.
The "formatting" one was an edit conflict, so it's not really your fault (and it's an acceptable edit too). It's just that someone with full edit privilege was editing the post at the same time, overriding your suggested edit.
>
> There is a question in StackExchange that deal with whether "Thanks", "Thank you" and such, should be kept or removed (edited out) on questions.
>
>
>
[Should 'Hi', 'thanks', taglines, and salutations be removed from posts?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2950/should-hi-thanks-taglines-and-salutations-be-removed-from-posts) is always a controversial topic. Some agree that those are noise that doesn't add anything to the post, but others disagree because of social interaction (and to the extent of the recent "SO is not welcoming" uproar). While I'm on the side of "no fluff", I don't strictly enforce this policy to others. It's up to personal preference.
>
> Why are they (the edits from moderators and high reputation users) consider better? How does the edits that would have been rejected when made by a new user or user with a low reputation be accepted when moderators and high reputation users?
>
>
>
Please don't take it wrong. Edits done by moderators and high reputation users (2000+ reps who can edit freely) are not *always* considered better. Sometimes they still make mistakes (I believe I did) because they are humans too! However, their edits are automatically applied instead of being put into a review, so they might look like "better".
However, consider the previous guideline from the help center: "*Tiny, trivial edits are discouraged*".
Since users having less than 2000 reps get their edits reviewed by other users, consider choosing and editing posts that *really* need to be fixed. For really minor typo and grammatical issues, you might be better in posting a comment to let the OP or other users fix them.
---
>
> **Fun fact**: I learned today that Community is able to reject edit.
>
>
>
The Community (bot) user is able to reject edit when either an edit conflict happens (an edit suggestion is overridden by other user's edit), or when someone chooses "Reject and Edit" from the review. On the other hand, it is also able to approve edit when someone chooses "Improve Edit".
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> How does the edits that would have been rejected when made by a new user or user with a low reputation be accepted when moderators and high reputation users?
>
>
>
Users with 2000 or above reputation points (henceforth as privileged editor) are granted a *[privilege](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/edit)* where their edits take place immediately. The system *trusts* a user with such reputation, and thus, no longer puts their edits into a review queue. To put it simply, they are auto-approved by the system instead of reviewers. In case you find the criteria of points inadequate or arbitrary you can raise you issue on network's [meta](https://meta.stackexchange.com/).
All edits from sub-2k reputation (rep) users go into a review queue, and many reviewers consider it a [waste of their time](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/169348/286110) (remember, they do this voluntarily) when trivial edits are introduced and the post still needs a fix. They naturally expect a sub-2k rep editor to substantially fix a post in a single instance. Furthermore, since the system rewards sub-2k rep editors with 2 points for a successfully approved edit, the expectation is further high to ensure such editor doesn't end up gaming the system. Privileged editors do not earn rep for their edits.
That been said, content editing guidelines are applicable to all (with some modifications as introduced through guidelines' interpretation). If a privileged editor introduces trivial changes in a post which is in need of a substantial fix than ***they are making bad edits***. However, a trivial edit (misspelling, typos and such) can be accepted if the post is already clear in understanding, in formatting and in grammar. If you come to notice a bad edit from anyone, than regardless of yours and their reputation points, you should consider *kindly and responsibly* notifying that editor (ideally via chat but can also be through comments) about the fixes needed. Responsibly means that you should fix the post yourself before highlighting the mistakes to that editor.
Some reads you would find useful:
* [Why are trivial edits discouraged?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/214892/286110)
* [Do small title edits constitute trivial edits?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/159983/286110) - I prefer this when reviewing a post
* [Editing posts that contain salutations or other edits that could be considered “minor”](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/140009/286110)
* [Should 'Hi', 'thanks', taglines, and salutations be removed from posts?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2950/should-hi-thanks-taglines-and-salutations-be-removed-from-posts) - I suppose you have already read this
* [What do I put in the edit summary if I edit a question to remove “Thanks”-like text?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/183677/286110)
* [Is 2000 Rep really needed to change one letter?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/164169/286110)
* [How to fix one letter typos?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/169348/286110)
* [How to overcome “Edits must be at least 6 characters”?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/81522/286110)
* [Should we edit spelling mistakes or not?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/98517/286110)
* [Review of minor suggested edits](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/78321/286110)
* [Key points to remember while editGaming the edit system with tiny edits?ing a post](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/152929/286110)
* [Proper editing practices](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/169769/286110)
* [Editing policy is contradictory and unclear](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/138267/286110)
>
> Why are they (the edits from moderators and high reputation users) consider better?
>
>
>
Experience with qualitative edits help in making the posts better (barring few exceptions). Usually, an editor would also be a content contributor, hence, the user would have both an increase in reputation and editing experience in parallel. So by the time they start making significantly, and at times, incredibly good edits, it is natural for an unsuspecting user to assume high-reputation user is equivalent of a qualitative editor.
However, this is not always the case, and so, all edits, in my opinion, should ideally be reviewed at some point. Some are already done so by reviewers through edit queue, and some others by members of this community (henceforth as members) manually by checking the revisions to ensure that both reviewers and editors (regardless of points) are making only qualitative edits. Both type of reviews are voluntary. While the first one grants a recognition (badges and review counts in profile) and is relatively easy to do because of the tools available from the system, the latter is rather tedious and doesn't incentivise a member at all.
The criteria of what constitutes a better edit is available in the help page of each site in summary and explained in various posts on [Meta StackExchange](https://meta.stackexchange.com/search?tab=votes&q=%5Bsuggested-edits) (read highly voted posts). It is open to interpretation and I use the [opinion](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/159983/286110) of jmort253 *et al* when reviewing a post. Since *there is no rejection of edits from privileged editors*, I simply make an edit on top of their edits or from an earlier revision when needed be. If the edit is destructive in intent I notify a user in comments. This is also voluntary for each privileged editor.
---
Now, for the editing part. Please consider using backticks (`) only for code and code-like texts. Backticks reduces readability when used outside of aforesaid texts. In this meta question, Skip does not qualify to be used with backticks. If you end up using backticks a lot in a single edit without a need, a reviewer may get irked and simply reject the edit.
Second, it is deemed unnecessary to fix misspelling or typos in many posts. Our site, unfortunately, receives a lot of posts which are in need of substantial fixes. It is better to focus your efforts on something which can be greatly improved. It would benefit us as well reward your conscience (possibly) that you did something more helpful today. :)
And finally, see [why does the Community user approve and reject edits?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/184992/286110).
Upvotes: 3 |
2019/08/20 | 1,631 | 6,144 | <issue_start>username_0: I have increasingly become occupied by matters which have taken a hit on my overall contribution to help increase the quality content on our site. While I'm greatly thankful to everyone who has been contributing here regardless of the question quality issues, I still want to do something better on my part (besides doing my job as a moderator).
Some moons ago I started raising bounty on answers and questions which I believe are highly insightful to the matter they dealt with. In my humble opinion, I believe this is one of the good ways to not only appreciate good content materially, but also encourage a contributor to remain engaged with our site, and bring more useful, insightful and quality content in time.
I well very understand that reputation points should not be the primary aim of a person to contribute here (as that may lure them towards acts which could invite disciplinary action on their accounts), but I also know that the +X green notification in the top bar does feel rewarding and encouraging at times.
With this in mind, I invite all the members of our community to share posts, be they answers or questions, which they believe are worthy of appreciation.
---
Criteria for post selection
===========================
Here's the criteria that you *may use* to judge the content of an answer:
* the content cannot easily be found or compiled from the internet;
* the content proved *significant* to help increase your knowledge base or skill set;
* the content deals more with fundamentals of a concept, and hacks, instead of merely mentioning some X program's usage;
* the content to your satisfaction answers the question.
And here's the criteria that you *may use* to judge the content of a question:
* the issue cannot easily be solved by doing web search (including advanced Google search);
* the issue pertains to a problem with the OS (even if OEM skin specific) or a concept, than just being with an app;
* the asker has attempted to at least exhaust options to address their problem themselves;
* when the above criteria are met and the asker has significantly low reputation points to raise a bounty on their own;
---
How to share a post?
====================
**One post One suggestion**
For answer posts, post an answer below like this prefixed by ###:
>
> ### Bounty proposal for the [Answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/28315) to [How to fully backup non-rooted devices?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/28296)
>
>
>
For question posts, simply link the question encapsulated by its heading prefixed by ### like this:
>
> ### Bounty proposal for the Question: [How to fully backup non-rooted devices?](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/28315)
>
>
>
You are free to mention the name of the contributor and why you believe a bounty should be considered by community members for that post.
**Note:** when a bounty has been successfully awarded, please edit the relevant answer post below and highlight at the top "Bounty awarded" followed, *optionally*, by the bounty issuer's name.
---
When to award a bounty?
=======================
Being a free (as in freedom) member you can give bounty to any post you deem fit at anytime (subjected to rules of Stack Exchange). The answers below are only meant to bring to our *"attention"* the content (and the contributors) as a centralized repository of content we value.
---
Notes
=====
* given that our consistent answer contributors are a handful in strength, multiple posts from a contributor are eligible. Furthermore, a contributor is free to suggest their own answers (not questions) if they believe their answer meets the criteria.
* I personally want to focus more on users who are sub-2k and sub-3k reputation because those are the checkpoints that grants rights to engage more on the moderation side and feel genuinely as being an important part of the functioning of the site without necessarily relying on the moderators, as is the case with flagging.
* this whole idea stands upon voluntary contribution, so there shall be no moral mandate on any user, regardless of their reputation and moderation rights, to raise a bounty.<issue_comment>username_1: **Status**: Bounty awarded, on Sept 5, 2019.
