Carrier prefix..

[SUroot]

Please can we have a second prefix for carriers which is either mandatory or is automatically set based on a mandatory profile setting of carrier?

I believe this will totally put to bed the "separate forums" arguments.

 

[SUroot]

Literally no thoughts on this?

 

[Phases]

I've had no time to think about this at all the past couple weeks, and probably won't a bit more. It has been all go..

Are you suggesting in the phone forums a second set of prefixes being required to tell your carrier?

 

[SUroot]

I appreciate you're busy. I was more hoping other members would have had something to say about the request.

But yes, that's it. everyone keeps asking to separate the phone forums and it's doing by head in. ..and you've said it will be the death of you too.

If it was a requirement to apply a second prefix that was a carrier, and it could be filtered - I think it would stop all these arguments.

1) The people who want a split to look at just their stuff, can filter by Verizon / Sprint / etc

2) Those who want to see everything, regardless of carrier, don't have to go into 45 million sub forums to see it.

I believe as it is, we will never hear the end of the argument. As detrimental as I think splitting the forums would be, leaving it as it is is not entirely perfect either.

 

[PyroSporker]

...I was more hoping other members would have had something to say about the request.

I'll weigh in on your idea if you'll weigh in on mine?
AndroidForums.com | Suggestion Box & Feedback - Sprint Sub Forum - 4G (LTE)?

More prefix's was an idea I was considering as well ^

 

[treb1797]

Anything that can help reduce the confusion especially in the Galaxy S3 forums for example would be a great idea. Thanks SU for this I think it would be very beneificial.

 

[SUroot]

The only issue I see is people being forced to prefix. If it could pre populate based on a profile field, that would be great.

 

[Unforgiven]

This is something I proposed when the GNex forum merge was being discussed. Just figured I'd raise it here as food for though in this conversation.

The quote is a little disjointed as it doesn't include the quotes I was responding too, so here is a link to the actual post in case any of it doesn't make sense.
http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/535344-galaxy-nexus-subforum.html#post4278878

It is a significant change, I go back and forth depending on the discussion here.

Great point. I guess a non-gnex user would easily be able to tell that a thread is a GNex accessory for example and move it to the forum and assign the generic "Accessory" prefix. A guide that has the specific knowledge could then edit the prefix if necessary in the case that it is variant specific. In the case of LTE cradles, they could assign an "LTE Accessory" prefix.


I don't know how this works on your side, so if it's no big deal, it works. I just think that each device could have multiple combinations. LTE vs GSM, VZW LTE vs. Sprint LTE. When those are combined with the existing prefixes you will already have twelve additional prefixes (assuming general would be just that).

• General
• Accessory
• LTE Accessory
• GSM Accessory
• VZW Accessory
• Sprint Accessory
• Tips
• LTE Tips
• GSM Tips
• VZW Tips
• Sprint Tips
• Support
• LTE Support
• GSM Support
• VZW Support
• Sprint Support

Maybe I'm overthinking this. Just seems like a lot of prefixes, but it may work to your last concern.


I could definitely see happening with a device like the SGSIII. Even the GNex forums were this way when it was first released, but it has slowed significantly. I also noticed this happening in the SGSII International forum since ICS was released for it.

If we went with the longer prefix list, this concern could be mitigated by users being able to filter based on their needs. For example, someone could filter on "Sprint Tips" to condense threads to those of interest to them.

I'm not ready to throw my hat behind any solution yet, I'm really just thinking out loud.

This last thought is a little bit radical but sometimes you throw something against the wall and it sticks, so here goes.

What about double prefixes? The current 4 and a second one for carriers?
Prefix 1

• General
• Support
• Tips
• Accessory

Prefix 2

• blank
• VZW
• Sprint
• GSM
• LTE
• etc...

I don't know how hard this would be to implement on your side, but it is just a thought I had. It could mitigate the proliferation of new prefixes I addressed earlier while offering flexibility as new devices are launched. If it is a non starter, feel free to edit it out of my post.

 

[SUroot]

The consolidated prefix would be easier to implement. Though you wouldn't be able to just sort the carrier and see tips, support and general at the same time... but if it helps implementation, its certainly better than what we have now

 

[Flumme]

I like this idea! Double prefixes is the best option on the user side of things IMHO.

 

[lennydude]

I am a BIG promoter for the second set of prefixes. Really..............look at the simple camera click sound issue...........

Other forums have done this and are very nice to read. Tips, tricks and other issues will not disappear due to this.

My humble opinion only....................lol

 

[SUroot]

Can we please think about this some more?

 

[Flumme]

I'm still 100% behind this idea!

 

[Phases]

I do like the idea behind this so don't let it die, but I honestly can't even think about it right now. What exactly is the proposal?

Have a setting in user profile asking who their carrier is, and make that mandatory? Little hard core right there, I'm not sure I like that.

But, optional I guess might help still.

I'm also not sure I like making it mandatory to pick a carrier when making a thread. Optional, again, isn't so bad, but .. anway. I do hear ya and the frustrations, believe me I hear the frustrations. But I'm not sure I'm down with making anything mandatory.

 

[sammyz]

The proposal is to add a prefix in a new thread.

