[Suggestion] creation of a sticky post with warnings to users

[adlx]

As things keep on going, having a lot of people that will come here, many probably even after having updated their stock/unrooted/recently bought Cliq/Dext, I see that many will still follow the "older instructions" on rooting (sticky post of TheDudes 0.4.1 method), and may "briq their cliq"...

I would suggest to create a new sticky post title something appealing and bit scarying like "WARNINGS worth reading before messing with your phone", don't know if here in general cliq/dext forum or maybe in the Developpemnt sub forum.

I suggest at least (will need to include links/references)

- Read, read and read again the instructions posted on the forum.

- Be carefull, because not all the Rom are stables yet (atm for ex. CM404 is in early dev stage, some have bricked their phone trying it). So Read what the dev say about his rom before flashing it!

- If unsure how to connect using ADB, or use RSD lite, see Cliq Bible here on the forum

- Warn about Risks of flashing 1.3.x Roms with new radio: atm, no way to get back to older Roms.

- Instructions How to check if you have the new radio flashed on your phone

- Is it safe to flash the new radio?

. Reported to work (including 3G) by several people: US, UK, Spain
. Reported NOT TO WORK correctly: Brasil, Mexico (issues w/ 3G not working)

- It is unclear (to me) wether Cliq and Dext are really the same. (Afaik and understand, they share the same HW, Motorola Morrison, MB200. Apart from some OS customizations done by Operators (T-Mo MyFavs, Movistar: mstore (useless),... branded bootscreens,...), the radio *might* be different. A cliq ROM might not work well on a European/Latam Dext.

Please opinate/contribute

[Doppler808]

In this time and age people should already know the risks involve in modifying anything. If they read the dudes root method, or any one of the themes most people reiterate this. It's on almost every thread which has a ROM or theme. That would be a better place to get people to actually know the risk

Even if it were a sticky majority of the people that don't know more than likely won't read it, and all the ones that do know this won't. T-mobile US has it plastered on the OS threads at the top in red and I have still yet to read it.

[adlx]

I think the purpose of the post wouldn't just be to inform of the risks, that are obvious, and as you say anybody should know, but more to be a place to sum up *some facts* that are not so obvious.

Say someone that has just bought a cliq, and updated by OTA to the latest radio/rom. He probably won't read all the posts on 1.1.31/1.3.18 and understand the thing before reading thedudes post... and brick his phone.

[HandlerExploit]

When someone is new to modifying their phone they just want it to work. They want it simple, stupid and once again SIMPLE. 9 out of 10 new users will not read any of the warnings.

And when they mess up their phone... They try to blame the only person they can; the developer.

I agree that is would be good to have a warning thread but I highly doubt a new user would read, much more understand what the warning are about. I spend more time telling people to follow step by step processes laid out to help them.

The most common source of issues are user error. How do we warn people about that?

[Durzo]

When someone is new to modifying their phone they just want it to work. They want it simple, stupid and once again SIMPLE. 9 out of 10 new users will not read any of the warnings.

And when they mess up their phone... They try to blame the only person they can; the developer.

I agree that is would be good to have a warning thread but I highly doubt a new user would read, much more understand what the warning are about. I spend more time telling people to follow step by step processes laid out to help them.

The most common source of issues are user error. How do we warn people about that?

I agree, XDA had a sticky with basically everything you needed to root your G1 and all the warnings and risks. There were still countless threads "HALP PLZ BRICK FONE PLZ READ".

[corizzle]

I agree, XDA had a sticky with basically everything you needed to root your G1 and all the warnings and risks. There were still countless threads "HALP PLZ BRICK FONE PLZ READ".

right?! everyone is so freakin FLASH HAPPY..

any time ANYTHING new is released they download it immediately and flash it. some people will even flash things that aren't meant to be flashed, lol. check out the Swype thread. people were trying to flash an apk. :P

[rlameda]

Good Idea..