---
### Bounty proposal for the [Answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/204765/3573) to [How to export a list as Text of all Play Store Apps that I have ever installed](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/204752/3573)
The closest topics I can find is [How can I export a list of currently installed applications to a file?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/9824/3573) which covers existing apps on device, and you still need the device to be useful, or depend on an ever changing [Play Store website](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/49694/3573). A online search bringing up non-StackExchange site show similar results.
The prior usage of Google Takeout was for [GDPR data removal](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/196694/3573) or [Contact extraction](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/189118/3573), so the usage of Google Takeout for App list extraction is at least novel.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: **Status**: Bounty awarded on 18 Nov 19 by user username_3
---
### Bounty proposal for the [Answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218469/96277) to [How to stop apps writing to “Android” folder on the SD card?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/214288/96277)
**Reason**: user Irfan's answer is well researched and comprehensive. It deserves recognition.
In addition, it gives a good top level view and in depth treatment thus suitable for casual and serious enthusiasts.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: **Status:** Bounty awarded on 05/01/20 by username_3
---
**Bounty** for the **[answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219884/131553)** to **[SELinux permissive kernel - is it a security risk?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/219821/131553)**
**Reason:** Thanks Irfan for demystifying and helping me take an informed decision. I ended up flashing SELinux permissive kernel with the device having SELinux Enforcing
Upvotes: 1 |
2020/03/05 | 1,144 | 4,258 | <issue_start>username_0: 2020 has come! But… oops, where did the time go? It’s already March! Belated as it is, it’s time for a refresh of **Community Promotion Ads**!
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertisements to be shown.
### Why do we have Community Promotion Ads?
This is a method for the community to control what gets promoted to visitors on the site. For example, you might promote the following things:
* interesting or fun Android apps
* cool events or conferences
* anything else your community would genuinely be interested in
The goal is for future visitors to find out about *the stuff your community deems important*. This also serves as a way to promote information and resources that are *relevant to your own community's interests*, both for those already in the community and those yet to join.
### Why do we reset the ads every year?
Some services will maintain usefulness over the years, while other things will wane to allow for new faces to show up. Resetting the ads every year helps accommodate this, and allows old ads that have served their purpose to be cycled out for fresher ads for newer things. This helps keep the material in the ads relevant to not just the subject matter of the community, but to the current status of the community. We reset the ads once a year, every December.
The community promotion ads have no restrictions against reposting an ad from a previous cycle. If a particular service or ad is very valuable to the community and will continue to be so, it is a good idea to repost it. It may be helpful to give it a new face in the process, so as to prevent the imagery of the ad from getting stale after a year of exposure.
### How does it work?
The answers you post to this question *must* conform to the following rules, or they will be ignored.
1. All answers should be in the exact form of:
```
[![Tagline to show on mouseover][1]][2]
[1]: http://image-url
[2]: http://clickthrough-url
```
Please **do not add anything else to the body of the post**. If you want to discuss something, do it in the comments.
2. The question must always be tagged with the magic [community-ads](/questions/tagged/community-ads "show questions tagged 'community-ads'") tag. In addition to enabling the functionality of the advertisements, this tag also pre-fills the answer form with the above required form.
### Image requirements
* The image that you create must be 300 x 250 pixels, or double that if high DPI.
* Must be hosted through our standard image uploader (imgur)
* Must be GIF or PNG
* No animated GIFs
* Absolute limit on file size of 150 KB
* If the background of the image is white or partially white, there must be a 1px border (2px if high DPI) surrounding it.
### Score Threshold
There is a **minimum score threshold** an answer must meet (currently **6**) before it will be shown on the main site.
You can check out the ads that have met the threshold with basic click stats [here](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/ads/display/2599).<issue_comment>username_1: [](https://f-droid.org)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: [](https://microg.org/)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: [](https://android.izzysoft.de/ "Find apps by real-life categories!")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: [](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=net.osmand.plus)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: [](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.netguard)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [](https://email.faircode.eu/)
Upvotes: 3 |
2020/11/13 | 1,509 | 5,881 | <issue_start>username_0: I was looking at the home page:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3GsYJ.png)
The timespan is about 8 hours, but no answers and votes; views are very low either.
But on its meta, there are good amounts of votes and answers.
Older than 8 hours ago you can see in the site, again little amounts of votes and answers.<issue_comment>username_1: I think, the Android SE is one of the hardest sites to earn rep. I believe it is no good. [My answers in 2019/03](https://android.stackexchange.com/search?q=user%3A50837%20is%3Aa%20created%3A2019-03-01..2019-03-31) were created because I wanted to get to 200 on the site. The nearly complete lack of reaction (incl. lack of ups) were something what I nowhere on the SE experienced before that. I found also very hard to find answerable questions. Finally I gave up and got to 200 by edits.
The bad thing is that the site stabilized itself in a state, where its quality content is well-preserved, but on the price that it prevents its growth.
The good thing is that reaching a "critical mass", I do not close out an exponential growth in the future.
A major problem of Android, internet-wide, is the terrible amount of crap content. Anybody hunted for something in Android and also with an other technology, see this very characteristic difference. The overwhelming majority of Android content, what we can find by google searches, would be - well deservedly - quickly deleted on the Android SE.
This is an external property of the world in which we live, we can not change it, but we can adapt it. *Be the change*, suggested @beeshyams in a comment, and I think he is very right, so for you induvidually and also for us, collectively.
Having 15 rep, nothing avoids you to vote daily 40 posts up *(please do not this on the price of decreasing the quality)*, and also the site can reach a *critical mass*, where it will be known for the googlers, that the probability of getting useful information in a google search result list, is high.
Having a well-going Android SE is *our group interest*. While we apply the rules for induvidual cases, we should not only see, which action matches best the site customs. We have a significant freedom, what exactly we do, *and we should also consider, which possible action serves the best our group interest*.
I think the community is not very healthy in this sense.
We should actively work on
* To increase the chance of new users (particularly, answerers) to visit the site again. In all review/voting/edit/comment decision, we should consider this.
* To tune the content (mostly, by edits) for the googlers of the future.
My experiences are mostly positive, if I had a question, and mostly negative if I had an answer (I work a lot on the answer, and then no upvote, no comment, nothing).
A remark: There is a CM stat (based on data not available for mortals), that new users don't really bother on their scores. They want reactions. Surprisingly, not always answers - if they get *comments*, or even *edits*, it is nearly so good. And the worst effect to their re-visit is, also surprisingly, not if their posts are downvoted, but if it remains un-reacted. So, beside your vote, always give them *something* (edit, comment) which can be created only by a human. Focus your efforts to the users looking higher qualified.
I would add to that: people with 3-digit rep, want upvotes. Motivate them with your ups. Never giving ups is not better than giving always. *Reward them easily, but never reward for nothing.* Trivial math is that you inject the maximal information in the system, if your voting decisions between upvote, abstain and downvote are distributed in the 1:1:1 ratio. We don't like answer downs, an in general we want to attract people, so my suggestion is this:
**Vote about half of the posts up, abstain in half the cases, and give downs only in very obvious cases.**
---
There is another problem what I see. This is the [Count of question creation, closure and deletion events by month](https://data.stackexchange.com/android/query/1247764/count-of-question-creation-closure-and-deletion-events-by-month#graph):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kpVxG.png)
In my opinion, this stat clearly shows a site which is actively working on to prevent its own growth. I think you should dig into its reason, because this stat is simply *deadly*. Particularly the deletion spikes in 2016/10 and in early 2019 would deserve some investigation. Expelling users also prevents their future contributions to ever created, not only their posts, but also their votes.
**Dear mods, voters, anybody caused these: if a post is bad, but salvageable, it is better to leave it in that state than deleting it. The deletion closes out the possibility of improving it ever.**
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Perhaps on the SE sites where active users don't vote enough, voting should be additionally encouraged beyond the existing "You seem to never vote" tiny popup. I don't know how it should look like, but maybe a logical appeal in addition to just stating that fact, like describing how small sites like this one would actually benefit from what would seem/feel like "disproportionate" voting compared to an average active SE/SO user's voting activity, and maybe show some comparative graphs. Because whatever we have right now is clearly not working well enough, and I think it wouldn't harm to try such an experiment. Just do something, is my idea.
Also consider creating unofficial subreddits or social network groups where a freeform discussion can be had in addition to links to this site for a strict Q&A type content. I'm sure both types of users can find something in other communities.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/03/14 | 610 | 1,962 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there any suitable place where I can ask question like why my Kindle is not charging, etc? I have a question regarding the Kindle, but can't guess the right place to ask.<issue_comment>username_1: We have a site in the network dedicated to ebooks, [Ebooks Stack Exchange](https://ebooks.stackexchange.com/). [Kindle](https://ebooks.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/kindle) even is their most popular tag. Their [Help Center](https://ebooks.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) says you can ask questions like
>
> My [ereader or electronic device] isn't working because [specific problem]; how can I fix it?
>
>
>
which seems to fit your problem.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: In addition to [username_1's answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2643/44325), *Android-based* Kindle devices are also on-topic on Android.SE.
We have some tags related to Kindle devices:
* [amazon-kindle](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/amazon-kindle "show questions tagged 'amazon-kindle'")
* [amazon-kindle-fire](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/amazon-kindle-fire "show questions tagged 'amazon-kindle-fire'")
* [amazon-kindle-fire-hd](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/amazon-kindle-fire-hd "show questions tagged 'amazon-kindle-fire-hd'")
---
My personal observation regarding [Ebooks Stack Exchange](https://ebooks.stackexchange.com/), while there was a discussion about [Should Kindle Fire questions not about reading ebooks be off-topic?](https://ebooks.meta.stackexchange.com/q/147/4517) with the answer, "yes, they are off-topic", [recent questions unrelated to e-books per-se](https://ebooks.stackexchange.com/search?tab=newest&q=%5bkindle%5d%20closed%3a0%20answers%3a1%20-reader%20-readers%20-book%20-books%20-textbook%20-textbooks%20-ebook%20-ebooks%20-epub%20-page%20-pages%20-app%20-apps%20-pdf%20-read%20-rent) seem to be left opened and answered.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/09/18 | 385 | 1,486 | <issue_start>username_0: I noticed from stackexchange.com that this site gets about 11 questions per day. didn't say if they get responses. i submitted a question yesterday and it looked like it was viewed 14 times.