First prefix:
General/Tips/Support/etc.
Second prefix:
AT&T/Sprint/Verizon/T-Mobile/GSM/CDMA/None

I think the second prefix should still have general categories (GSM/CDMA/None) just in case something applies to all phones regardless of carrier.

@SU, this is your idea right?

 

[SUroot]

Yep pretty much. I understand not wanting to make it mandatory but if it wasn't mandatory, we'd have to do an educational piece in it and sell it to people.

If we could set optional to put carrier in the profile which then automatically prefixed a thread, unless over ruled - that would be good maybe.

Or just a pop up or screen before they post asking them to think about selecting a prefix or something?

Any other ideas welcome. As I'm sure lennydude will tell you, it can be frustrating going into a thread not knowing if its relevant, particularly "got and update today" threads.

 

[sammyz]

Guides and mods are usually here to fix prefixes :thumbup: but really there should be an announcement if this does happen.

 

[SUroot]

Phases, any thoughts on this?

I thought Given people are already adding their carriers to their profiles as prer http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/645504-suggestion-box-carrier-our-profile.html

It would be great if we could see that auto-populate in the thread title somehow after the existing prefix or something....

"[Support] [VZW] Signal problems"

...and Maybe like signatures, there could be an exclude tick box at the bottom of post.

It would just be great to see at a glance if someones thread "Wheres my update" became "[VZW] Wheres my update"

Further to that, have it filterable.

 

[PyroSporker]

Phases, any thoughts on this?

I thought Given people are already adding their carriers to their profiles as prer http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/645504-suggestion-box-carrier-our-profile.html

It would be great if we could see that auto-populate in the thread title somehow after the existing prefix or something....

"[Support] [VZW] Signal problems"

...and Maybe like signatures, there could be an exclude tick box at the bottom of post.

It would just be great to see at a glance if someones thread "Wheres my update" became "[VZW] Wheres my update"

Further to that, have it filterable.

I'm all for a carrier prefix. And have been from the start. I think it would be really helpful for devices that cross carrier lines or are international.

Personally I think it should be like the current prefixes though and be a separate table category and not directly affixed to the topic title, OR if attached, be a "postfix" rather than a prefix. It would be nice as a "postfix" so as to not take away from the ease of reading the topic at hand.

Reading left to right I can determine the topic easily and then figure out the carrier and decide if the topic is applicable to me. I may want to read the topic anyway even if it is a different carrier and participate in the discussion or try to provide assistance. Even with different carriers, there is often quite a bit of carry over between the obvious differences. (rather than filter/dismiss a topic because it does not match my carrier - I think we should strive to be in-clusive rather than ex-clusive)

I hate going into root driven boards because of the over use of custom prefixes and symbols. It makes the topics overall harder to read. It is not pleasing to the eye to go into a board and see a wall of prefixes with actual topic hidden beneath it all
[Date][Device][ROM][version number][S-OFF]{method}**xXclaim to of famed goofy nameXx** etc. etc. ad naseum.

I apologize for the cross threading here, but along with the topic you linked, I identified some of the possible issues I see with using a carrier prefix system in this thread: AndroidForums.com | Suggestion box - Click through in devices selection
Not everyone is populating the carrier area of their profile. I for one WILL NOT be putting my carrier in that spot. As it is now, I think there are way too many variables at hand to easily auto-populate thread titles with prefix/postfix/device names based on the user provided carrier/device data. Just my opinion though

 

[Phases]

Well, we did put the carrier option in your User CP that should then show up on your posts under your avatar. Assuming people filled that out, would it accomplish the same thing?

I really hate to add too much bloat to the process and a site wide change like that is pretty daunting.













<-- carrier

 

[jhawkkw]

It has helped, but a lot of members still have/leave this field blank unfortunately.

 

[SUroot]

Well, we did put the carrier option in your User CP that should then show up on your posts under your avatar. Assuming people filled that out, would it accomplish the same thing?

I really hate to add too much bloat to the process and a site wide change like that is pretty daunting.

My idea is now (see my last post) to incorporate that carrier from user cp into the thread title. Its not very useful as it is for those of us who frequent here on tapatalk

 

[Phases]

Oh I see. Yeah we have a large number of things TT doesn't incorporate. I don't know. I feel where you're going with this it's just.. already so information overload here. To have a carrier prefix on every thread here. I don't know, in most/many forums it would be really annoying. We'll get complaints. "Why do I have to see "(Verizon)" on every single thread?"

 

[jhawkkw]

Tapatalk does display the carrier info if you look at the profile of the member. Granted this is annoying and assuming they fill it out. Probably gets borderline intrusive to have that field be mandatory in order to sign up, not to mention getting current members to fill it out hasn't proved to be swift either.

 

[SUroot]

I'm not asking it even to be mandatory. Remember guys, this is my idea for the massive headache that is different hardware devices not having different general forums.

Now we all know I don't want separate forums but people do need to be able to easily identify if a thread is relevant or not. I really don't see the argument of opening every thread and then the ops profile just to ascertain the relevance.

This will please those who want separate forums and to be honest, if we don't start doing something to identify hardware separation with the forums, i'll regretfully have to switch sides and back the separate forums idea as much as I don't want them, we need something.