[alexdagreat1]

good idea...and i agree when ppl are new to this half the time they wont read any warning but just skim over the instructions

[art010606]

great idea. i think you should also put a -how to find out if you have been updated to 1.3.18

[Darksurf]

When someone is new to modifying their phone they just want it to work. They want it simple, stupid and once again SIMPLE. 9 out of 10 new users will not read any of the warnings.

And when they mess up their phone... They try to blame the only person they can; the developer.

I agree that is would be good to have a warning thread but I highly doubt a new user would read, much more understand what the warning are about. I spend more time telling people to follow step by step processes laid out to help them.

The most common source of issues are user error. How do we warn people about that?

This problem is easily circumvented. Take the cliq bible that was posted in the forum for example. Before any instructions on rooting give a list of instructions of what NOT to do and do it in a number format that gathers their attention and include that number format with the instructions somewhat forcing them to pay attention and notice these warnings.
such as

1. warning
2. warning
3. warning
4. instructions
5. instructions

this forces them to pay attention and see what will briq their cliq

then after instructions say something like now that you have your cliq rooted you are ready to upgrade to a newer rooted cliq FW by downloading the zip putting in in /sdcard/ and using the recovery to update from zip. But remember to never go backwards in FW versions if you updated the radio.

[Doppler808]

This problem is easily circumvented. Take the cliq bible that was posted in the forum for example. Before any instructions on rooting give a list of instructions of what NOT to do and do it in a number format that gathers their attention and include that number format with the instructions somewhat forcing them to pay attention and notice these warnings.
such as

1. warning
2. warning
3. warning
4. instructions
5. instructions

this forces them to pay attention and see what will briq their cliq

then after instructions say something like now that you have your cliq rooted you are ready to upgrade to a newer rooted cliq FW by downloading the zip putting in in /sdcard/ and using the recovery to update from zip. But remember to never go backwards in FW versions if you updated the radio.

People will more than not skip the stickies altogether. People will more than likely read the how to root threads or rom threads. If they actually post it in there then there is no excuse as what happens to your device because they can't just skip it especially if it has been posted numerous times in the how-to threads.

What I would do honestly is lock out all downloads unless they have agreed to something before you can enter the forum. For example:

The local forums we have here in Hawaii if you wanted to go to Adult chat you were locked out of it unless you agreed stating you were 18, and understand the rules of the Adult chat section. The rules were there and you couldn't just hit agree it was locked for 75 seconds(above average believed time it would take someone to read the rules). So if you post the rules in that format I think it would be better off than just a sticky. In conjunction with a sticky it would be more efficient.

[art010606]

if its posted, it puts the responsibility back on the user.

[Doppler808]

How so? If they don't read it and claim they didn't see it or didn't read it. It's like people not reading the ToS agreements for wireless companies and then they go crying to the FTC about it. If they didn't agree with it then why sign it in the first place? You see where I am coming from. Regardless where you put it they will always blame someone else rather than themselves.

Seriously though I think a lockout until agreed with the fact it's their responsibility if anything goes wrong, and know the risks of it would do more than a sticky as majority of the people who need to see it will more than likely click on the sticky.

[adlx]

I agree that a lot of people will keep on skipping any advice, any warning, being sticky or not. But I believe that it can help the few people that are willing to read, learn, and follow advices find the right information.

I think that at the moment, especially since the last 1.3.18 update including the "briq my cliq in one clic" ;-) new radio, these forums have became a bit messy, with many "noisy" posts (many of them, from people that have messed with their phone=, which make it especially difficult for those trying to read and not to mess with their phone.

Posts are like volatile, they grow at a moment in time, and then they disappear from the main page. The stickies don't. (But they should be maintained). Look at the TheDude "howto root" sticky. What will happen if anybody who got his new Dext/Cliq some day ago, already updated by OTA and now try to flash the shx as described in the sticky?

[Doppler808]

Well you could always have a centralized lockout with people understanding and reading the "at your own risk" before actually allowing you see inside the developers subforum(can see it, but without accepting it you won't see the contents inside).