Does this mean that someone just doesn't have an answer or is this site very busy?<issue_comment>username_1: Only a minority of questions here get an answer. According to <https://stackexchange.com/sites#percentanswered>, 59% of the non-removed questions received an answer, and many questions are [removed due to roomba](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/355097/178179):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7riuA.png)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Not all the questions get an answer. Some questions might not get an answer because nobody knows it. Other questions might not get an answer because they are not interesting or they are not "answerable". If your questions have not get any feedback yet follow the guidance from:
[How do I get attention for one of my own questions without a good answer?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/7046/289691)
---
I just took a look to your profile. You have only one question visible. It has 0 score and three comments. The comments are preventing that your question be automatically deleted by Roomba for being abandoned.
Please bear in mind that comments might be deleted at any time as they are not intented to be permanent.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/10/14 | 584 | 2,099 | <issue_start>username_0: Just found the [linux](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/linux "show questions tagged 'linux'") tag and the excerpt said:
>
> [...] (Note that running Linux distros on Android is off-topic.) [...]
>
>
>
I can't grasp the reason for that, especially from the name of the community.<issue_comment>username_1: The wording could be improved. It would be clearer if it said something like:
>
> Questions regarding replacing Android with Linux distros are
> off-topic.
>
>
>
If you are running a variety of Linux on your hardware, then you are almost certainly not running Android.
This site is for Android, so putting Android onto a Linux box is on-topic, but not the other way around.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: [username_1's answer](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2672/44325) already gave the correct reasoning:
>
> If you are running a variety of Linux on your hardware, then you are almost certainly not running Android.
>
>
>
However, questions regarding the installation of Linux-based OS on Android devices are *still* on-topic (e.g. Linux Deploy). It is when the questions are about *operating* them, that's where the questions are off-topic because it is not about Android anymore, and the community lacks expertise about it.
As such, I've updated the excerpt to
>
> Note that questions purely about operating Linux-based OS on Android devices are off-topic.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: there are no linux "distros" one can install on any smartphone. linux has to be build especially for that device, like custom ROM and any other firmware for embedded devices - and therefore on top of android kernel. have a look into Ubuntu touch you will notice it is just a `chroot` on android.
questions are better placed on Android Enthusiasts than on the Unix & Linux site.
[https://www.xda-developers.com/ubuntu-touch-next-generation-os-or-just-another-skin](https://web.archive.org/web/20210507043024/https://www.xda-developers.com/ubuntu-touch-next-generation-os-or-just-another-skin)
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/12/22 | 3,796 | 14,684 | <issue_start>username_0: On every Stack Exchange site, there is [a Community ~~user~~ bot](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/-1/community?tab=profile) that likes to randomly bump unanswered questions. Based on my observations, we got *an almost consistent hourly bump every day*, and that might dilute the "active" tab and the homepage from more recently active questions with very old questions that usually cannot be evaluated anymore due to a few reasons.
As per [the FAQ about question bumping](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/48578/what-can-cause-a-question-to-be-bumped/48579#48579), 2 factors can be adjusted on this bot:
>
> * **The maximum number of unanswered questions bumped per hour** depends on the site: 4 per hour on Stack Overflow, 2 per hour on Super User and Server Fault, and 1 per hour on Meta Stack Exchange and all other sites.
> * Some sites have **limits on how many auto-bumped questions can appear on the homepage**. Once the limit is reached, no more questions will be bumped until one or more bumped questions disappears off the homepage.
>
>
>
As for the maximum number of unanswered questions bumped per hour, I have confirmed with the Community Manager team that the minimum is 1, so it is already the minimum possible number.
However, the other one about the limit on auto-bumped questions on the homepage is currently not set. Based on my observations, out of 50 questions, our homepage usually had **at least 20+ from community bumping only**. That was almost 40%-50% of old questions filling the homepage.
I recently tried to keep up with all the bumped questions to check if I can evaluate them. Unfortunately, in addition to the lack of knowledge, the fact that Android is so fragmented made it hard to evaluate, since one device/Android version may behave very differently from another.
So, should the community bot reduce the frequency of bumping unanswered questions?
---
This is somewhat related to a discussion in 2013, [What should we do with older questions that just aren't relevant any more?](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1505/what-should-we-do-with-older-questions-that-just-arent-relevant-any-more). While we may revisit the discussion to tackle this issue in the future, existing questions will still be bumped by the bot.<issue_comment>username_1: Considering the data from [2021: a year in moderation](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2678/44325) where the Community bot bumped 8223 in 2021, it means that on average, **around 22.5 questions were bumped every day**, which I think is excessive and polluting the homepage and "Active" questions tab.
Until today, I've still been trying to check every bumped question every day, but nothing much that I personally can do other than doing a copyedit (which bumped the same question more), deleting apps-only answers that are already obsolete, or cleaning up the comments; which doesn't really prevent the Community bot from bumping the same questions over and over. And if I don't have much time, I may ignore these bumped questions again; which, again, doesn't solve the issue.
As such, for a trial, **I'm proposing to reduce the threshold to 5 for now**. If it's still overwhelming, then we may revisit this discussion in the future.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: So, first of all, the number of posts you have bumped and active on the front page is certainly concerning and, for that reason, I'm willing to limit this but I want to talk with y'all a bit about *why* these posts are getting bumped and what that means for you as a community and your curation of the content here.
Back in October 2021 I wrote an [answer on MSO](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/412121/4548692) about when and why the Community user bumps posts and how community members should respond to that. I'd like to invite you to read it through completely but I'll quote some of the key points here.
Why does Community Bump posts?
------------------------------
First, let's talk about why Community is bumping these posts in the first place:
>
> Community bumping is something that I think has been confusing to people for a while. There's questions on MSE about it from 2011 and 2013 and even back in 2016, Shog9 started a discussion to ask [How can we make the purpose of Community "bumping" more obvious?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/279203/how-can-we-make-the-purpose-of-community-bumping-more-obvious) - in it he states:
>
>
>
> >
> > I was discussing this with my esteemed colleague jmac the other day, and it occurred to me that *we never actually hint at what we want folks to **do** when these questions are bumped.*
> >
> >
> > To be clear, the intent here is to resurface questions that *someone has attempted to answer*, but which haven't yet attracted any votes to either confirm the usefulness or decry the worthlessness of the answer(s) that've been posted. [Q&A that, above all, needs **feedback.**](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/278818/change-the-community-user-bumps-to-include-questions-with-a-negatively-scored-an/278820#278820)
> >
> >
> > ...But we don't really say this anywhere. And I strongly suspect that an awful lot of folks viewing these questions just shrug and move on.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> And... well... I think that's maybe part of the struggle I'm seeing in your question - you're frustrated (understandably) that you keep seeing posts being repeatedly bumped by Community without really understanding *why* we do this. Now, unfortunately, while there were some proposed solutions, I don't think we ever actually followed through on this.
>
>
>
When I visit your front page, I see what you do - a sea of older posts that have been bumped by the Community user and I agree - that's kinda scary.
Right now, y'all have [22,684 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions?tab=Unanswered) of which, [13,714 questions have no answers](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions?sort=MostVotes&filters=NoAnswers&edited=true) (and aren't eligible for bumping) which leaves up to **8970 questions eligible for bumping** (there's likely some in this group that don't have any answers with a score of at least 0, so the list of eligible questions is likely somewhat lower than this).
That's... a lot. But what does it mean? We've talked about why we bump questions at all... what makes a question eligible for bumping? So...
What makes a question eligible for bumping?
-------------------------------------------
It's likely that you specifically (username_1) know the answer to this but, allow me to explain because it will help me outline what I think y'all should do moving forward.
From the MSO post:
>
> First it checks the last activity date of open, non-deleted questions to see how recently Community has bumped the question (if ever). The question must be at least 30 days old and can not have been bumped (or otherwise modified) by Community in the last 120 days. This means that a question can only be bumped at most, three times per year.
>
>
> From that, it selects the top 100 question by views that that meet the following requirements:
>
>
> * not recently active
> * not closed
> * not deleted
> * score of >=0
> * no accepted answer
> * is answered and the answer/s:
> + are not deleted
> + have a max score = 0 (meaning at least one answer must have a score of zero but no answers may have a score >0).
>
>
> ... and then it randomly selects the ones it's going to bump from these 100...
>
>
>
I know that y'all should be able to create an SEDE query using these limiters to identify exactly how many questions there are, if you like. I'm just somewhat useless at SQL.
Some stats
----------
When I was digging in internal SEDE to find a query that could identify a list of the questions that qualify for bumping (which I didn't find), I did find a query that Shog wrote that identifies the impact of bumping on a question - how many bump events happened, what percentage of those bumps were "effective" (meaning they led to an upvote on an answer or new answer), and how many received a vote or answer.
I ran the query network-wide and identified that there's 21 sites sitting about where you are in posts bumped. Based on math, it seems that the most number of posts that can be bumped in the course of a year is 8760 (365\*24) unless that site has more than one post being bumped per hour. So, out of that max, you've had posts bumped 8196 times in the last year.
So, again, y'all are being inundated and, unlike many of the other sites, your questions per day is likely lower, so the number of questions being bumped is significantly more visible. As far as effectiveness of bumps goes - since we don't adequately explain why we bump, it's generally low everywhere - for sites in the 8.1k-8.3k/year they range in effectiveness from 1.4% to 20.5%. Y'all sit at 4.6% which is only higher than six others, so you're on the low end of that spread.
That said, on sites with significantly fewer bumps, the percentages of them getting some engagement is much higher, often in the 20-50% range, which indicates that reducing the number of bumps *might* increase engagement in the posts that are bumped.
My hope is that by understanding why we bump questions we might be able to work towards a solution that will address reducing the number of eligible questions and the number of bumps happening so that, eventually, y'all can remove the restriction entirely and still not feel overwhelmed by bumped questions.
Solutions
---------
I can't promise that any solution will absolutely fix this issue but I can definitely make some suggestions. I'll start with the guidance that I posted on MSO because, even though there may be some special considerations here based on this question and the linked one, I think it's still a good place to start and something anyone reviewing bumped questions should keep in mind.
>
> What I'm getting out of this all is that Community bumps are... a sort of unofficial, poorly-explained review queue. They're a way we've come up with to get people to look at older content and see if it has value - so, knowing that, what *should* you do?
>
>
> The first thing worth considering is whether you have the domain expertise to judge the questions and answers - if not, then it's probably best to leave it for someone else to review. Let's assume you do have that expertise:
>
>
> 1. Look at the question first - is it a good question and not a duplicate?
> * Yes! (go to 2)
> * No! You have two options, you can do one or both of them:
> + Close - closed questions will not be bumped. (requires more than one person)
> + Downvote - negatively-scoring questions will not be bumped. (most effective if post has a score of 0)
> 2. Look at the zero-score answers one at a time and repeat as necessary.
> * If you can confirm the answer is good and correct, upvote - if at least one answer has a score of >= 1, the question will not be bumped.
> * If you can confirm the answer is low quality or incorrect, downvote - if all answers have a score <0, the question will not be bumped.
> * If you are unsure, skip. Best not to vote if you can't adequately judge the answer.
>
>
>
This is all well and good for standard issues with bumped posts. And I'd guess that it might be enough for some of your posts. To some degree, this may be an issue of reduced voting behaviors or (as you indicate in the question) the content is often niche enough that it's difficult to validate whether answers are correct or not.
While I don't know that I have a solution for that situation, what I would offer is a solution for the situation [described in the linked meta question](https://android.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1505/what-should-we-do-with-older-questions-that-just-arent-relevant-any-more). The answer seems to indicate that the old, irrelevant questions are bad but that there's no appropriate close reason for them, so nothing should be done... why don't we do something?
Right now you have three community-specific close reasons which is the most we make available by default. If y'all can start a discussion around requesting a new close reason for obsolete questions that can't be answered any more, that's something I'm willing to consider. [Y'all don't use the Android-independent close reason that much](https://android.stackexchange.com/tools/question-close-stats?daterange=last90days) (10k rep link) - only 10 times in the last 90 days - but you do likely use it enough that it's worth keeping.
This sort of close reason could be somewhat controversial but if it's honestly the case that the questions are about an Android device or version of Android so old that it renders the questions unanswerable, I think I'm willing to go along with it - assuming that y'all feel like it's a good option. Since closing these questions will make them ineligible for bumping, this will allow some cleanup of content that may not be useful, even from a historical standpoint.
The most similar close reason that I'm aware of is one on Ask Ubuntu called "End of standard support or end of life release" - essentially, they don't support questions that are about Ubuntu if the version is no longer supported. They leave existing questions open but close new questions about that version if they are asked on the site.
What y'all could do - since I know that a strict cutoff may be difficult, is work on making some rules around how these questions can be closed - eventually. For example, if a question is asked about a device or OS version that's no longer supported, leave it for some amount of time - say, a year - and if it doesn't get an answer or if an answer isn't upvoted or the question is inactive, close the question. At that point it's unlikely the asker will still find value in an answer to the question and, if the question score and views are low, it's unlikely to be useful to anyone else.
That said, I want to emphasize, I don't recommend closing older questions that have good, validated answers - only those that are of little value due to having no, or no good answers.
While some of these may then be [deleted by Roomba](https://android.stackexchange.com/help/roomba) once they're closed, they'll stick around if the question or one of the answers has a score of at least 1.
---
Anyway, for now, you're getting a reprieve - I've lowered the setting to 5 max on the front page but please - **please** - consider finding a way to get rid of this old content that's likely not benefitting anyone.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/26 | 1,708 | 6,993 | <issue_start>username_0: Back in December 2022, an AI chatbot [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/) was released to the public. It is really sophisticated that it can also answer many kinds of questions, regardless if it is *factually correct or wrong*.
It has been [banned on Stack Overflow](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/421831/temporary-policy-chatgpt-is-banned) and made [official](https://stackoverflow.com/help/gpt-policy) due to the disruption it caused. [Another discussion on the main Meta](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/384396/ban-chatgpt-network-wide) concluded with [a staff stating "*we hope that folks on network sites feel comfortable establishing per-site policies responsive to their communities' needs.*"](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/385002/241919)
---
Since then, there were a few users (ab)using ChatGPT by posting their responses as answers as-is without mentioning the source. Currently, these have been deleted as plagiarism (as per our help center, [How to reference material written by others](https://anime.stackexchange.com/help/referencing)).
Moving forward, how should these kinds of AI-generated posts, including answers *and questions*, be treated in this community?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> How should we treat ChatGPT (and other AI-generated) posts?
>
>
>
Just like any other answer, i.e. upvote if good, downvote if bad, flag if useless. See my answer [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/384405/178179) for my rationale.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I vote for a NO for bot generated posts1.
(1) Our question authors' base consists of users who know nothing about what Android is, to the people who writes code for the Android OS itself, and everything between that.
(2) The devices these askers' use; their Android versions; each having many undocumented tweaks and configurations with no commonality between two different devices from same vendor; each device receiving some update that suddenly breaks consistency with no explanation available anywhere;
(3) Both (1) and (2) pose a serious problem for us regular answerers whose strength in numbers is largely insignificant.
Why did I bother mentioning that?
(A) When an author from (1) asks a question we are given a block of text that is missing requisites. We often need device related info, and we need to seek clarification on what is acceptable as a solution and what is not; furthermore, because of the problems of (2) we often have to tailor our solution to non-generic2 problems; we sometimes have to use trial and error until a solution emerges that is acceptable to the asker; on top of that, we answerers come to know that some new Android version or app has made changes that reduces the usefulness of our answer. So we now gotta test out solution again, or delete it, or mark it as a note that it won't work for this or that version.
(B) Either way, we answerers know what we are doing. Our solutions work. And we take guarantee that our solution was tested on a specific environment with particular specifications. This eliminates blind guesswork in the answer. We strive to work precisely. Posting only what works, and making a note on what might not work or why it won't work.
It's just that when a human posts a bot generated post:
(C) they never bother to figure out the problem statement like we do now. Being slapped with a generic answer to a question that needs a non-generic solution, I think *it would annoy the asker*. Such a thing would definitely infuriate the hell out of me if I put myself into asker's position;
(D) **Bots make guesswork**. one pattern in bot generated posts I have seen so far here is that the human poster has no idea what is correct and what is not in that answer. They don't even grasp the question sometimes. Said otherwise, the user is doing a copy-paste having no idea if the answer would even work or not. This is no different from guesswork based answers we sometimes receive. I despise guesswork personally. A guesswork post ought to inform the reader in the beginning that the post is a guesswork and is tested on nothing! An answer reader can save their time and preserve their sanity that way.
(E) **Bots breed ignorance**. Since a human user merely copy-pastes a bot-generated post it is natural that when confronted about the accuracy, completeness, correctness, or just about a clarification on any particular instruction in the post, the answerer would try to defer answering hoping that the matter dies down, or they might after some probable struggle and fight simply accept that it is a bot-generated post and that they cannot explain what is being asked there. Either way, this would be a collosal waste of time of the asker, a site vistor, and us reviewers. *I decline to have my time be expended on something where a human cannot explain the stuff they have written*.
(F) **Plagiarism is a weak criteria**. The problems mentioned in (C), (D) and (E) won't go away merely because the human user posts a note attributing the text to whichever bot created it.
(G) **Signals low-quality question**. If a bot generated post answers the question to asker's satisfaction than we have a known problem. The problem that the asker did not do sufficient search on the net. Such a question would be no different from one whose answer is just one web-search query away from their favorite search engine (otherwise known as LMGTFY). In that case, the question is low-quality and relevant site policy ought to be applied there.
I do provide a solution to the human users who think that they are trying to "help" by posting bot-generated posts. Given commenting privileges, they can post a link in the comments to their preferred bot which in their opinion can answer the given question. If the suggestion works than it is proof enough that the question is low-quality, and if it doesn't then we at least won't have to read the garbage ourselves!
All in all, I say NO. We should not accept bot generated posts.
---
My personal policy: I currently treat these posts as spam and deal with them that way. I care not if the answer somehow works. It gets deleted by my diamond. That's just it. Of course if the consensus here emerges to keep these posts, than I would use that policy.
---
1. A bot generated post is a post created by technologies which are often referred to as some sort of AI. I use the term "bots" to refer to front-ends of these technologies.
2. To me a non-generic problem is any problem where a custom tailored solution is needed. The opposite is where one answer applies to all related questions. For example, "How does Android's Virtual Machine works" is a generic question. It can be answered once and all related questions can be marked duplicate to it. However, "My Redmi XYZ device automatically restarts after last OTA update? How do I fix this?" is a non-generic problem. The solution to that is not guaranteed to work on other devices.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 3,738 | 13,450 | <issue_start>username_0: This is a common question by those who have just rooted their phones. What apps, ROMs, benefits, etc. do I get from rooting? What should I be doing now?<issue_comment>username_1: **Things that Require Root**
============================
Root File Explorers
-------------------
You can remount your `/system/` directory read-write, which will allow you to [remove carrier-shipped applications](http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Barebones) you don't like and so on. Root file explorers can allow you to view all folders on your phone, such as `/data/` which is normally protected.
* [Mount /system RO/RW](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blogspot.superthomaslab.mountsystemrorw)
* [Root Explorer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer)
* [ES File Explorer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop)
Patching Apps
-------------
With root access you can patch other apps to gain special access to functions, or removal of self-protection for some apps.
* [Freedom](https://in-appstore.com/android/) - Get iAP (in-App Purchase) for free! Buy diamonds, rubies and Pro unlocks without real money. Note: Legal restrictions may apply depending on your country/region.
* [Lucky Patcher](https://www.luckypatchers.com/download/) - Patch apps so that they don't require Google Play Services / displays no more ads / automatically become Pro version / work at certain DPI... There's many you can do with Lucky Patcher and there's even a bunch of patches provided already.
Moving & Removing Apps
----------------------
Access to /system also means you can move apps or updates to system apps from /data to /system (with caution!), if the partition has enough space.
* [Titanium Backup](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup) - Back up all of your applications and data. Also allows you to uninstall or freeze system apps, integrate updates into your ROM to save space, move apps to SD, and more.
* [apps2rom](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lrenault.tools.apps2rom&hl=en) - does for free what the pro version of titanium backup does: lets you move apps to the system partition.
* [Bloatfreezer](http://www.bloatfreezer.com/) - Freeze or remove system apps
* [Link2SD](http://www.link2sd.info/faq) - Move (system) applications to a second partition in SD card, liberating loads of free space in `/system` partition.
Note that moving apps to the sdcard has risks and cons, and should be undertaken only if space is needed. Most modern devices have enough memory for many apps (16GB+), providing that photos/videos/music are stored on an external sdcard.
Tethering
---------
Some devices already have Wi-Fi tethering out-of-the-box, like the Samsung Galaxy S, so this isn't such a big deal on them unless the carrier charges for the feature.
* [Android Wi-Fi Tether](http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/)
* ~~[Wireless Tether](http://www.appbrain.com/app/android.tether)~~
Screenshots & screen recording
------------------------------
root is needed for screenshots before 4.0-Ice Cream Sandwich.
Most pre-lollipop screen recorders also require root.
* [ShootMe](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.bw.picme.local)
* [Drocap2](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmail.drocap.drocap2)
Backups
-------
* [Titanium Backup](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup) - Back up all of your applications and data. Also allows you to uninstall system apps, integrate updates into your ROM to save space, and so on.
* [ClockworkMod Recovery (ROM Manager)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.rommanager) - Usually requires root to install via ROM Manager. Allows you to backup the entire device, including your ROM, as well as flash new ROMs and other advanced tasks.
There are also many apps that claim to make a full nandroid backup.
Application/Network Control
---------------------------
* [AdFree](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.bigtincan.android.adfree) - Removes ads by changing the hosts file (so both ads in apps and in browser)
* [Adaway](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190753) - Also blocks in-app adds.
* [Droid Wall](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode.droidwall.free) - Firewall application. Got an app that's using up all your data when you're not even using it? Block it with this!
* [Orbot](https://www.torproject.org/docs/android.html) - Tor app
* [Cache Mate](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aac.cachemate.demo) - Clear cache of all apps
* [Droid VNC Server](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.onaips.vnc) - Connect to your phone via VNC
* [LBE Security Master](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security) - Selectively revoke permissions from app
* [Button Savior](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smart.swkey) - Helps to add on screen button to compensate a failure of a physical button.
* [ClockSync](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync) - to automatically sync the device's time with few predefined atomic clocks.
Xposed Framework
----------------
The Xposed framework allows apps with advanced tweaking functionality to be installed.
* GravityBox (for Android [4.2](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.ceco.gm2.gravitybox) [4.4](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.ceco.kitkat.gravitybox) [5.0 5.1](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.ceco.lollipop.gravitybox) [6.0](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.ceco.marshmallow.gravitybox)) - An app that provides many system tweaks.
* [XInstaller](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.pyler.xinstaller) - Various tweaks for Package Installer.
* [XHangouts](http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.versobit.kmark.xhangouts) - Improved version of google hangouts.
* ~~XWhatsApp~~ - Mod for the popular whatsapp messenger.
* [XPrivacy](http://repo.xposed.info/module/biz.bokhorst.xprivacy) - Finegrained app control.
CPU Control
-----------
* [SetCPU](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mhuang.overclocking) - Control the processor speed of the phone, can also setup profiles. It allows underclocking based on conditions, e.g. underclock to 125mhz when screen is turned off. It dramatically increases battery life without affecting performance (when you're actually using apps / the phone) or can improve performance via overclocking.
* [Overclock Widget](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.freecoder.widgets.overclock) - Similar to SetCPU but less functional
Enable swap file / partition
----------------------------
* [ROEHSOFT RAM-EXPANDER (SWAP)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swapit.expander.de) - Use SD card for more RAM.
* ~~[Memory Swapper Free](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Memory_Swapper_Free_120510) - support swap file.~~
Advanced and Miscellaneous
--------------------------
* [ROM Manager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.rommanager) - Facilitates installing new ROMs with ClockworkMod Recovery, and allows you to back up your entire device (ROM + apps + data) and other advanced tasks.
* [Quick Boot](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.siriusapplications.quickboot) - Allows you to reboot into recovery or the bootloader / Download Mode.
* ~~[LED Hack](http://www.appbrain.com/app/net.geekherd.softbuttonshack) - Disable LED on phone~~ (no longer available on Android Market)
* Lag fixes - Various tweaks and filesystem changes to speed up your phone or prevent issues with your phone pausing / freezing temporarily. These are particularly useful on some Samsung phones that use an RFS filesystem. An Ext4 lagfix like [Voodoo](http://project-voodoo.org/) is recommended, but there are also Ext2 lagfixes like [RyanZA's One Click Lag Fix](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=784691) which also allows you to change advanced memory, Wi-Fi, and disk scheduling options.
* [TRIM](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fifthelement.trimmer) - Some older kernels do not have TRIM.
* [StickMount](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.stickmount) - Automatically mount USB flash drives, keyboards, mouse via [USB OTG](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go) cable.
* [BusyBox](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=stericson.busybox&hl=en) - Makes terminal emulators feel more like linux.
* Sideloading apps. Most carriers/phones allow this option but AT&T does not.
ROMs
----
Though root is not required for flashing new ROMs, many apps that make it easier do require root.
[CyanogenMod](http://www.cyanogenmod.com/) is a very popular rom that many people put on their phones. It is also easy to install via the [ROM Manager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.rommanager) app. First install the Clockwork recovery. **Then run a backup before you flash any roms.**
Also check out ["Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my device"](/q/17152) or [the XDA forums](http://forum.xda-developers.com/) for other custom roms. Most devices have a specific "Android Development" sub-forum where ROMs are posted.
*Always do a nandroid backup before installing any rom or mod!* You may also need to wipe all data and cache from your phone before installing or upgrading a ROM.
**Custom Kernels**
One popular set of kernels is those provided by [ChevyNo1](http://chevyno1.richstevenson.com/froyo/kernels/). You can also download them via the premium version of the ROM Manager. **Make a nandroid (ClockworkMod) backup before using these kernels!** You'll also want to get SetCPU to make the most out of these kernels.
Start with the low voltage kernels at the lowest speed and work your way up to the 1.2GHz. If your phone is stable up to the 1.2GHz range, then try some of the ultra low voltage kernels. If you start getting force closes, then switch back to a low voltage kernel.
Basically each phone (of the same phone brand/model) varies by which kernel it can handle due to the manufacturing differences between processors. So I may have a Motorola Droid that can run ultra low voltage kernels and yours may not be able to run them. These phones weren't necessarily designed to run like this.
Upvotes: 9 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In few words, rooting an Android system means overcome the limitations that were imposed over it by the manufacturer. People may want that for different reasons, but the main one is **freedom**. Having a rooted phone means you've got all the control over your device.
The main reason people root phones is to install a **custom ROM**. Custom ROMs are often known for improvements in performance and exclusive features that are not present on manufacturer ROMs, like installing apps on sdcard or taking [screenshots](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9289/why-does-taking-a-screen-shot-require-root-access). Custom ROMS can also become a system update alternative for those devices that were abandoned by their manufacturers. You can see a review of popular ROMS, as an example, [here](http://www.androidcentral.com/reviews/rom-review).
Rooting Android also allows you to [uninstall stock apps](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6851/how-can-i-uninstall-applications-that-are-locked-by-phone-vendor) that you don't use or don't want, besides those that violates user's privacy (see *[CarrierIQ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarrierIQ#Rootkit_discovery_and_media_attention)*). Another main reason for doing that is to gain more space on internal storage.
A rooted device lets you install almost any app that requires root access. Those apps generally aim to do something that would not be possible without that privilege. A lot of useful apps were shown on the previous answer, but you may find a lot more available on Google Play. You can find a list of good apps [here](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1633386).
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: Google is trying to reduce the need for rooting by improving the permitted system services. Nowadays screenshots, screen recording and tethering typically don't require root.The reasons I can think of to still root:
* To uninstall and/or backup default apps.
* To move files and apps around without restrictions.
+ Copy/paste/unzip anywhere with a root explorer.
+ Integrate/migrate apps from your `/data` partition to the `/system` partition in order to save space and preserve them from factory resets.
+ Edit your system hosts file to block ads (adaway). Edit your icon resource file (txt) to include a launcher icon for your favorite app. Etc.
* To run programs with more power:
+ More Tasker functionality
+ Better power management with apps like Greenify.
+ Hook into any app or resource with Xposed.
- Ricing (gravitybox)
- Adding unofficial features to the Youtube (or other popular-) app.
- Fine grained app permission management with Xprivacy.
+ Run command line utilities (busybox) like (re)mounting your filesystems, or scanning all partition files to see what takes up space.
+ Reverse tethering (use my laptop/desktop internet via usb or wifi)
+ Change CPU performance policies.
+ Online flashing of a new image to storage, or make a full backup. The non-root way involves recovery/fastboot methods.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/13 | 308 | 1,166 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Google Nexus One with Android 2.2. I didn't like the default SMS-application so I installed Handcent-SMS. Now when I get an SMS, I get notified twice. How can I fix this?<issue_comment>username_1: You can turn off notification in your stock Messaging application by going into the settings dialog (Menu button -> Settings) and unchecking Notifications
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Open the default messaging application, click the menu button and then Settings. Scroll down and disable **Notifications**.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The clearest answer I've seen is here: <http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-applications/8328-how-guide-disable-double-notifications-when-using-handcent-sms.html>
Quoting:
1. Open the "messaging" from the app drawer
2. Push the "menu" button(the 2nd button from left on the bottom of your Droid
3. Click SETTINGS
4. Scroll down and UNCHECK "Notifications"
5. To futher disable the mssaging app you can UNCHECK " Auto-Retrieve"(this prevents the "Messaging" App from even downloading messages.
6. Exit the app. Rejoice. Live long and Prosper. Yay!
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/13 | 1,201 | 4,346 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to send two contacts (name+phone nr) to one of my contacts. This is a simple menu-option on my old Sony Ericsson.
How can I do this on Android?
I'm not in the same building as the receiver so I can not use Bluetooth.<issue_comment>username_1: Surprisingly, you need a third party app.
<http://www.appbrain.com/app/shareContacts.NS.com>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Is there an add text > contact option when writing an sms?
I can do that in Galaxy S 2.1
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: On HTC Desire HD (Froyo) whilst composing an SMS: **Menu** > **Attach** > **Contact(vCard)**
Or is that a HTC Sense feature?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: A new app from an XDA developer just hit the market: [Share Contacts](https://market.android.com/details?id=isoftmagic.share.contact)
>
> Share Contacts is an application to Send and Receive Contacts via SMS.
> It provides facility to pic contacts from phone, customise it and send business card by SMS.
> It can recognize the messages having business cards and provide facility to save them in Phone.
>
>
> Here are main features of application:
>
>
> * Send contacts by SMS.
> * Pick up contact information from saved contacts.
> * Send customised information.
> * Filter SMS with Business Cards.
> * Retrieve contact information from SMS.
> * Save retrieved contact information into Phone contacts.
> * Add contact with Google Sync.
> * Integrated with Phone application.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I know this isn't exactly what you are looking for but I have been using ChompSMS for over a year now, and it's super awesome anyway, if you use that then there is a little plus icon to the left of the text input, clicking on it brings you a list of picture emoticons, saved templates, and contact insertion.
Another option is going to view contact in your phone book and then clicking menu and then share, but I think you were looking to send the info via sms which this doesn't appear to do on my htc inc w/ cy 7.03
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: In your SMS app, click Settings => Add text => Contacts, then select your contact and press send.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Another third-party app for this, which I prefer: [Contacto's (share contacts)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.movinapp.contactos)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: For users with Ice Cream Sandwich:
==================================
Using the stock messaging app, you can attach contacts to the message either on "Text" or "vCard" formats.
When writing the message:
-------------------------
1. Touch the device "menu";
2. Touch "Attach";
3. Touch "Contact";
4. Touch the desired method.
You will then be presented with your contacts list to select the desired contact.
  
*Screenshots taken from LG-P700 running Android v4.0.3.*
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_9: [Contact Share by SMS Lite](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dunitiapps.contactsharelite) may be for you.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_10: It's a very convenient way to send contacts in text format. Try [Contacts via Sms](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.huboltapps.contactsviasms): this app makes it easy to do so:
>
> Contacts via Sms enables you to send contacts and contact details as text via Sms (and via any other text application in next update ex: Skype, Viber, Chat, Google Drive, Dropbox, Notes etc).
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_11: Go to your contact list -> pull up your menu -> share -> then via email or SMS etc..
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: Friends,
First I would like to draw your attention that there are two application used while typing.
1. If you used option menu then there is a one tab named inserts contacts which is used for sending contacts as a test message.
2. Second function is directly appear when you are start typing as a attachments or insert which is used for sending contacts as a MMS.
Generally we are using second option because its appear on screen easily.
Just check this I hope you will find your answer.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 1,274 | 4,996 | <issue_start>username_0: Does one really need to install a task manager? My phone does slowdown on rare occasions but it's not something that hampers regular usage.<issue_comment>username_1: No, and even more so with the latest 2.2 versions of Android. I used to use them, but I've stopped and everything has been better since I stopped using a task manager/killer. There is an app called Watchdog if you'd like to be notified about a process using a ton of CPU for a long period of time, which then will give you the option to kill that run-away process.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: Sometimes when an app crashes or gets to a state that it's not response it's nice to be able to shut it down manually . . . but as for slowness issues a task manager isn't necessary as the OS itself handles multitasking better now.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: See this
~~<http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/>~~
[FAQ: Why You Shouldn’t Be Using a Task Killer with Android (geekfor.me) - xda-developers](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=678205)
>
> tl;dr version:
>
>
> * Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when more memory is needed.
> * Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when it’s done doing what it needs to do.
> * Android is hard coded to automatically kill a task when you haven’t returned to it in a long time.
> * Most services (while possibly running in the background) use very little memory when not actively doing something.
> * A content provider is only doing something when there is a notification for it to give. Otherwise it uses very little memory.
> * Killing a process when it isn’t ready only causes it to have to reload itself and start from scratch when it’s needed again.
> * Because a task is likely running in the background for a reason, killing it will only cause it to re-spawn as soon as the activity that was using it looks for it again. And it will just have to start over again.
> * Killing certain processes can have undesirable side effects. Not receiving text messages, alarms not going off, and force closes just to name a few.
> * The only true way to prevent something from running at all on your phone would be to uninstall the .apk.
> * Most applications will exit themselves if you get out of it by hitting “back” until it closes rather than hitting the “home” button. But even with hitting home, Android will eventually kill it once it’s been in the background for a while.
>
>
>
As Android was designed you don't need to kill apps.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: Yes. You should have a task-killer app, but not for the reasons you think.
I've had runaway processes (maybe watchdog can help) like google maps which then ran twice, once to kill my cpu/ram and once to actually work. I had to use the task killer to kill both instances and then run the normal one.
RARELY will you actually need to manually kill anything. But like all programs, sometimes stuff happens. I've had apps crash the entire phone and they were not running in root or anything.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: When I was running Froyo, I installed task manager not to kill tasks, but to find an easy to review list of what is running and learn more about how apps work. This seemed the easiest way to learn what was running quickly.
Now that I have Gingerbread, I just use the "running" list under applications in the settings menu.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: Ideally, you don't need a task manager for the reasons mentioned by username_3.
Random slowdowns on Android are likely from one of two sources:
* Badly programmed apps (mostly)
* Android cleaning up the memory and unloading stuff to make room (this should be only temporary, but can be very annoying on older devices or with custom ROMs)
If you experience slowdowns, and can't or don't want to uninstall the apps that cause them (or you don't know which ones it is), then a task killer can really make a difference. The same applies for older devices that don't have enough RAM.
So: it shouldn't be neccessary, but you might try it as a workaround if you have misbehaved apps on your device.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: This comprehensive, informative & easily readible article entitled *"[Android Task Killers Explained: What They Do and Why You Shouldn’t Use Them](http://lifehacker.com/5650894/android-task-killers-explained-what-they-do-and-why-you-shouldnt-use-them)"* will provide you with a quick overview of how Android handles process management on its own fairly well by default. (Essentially that a Task Manager/ Killer App is not required- it was more useful in early version of the Android OS)
The Article will explain:
* How Android Manages Processes
* Why Task Killers Are (Usually) Bad News
* What You Should Do Instead, e.g.:
+ Watch for Runaway Processes
+ Uninstall Bad Apps
+ Possibly Root Your Phone (although not necessary)
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 200 | 882 | <issue_start>username_0: When I receive a text message to my Google voice number, I get a notification from my text application, as well as the Google Voice application. It would seem that the message is being forwarded to my cell number, but I've turned off text forwarding in the Voicemail & Text settings. Is there another setting that I am missing?<issue_comment>username_1: From Google Voice settings (on the web, not the phone app), under phones, select your mobile number, and Edit. Uncheck "Receive SMS on this phone"
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Make sure you have updated to the latest version of the Google Voice application in the Market. Then open the app on your phone.
Go to: Settings > Sync and notifications. Uncheck the "Notifications via text message" box. Back all the way out, and just for good measure, reboot your phone.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 199 | 679 | <issue_start>username_0: When I am downloading large files I need to stop my phone from sleeping , how do I keep my wi-fi on when the phone is in sleep mode.<issue_comment>username_1: Go to: Settings > Wireless & networks > Wi-Fi settings.
Hit your Menu button and select Advanced. You should now see an option for changing the Wi-Fi sleep policy.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and later upto Android 5.x (Lollipop)
Goto:
>
> Settings > Wifi > Advanced (from options menu) > Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep > Always
>
>
>
For previous versions of Android(i.e. 2.x) please consider username_1's answer.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 1,173 | 3,875 | <issue_start>username_0: I removed a system app (com.android.mms) and I have the .apk needed to restore it, however it won't install through the standard channels (running the .apk gives me "application not installed"). What's the proper way to install a system app's .apk?<issue_comment>username_1: You will need to push the .apk to the phone to the System partition to the folder `/system/app` or `/system/priv-app` when using Android 4.3 using `adb`. You can find more info about `adb` here: <http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=ADB>.
In order to write to `/system` you likely have to remount it read-write:
```
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
```
Or, do it entirely from the host's ADB:
```
adb root
adb remount
```
Now you can place the `.apk`:
```
adb push my-app.apk /sdcard/
adb shell
su
cd /sdcard
mv my-app.apk /system/app
# or when using Android 4.3 or higher
mv my-app.apk /system/priv-app
```
Afterwards if the flags are not already set change the permissions. All System-Apps need to have the permissions `rw-r--r--`. You can also change them via ADB with the command `chmod 644 /path_to/your_file`. [Though it's quite old, this may help](http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-install-any-app-as-system-app-on-android/)
After you have placed the `.apk` you need to reboot your device. For example with `adb reboot`.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: note that when playing with adb you will install apps via their package file name (meaning, at the command prompt you will type >adb install myFile.apk)
but you will uninstall them via their package name (>adb uninstall com.this.that.otherthing)
You won't be able to install a package until you've uninstalled its predecessor.
It'll help to add adb to your PATH so that you can just go to the directory where the .apk file is and type adb install myFile.apk.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: You need to have the Android SDK installed (or at least a tool that's called adb).
Further you need to allow "Non Market installs" on your device.
After this is done you change to the folder that contains the file with a console.
Then connect your phone (via USB) and run `adb install appname.apk`
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: [**<NAME>**](http://www.androidauthority.com/author/carl/) writes about it on [*Android Authority*](http://www.androidauthority.com/install-user-app-as-system-app-how-to-93522/):
(partly reproduced here in case the original post goes down)
>
> **For Apps Installed on the Device**
>
>
> * Assuming you have installed the app on your device, go to the app’s
> Google Play Store link and take note of the words after “?id=” and
> ignore the rest.
> * Connect your device to the computer via USB
> cable.
> * Open the command prompt on your computer and type the following
> commands:
>
>
>
```
adb remount
adb shell
su
cd /data/app/
```
>
> * Type the command `ls appfilename*` (where “appfilename” is the app’s ID on Google Play
> Store; make sure you include the asterisk at the end). This command
> will display the app’s complete APK filename.
> * Enter the following command:
>
>
>
```
mv apk_full_filename_here /system/app/apk_full_filename_here
exit
exit
adb reboot
```
>
> * The device will now reboot. Your app is now saved as a system
> app.
>
>
> **For Apps Whose APKs Are on the PC Hard Drive**
>
>
> * Open a command prompt on your computer and navigate to where the APK
> file is located.
> * Enable USB debugging on your device and connect your
> device to the computer via USB cable.
> * Enter the following commands:
>
>
>
```
adb remount
adb push apk-filename-here /system/app/
adb shell chmod 644 /system/app/apk-filename-here
adb reboot
```
>
> Your phone will automatically reboot. Your app will now be saved as a system app.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/13 | 264 | 800 | <issue_start>username_0: How do I go about rooting my Samsung Spica?<issue_comment>username_1: The main reference resource site for modders and "cookers" of **Samsung Spica aka i5700** is at Samdroid forum board, [here](http://forum.samdroid.net/#samsung-spica-i5700-android-phone).
It contains all information you need to upgrade your firmware version, [root your phone](http://forum.samdroid.net/f28/spica-v-lk2-02-root-recovery-apps2sd-busybox-wifi-tether-etc-04-15-2010-en-624/), etc.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This rooting tutorial is much easier to follow than Samdroid's (it still uses Samdroid's method, but the tutorial is much less terse and have pictures): <http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/root-samsung-galaxy-spica-i5700-with-leshaks-kernel/>
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 334 | 1,328 | <issue_start>username_0: I've unzipped zip files for custom kernels and noticed that the majority of the files that are being applied are in a /kernel folder. However that folder is unlisted when listing the root directories using both Root Explorer and ES File Explorer. Where is this /kernel folder?<issue_comment>username_1: The kernel is part of the "boot image", which is stored in a separate partition in the flash memory, not in a normal file. See <http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=HOWTO:_Unpack,_Edit,_and_Re-Pack_Boot_Images>
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: May be you can explain a little bit more on what you are trying to do..
Also, if you can list those custom kernel files, we can help better.
If I need to flash a custom kernel, I follow below process:
1. Get the source from the git repository
2. Make my changes to the kernel source. Change could vary from adding a simple debug printk statement to adding a new driver.
3. Build the kernel source using cross-compiler toolchain
4. Change the phone to Fastboot mode (I'm talking bout G1 phone)
5. Use 'fastboot' to flash the custom kernel (zImage) using command: 'fastboot flash:raw boot zImage ramdisk.img'
6. Use 'fastboot reboot' command to reboot the phone using the new kernel
Hope there is some clarity now.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 460 | 1,902 | <issue_start>username_0: Usually I like to bring my Android phone with me when going abroad. But I use it very carefully because I know that it is very expensive to consume data traffic and roaming fees, when I'm abroad.
How do I best use my Android without getting expensive bills when coming home again?
Is there any specific settings that I should do? Any good applications or other tips that can be useful when going abroad?<issue_comment>username_1: Go to: Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks.
Make sure the "Data roaming" checkbox is unchecked. That will keep you from roaming accidentally, since you will have to enable it.
If you want to enable it and use roaming lightly, there are some apps in the Market that will track your data usage for you.
However, in my experience roaming abroad has been so expensive that even roaming for a few minutes of data is not worth it. I usually either try to find a public hotspot or get a prepaid SIM card with data.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It is a very simple tool, but I like [apndroid](http://apndroid.googlecode.com) to totally disable data while leaving basic phone functionality intact. It has a nice toggle widget.
There are also settings that can help with this. On my Nexus One, there are settings here:
Settings -> Wireless & Network Settings -> Mobile Networks
Your mileage may vary depending on your model. You can play with those settings to disable roaming or data.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: make sure to use WiFi whenever possible. No data is consumed when you're connected via the wifi antenna.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I realize this is a commercial plug, but I'm merely a happy customer, not part of the business ... anyway, I rented a SIM card from <http://iphonetrip.com>, and got data while travelling in Mexico (I live in the US). It worked well!
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/13 | 3,088 | 10,053 | <issue_start>username_0: My Android device is the Nexus One. But this should apply to all current Android devices.
**How do I change the name of my Android device?**
When I connect to my wireless router's client tables, my android devices is listed for example as: android\_1234567890abedfc. I'd like to give it a more readable name.<issue_comment>username_1: To change the hostname (device name) you have to use the terminal (as root):
For Eclair (2.1):
echo MYNAME > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname
For Froyo (2.2): (works also on most 2.3)
setprop net.hostname MYNAME
Then restart your wi-fi.
To see the change, type uname -a
*some devices needs reboot for work!*
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: I have not ran stock in a long time but in Application Settings > Development you will see the option 'Device hostname'.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I found a way to do this on my rooted Nexus 7 with 4.2.2. The setting is saved persistently and works throughout reboots.
Source: <http://nileshgr.com/2012/10/13/how-to-change-wifi-host-name-of-your-android-device>
>
> 1. Note that the device must be rooted to use adb
> 2. Run `adb pull /system/build.prop`
> 3. Edit the `build.prop` file and append `net.hostname=NewHostname`
> 4. Run `adb push build.prop /sdcard/build.prop` (or `/mnt/sdcard`, if it fails)
> 5. Run `adb shell` and execute the following commands:
>
> `$ su`
>
> `# mount -o rw,remount /system`
>
> `# cp /sdcard/build.prop /system/build.prop` (or `/mnt/sdcard` if you used that previously)
>
> `# mount -o ro,remount /system`
>
> `# exit`
> 6. Reboot the device
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Go to Google Play Store. Search for "hostname", and download **hostname changer** app.
Must be rooted.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: ### Summary:
* `getprop net.hostname` (Android System Hostname, likely android\_24412414 type name)
* `echo $HOSTNAME` (shell/terminal/env hostname, likely ro.product.device from build.prop)
* `cat /proc/sys/kernel/hostname` (Linux System Hostname, likely **localhost**)
* `head /etc/hosts` (Linux System Hostname, likely **localhost**)
* `hostname` (Command not always installed, if installed via busy box, will read **/proc/sys/kernel/hostname**)
Depends on which version of Android you have.
### Android 4.0 and Above
Newer versions will use the right `build.prop` entry. Well, that is to say, Android reads the `build.prop` as it's normal boot process. Once the Connectivity Service runs, it checks to see if net.hostname is set in the Settings, then if empty, then it uses the "android\_" + (permanent) android ID. So that's all you need to do.
**Add `net.hostname=HOSTNAMEHERE` to `/system/build.prop` (Root may be needed). Leave a blank line at the end of the file.**
[Kitkat's ConnectivityService.java, notice the IF isEmpty statement](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base.git/+/kitkat-release/services/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java):
```
// setup our unique device name
if (TextUtils.isEmpty(SystemProperties.get("net.hostname"))) {
String id = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID);
if (id != null && id.length() > 0) {
String name = new String("android-").concat(id);
SystemProperties.set("net.hostname", name);
```
### Android 2.3 and Below
Older versions, Gingerbread, Froyo, etc, just clobber it. It doesn't bother to check. It will set net.hostname to android\_24412414... no matter what. So you will need to change it after that Connectivity Service has finished loading. Luckily, it only runs the startup once, not on every new connection. So we just need to run `setprop net.hostname HOSTNAMEHERE` after that for it to stick. Unfortunately, it runs fairly late in the boot process, so you need something that will make the changes on boot\_complete. Most likely an App that runs by itself.
[Froyo's ConnectivityService.java](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base.git/+/froyo-release/services/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java):
```
// setup our unique device name
String id = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID);
if (id != null && id.length() > 0) {
String name = new String("android_").concat(id);
SystemProperties.set("net.hostname", name);
```
### But then there is another issue.
**The net.hostname setting, is not copied to the entire system!** If you use a console/terminal application, you might not get the same hostname. My phone, a Samsung Sidekick 4G (semi-Galaxy S based) has an init.rc which runs `hostname localhost`, so all underneath commands will not see either your build.prop hostname or the android\_id hostname! So you need to set that too.
>
> `hostname HOSTNAMEHERE` or `echo HOSTNAMEHERE > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname`
>
>
>
**Note: Depending on how you are doing it, you'll need to run the above command as root in order for it to work. Init.rc is typically on the read only system partition, so root access is needed to edit it.**
The dhcpcd command, which is run to get a dhcp address, will not update to a hostname provided by the server (That can be fixed by adding the right dhcpcd-run-hooks and dhcpcd.conf), and it will not provide a hostname to the dhcp server if `$(hostname)` (The hostname command) is blank or localhost, and it does not internally use net.hostname. **libnetutils is used for calling dhcpcd with -h "net.hostname", but if for some reason it decides not to call with -h, DHCPCD WILL STILL SEND THE SYSTEM HOSTNAME via gethostname(), as long as it's not "(none)", "localhost", or empty.** On Stock Froyo anyway. Samsung screwed the pooch on some devices like mine. No hostname pass through, forced network time, etc.
### My Solution for Gingerbread and below Samsung, Edit the DHCP Client Daemon config:
The last thing you can do is edit /etc/dhcpcd/dhcpcd.conf. If you add `hostname YOURHOSTNAME` to the file, it will use that, unless a hostname is given on the commandline. This won't fix the android\_234etc issue, but will if the hostname is localhost (My problem, since Samsung screwed libnetutils and localhost in init.rc). You will need Root, but this works across reboots. This won't work if dhcpcd is called with -h Hostname option.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: This works on CyanogenMod and probably other modified ROMs but not stock AOSP ROMs:
Go to **Settings > Developer Options** and scroll down to **Device Hostname**. Root is not needed.
(Click image to enlarge)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W8BMp.png)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: Hostname is used to easily identify and remember hosts connected to a network. It's set on boot, e.g. from `/etc/hostname` on Linux based systems. Hostname is also a part of `DHCPREQUEST` (standardized as [code 12](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-ietf-dhc-fqdn-option-12#section-2.1) by IETF) which a DHCP client (Android device in our case) makes to DHCP server (WiFi router) to get an IP address assigned. DHCP server stores the hostnames to offer services like DNS. See details in [How to ping a local network host by hostname?](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/215878/218526).
Android - instead of using Linux kernel's [hostname service](https://debian-handbook.info/browse/stable/sect.hostname-name-service.html) - used property `net.hostname` (since Android [2.2](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/de8383ca312c03fa8e935ac1549ae31ce668652c)) to set a unique host name for every device which was based on `android_id`. This hostname property was used for DHCP handshake (as added in Android [2.2](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/+/9363b7d5da7e17842432251384f8dc46902ac323) and [4.0](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/dhcpcd/+/e86eee143ed21592f88a46623a81f71002430459/dhcpcd.conf#4)). In Android 6 `net.hostname` continued to be used ([1](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/refs/tags/android-6.0.0_r1/services/net/java/android/net/dhcp/DhcpClient.java#395), [2](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/refs/tags/android-6.0.0_r1/services/net/java/android/net/dhcp/DhcpPacket.java#1138), [3](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/refs/tags/android-6.0.0_r1/services/net/java/android/net/dhcp/DhcpRequestPacket.java#67), [4](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/refs/tags/android-6.0.0_r1/services/net/java/android/net/dhcp/DhcpPacket.java#597)) in new [Java DHCP client](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/a071edce46fa3d8d539c0d807b77147e184e5a51) when native `dhcpcd` was abandoned and later [service was removed](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/+/9c07eb9dd83a4b62a24836cc82a0ab5e7ae08f7d) in Android 7. Since Android 8 - when [`android_id` became unique](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219757/218526) to apps - `net.hostname` is [no more set](https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/fc1b6a3f2abbcea391001165df2357c9b7397bbf), so a `null` is sent in `DHCPREQUEST`. See Android 8 [Privacy Changes](https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/android-8.0-changes.html#privacy-all) and [Security Enhancements](https://source.android.com/security/enhancements/enhancements80):
>
> `net.hostname` is now empty and the dhcp client no longer sends a hostname
>
>
>
So the **WiFi routers show no host names for Android 8+, neither we can set / unset / change it.**
However **on rooted devices** you can set `net.hostname` manually using `setprop` command or add in some `init`'s `.rc` file to set on every boot. Or use a third party client like `busybox udhcpc` to send desired hostname and other options to router. See [Connecting to WiFi via ADB Shell](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219548/218526).
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 524 | 2,110 | <issue_start>username_0: If I want to completely uninstall an application from the home screen or list of applications; how do I do it?<issue_comment>username_1: Go to settings->Applications->Manage applications
Select the application you want to remove.
Click uninstall.
Not all applications may be removed (some are locked down by your carrier / phone vendor).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: A quick, easy way to uninstall an application is to hold down on its icon, and then drag it to the trash can at the bottom of the screen like you would if you were removing a shortcut from your home screen. However, hold the icon over the trash can for a few seconds until "Drop to uninstall" appears.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: You can uninstall an application from the Market or from the Manage Applications settings screen.
From Marketplace:
1. Start the Market app.
2. Hit the menu button and select Downloads.
3. Find the app you want to uninstall and select it.
4. Hit the Uninstall button at the bottom.
From Manage Applications:
1. From your Home screen hit the menu button and select Settings.
2. Select "Applications"
3. Select "Manage Applications"
4. Find the app you want to uninstall and select it.
5. Hit the Uninstall button at the top.
**EDIT:** I wanted to add a 3rd method that [username_2](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/45/rohan-singh) had [in his answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/39/how-do-i-uninstall-an-application/55#55).
From your Home screen:
1. Tap and hold on the icon of the application you want to uninstall.
2. When the trash can appears near the bottom center of the screen, drag and hold the icon there.
3. After the tap & hold / drag & hold some text will appear indicating that you can uninstall by dropping the application's icon on the trash can.
4. Release your finger over the trash can and you'll be taken to the same uninstall screen you can get to through Manage Applications in your Settings.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: By using adb from command line:
```
adb uninstall
```
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 277 | 977 | <issue_start>username_0: Can I Update my T-Mobile G1 (Also known as the HTC Dream) so it runs Android 2? Is it possible to do this without rooting the phone?<issue_comment>username_1: No. You must root your phone and install a mod such as [CyanogenMod](http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Dream) to get your phone running a semi-equivalent of Android 2.1+. There is no stock rom for Android 2.1+ for the G1. Additionally, if you do go with CyanogenMod, not all features are fully supported due to hardware limitations, such as LiveWallpapers.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You can run CyanogenMod 6.0, which is Android 2.2 aka FroYo.
A few tipps of mine:
If you don't want it to be terrible slow, disable dithering and all effects in the settings. Maybe enable the just in time compiler (jit).
With the app titanium backup you will be able to remove some "garbage" apps which come with the cm release which is also helpfull.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 257 | 1,003 | <issue_start>username_0: If my home network is down or if I am traveling, how do I use my phone to access the internet. Basically how would I tether it to my other devices.<issue_comment>username_1: Unless you are paying for the service from your carrier, you can root your phone and install a tethering app from [here](http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list?can=2&q=NexusOne). If you would rather not root your phone, you could go with PdaNet from the Market.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you have Android 2.2, the functionality is built in so there usually is no need to install a separate app. Just go to: Settings > Wireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
However, depending on your phone, it is possible that your carrier has locked down this functionality. If this is the case, you can either root your phone and install a clean Android 2.2 such as Cyanogenmod, or you can call your carrier and pay their fee to enable it.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/13 | 431 | 1,423 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to monitor how much data-traffic I use. How?<issue_comment>username_1: I use **[Data counter widget](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.roysolberg.android.datacounter&feature=search_result)**
And **[3G watchdog](https://market.android.com/details?id=net.rgruet.android.g3watchdog)** to keep 3G traffic under control.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is now built into Android in Ice Cream Sandwich. You can view usage per application, set limits and restrict background data.
Some more information: <http://androidadvices.com/set-mobile-data-limit-usage-ice-cream-sandwich-devices/>
[NetCounter](http://www.jaqpot.net/netcounter/) monitors mobile and wifi traffic.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Another option: [My Data Manager](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mobidia.android.mdm)
[Lifehacker reviewed it](http://lifehacker.com/5822127/my-data-manager-monitors-and-manages-your-androids-data-plan):
>
> When installed it keeps track of your plan type (monthly or
> pay-as-you-go), amount of data included per month, and the 1st day of
> your billing cycle. You may also set your plan's roaming details. From
> then on it will log your use of mobile data, roaming mobile data, and
> Wi-Fi data used. You may setup notifications for each of the three
> categories when they hit a certain amount of data.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 420 | 1,681 | <issue_start>username_0: On my Samsung Captivate (AT&T) they have (for no reason that I can fathom) split the voice command key out of the Swype keyboard. So, I seem to have to make a choice, do I want to use swype or have easy access to my voice command mic.
I was hoping there's some way to add a custom keyboard where either I designate the keys when I set it up, or (more ideally) they are already set up in the obvious way, but with both the voice entry available on the Swype keyboard.<issue_comment>username_1: It is possible to develop your own keyboard input method. However, this isn't a trivial thing to do. You can either code it yourself or wait for someone else to do it. Sorry :-(
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There is a nice (free) alternative keyboard on the Android Market - that is somewhere between Swype and the built in keyboard - called TouchPal. It allows for three different layouts (16 key, 20 key and QWERTY) and you can set a default for different orientations - i.e. 20 key for portrait, QWERTY for landscape. And there's a bunch of other things it does that make it nice and easy to use.
One thing to note is that it's made for Chinese and English input but there are options to turn off the Chinese input. Also, some version of Android have a bug that sometimes prevents a newly added input method editor (IME) from showing up properly. You may need to restart the handset after installing.
All that aside, I use it every day on my HTC Desire as a replacement for the stock keyboard and I couldn't do without it. Have a look at [CooTek's Site](http://www.cootek.com/) or search Market for CooTek or TouchPal.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |