yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] GuestK0087:
Moderators are trained on how to do their jobs. But what you don't know, is most of that is up to them to use their best judgement. Please try to remember, moderators do not see every single post being made. We rely strongly on the members to point us to trouble. From there, it's up to the individual moderator to handle things the best way they see fit.

I encourage everyone to report anything they feel is a violation of our rules or contact me directly. My PM inbox is always open for any concerns. This goes for just about any moderator or administrator of xda. We are here to help, not be forum police. You also don't always see all sides to the story. If it seems one thread is getting a lot of attention, then there's most likely a problem there.

Hope this helps,

The Merovingian

Senior Moderator
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] Alcibiade:
I think it's overall quite balanced. They actually show some patience when some threads are getting out of topic, they could even more swiftly without it being shocking (There are really some threads getting completely messed up and they do a great job cleaning them up). I have seen much more arguable behaviors a few years go.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] daizoninc:
I just feel that a thread being cleaned should only be at the request of the OP period. And moderators need to use logic instead of their best judgement. Sometimes going off on a tangent is exactly what needs to happen for a developer to get an idea. All of a sudden someone is talking about Verizon FiOS and then fiber comes I to talks, from fiber the dev thinks of the food he eats, from there he remembers he had an idea at breakfast. I just feel that with the s8(+) forums specifically there are a few moderators who have gone full on post police for no reason. They have deleted nearly as much helpful information as hurtful.

Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] noppy22:
A lot of the time we do clean up at the request of the OP. You might be surprised about the cleaning we have done and who reported the issue. And we do use our logic. My logic might be different to your logic, and that is where our judgement comes in. We are using our judgement or common sense to try to keep the forums tidy and welcoming . But if someone other than the OP reports abuse or spamming(or any posts that are against XDA rules), we shouldn't clean those posts?

People going off on tangents is not something we generally worry too much about, but again, a lot of times the OP will report it and request we remove those posts. The other thing is, people read those threads to get whatever information they are seeking. Not everyone wants to read through pages of posts that have no relation to the subject of the thread. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who agree and disagree with that. But that is our problem, we will never keep everyone happy.

You're welcome to your opinion, but our goal as moderators is to tread the fine line between letting everyone have their say and enforcing the rules that we all agreed to when we joined.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] daizoninc:
I can respect that. Maybe there needs to be a double moderator system or something, where not just one moderator cleans it, but 2 or more working together. Would need more mods, but would likely result in more accurate cleaning?

Sent from my Galaxy S8+ Verizon
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] JamieD81:
I've been op of some big threads in the past and commend the work the mods do to clean up the threads over and over. It's not an easy job to keep up with.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] Skander1998:
I personally appreciate the effort moderators are putting here and the time they spend clearing out the junk. Every report I send is dealt with quickly.

It's not about them being "forum police"... but some sort of order has to be in place since threads get derailed, spammed and completely swamped with random discussions from time to time. A forum with no control is a mess.

TL : DR; To any mod reading this, thank you. You're doing great.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] the_scotsman:
To be honest, if we felt that was needed, that would be like us saying we don't trust our moderators to operate independently.

But we do. 100%. Every one of them. The current "cleaning" is more than accurate enough in our eyes.

I think noppy's response gave a good explanation of why things are done the way they are.

But if you think mods are being too heavy handed or excessive, then by all means, let us know (via private medium, not in the public forum). Provide some examples, and we will look into them. We take all feedback and complaints very seriously.

But from what you've been describing here, it seems this is more a matter of personal opinion than cold, hard over moderation.

It's difficult for those not on the moderation team to grasp just how many reports we deal with on a daily basis. (bearing in mind we have over 8 million members). Reports that get submitted by users like yourself, using the Report Post button. You'll actually find that most actions that a moderator takes on a thread are because of a report, not because of something they are doing off their own back.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] vanemburghj:
Ok, you have a point on helping, and agree sometimes a blind squirrel sometimes finds the nut. However, if you look at 99.9999% of the posts they have zero to do with the subject at hand. Again, I use my example of the multiple "I am pressing F5 till root drops". Honestly, what does that have to do with the root discussion? Nothing, so deleting them is the best thing. Also to your point, how many times does thread have to have the announcement somebody found the way to root snapdragon Galaxy S8+ by using dirtycow (which does not work by the way, but did not stop 500 people from posting they found root)? And to come full circle, the mods do not delete useful content, it is just there are some many folks with zero skill thinking their input has value when it doesn't. To thank a person hit the thanks button or donate to them. Don't waste a post on thanking them. Again to my example, no I and the other 7 billion humans that live on planet Earth do not care that you are hitting the f5 button till root drops, so don't waste a post saying so, and to the fool that bumped that post, stop. In closing, the mods in my opinion don't clean the threads enough, just because the plethora of useless posts that occur in a very short amount of time. For them to keep up it would require them to have no life, no family, no job......
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] kennypow3rs:
It's every day bro.... "Jake Paul Voice"
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] sireniankyle:
I almost never have issue with a mod. I have seen a lot of cleaning and closing on the S8/+ root threads, but I show up after the fact. So I can't say whether or not if they were being excessive. I think they are doing about as well as you could expect a human to.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] force70:
No i think they should actually be far more agressive in some ways

There are WAY too many lazy, entitled no search/ no read idiots in here now than 5 years ago when i got here.

Back then you were expected to attempt to help your self first...exhaust all options then ask a question or ask for help.

This new generation of lazy users make it miserable for those of us that are not lazy, always read the OP and always search before asking stupid/repeat questions.

I know the mods have been told to be show more leniency then in previous years but i think that is not the way to go.

And god forbid you actually tell someone directly they are lazy or quote the rules to them...then you end up with an infraction. In real life i dont hold my tongue or tolerate lazy people .i shouldnt have to on a web forum... telling the truth (in a reasonably respectful way) is a good thing last time i checked.

Its sickening honestly.

I miss the old days...

That said the mods have an almost impossible task in front of them. I respect and appreciate every single one of them...even the one who gave me infractions lol.

sent from my Note FE, S8 plus, S7 edge or S6
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] TheLastSidekick:
Now that root is released, I feel like the mod team will have many more reports to deal with, tons more off topic posts and clutter, the stepped up response is called for in my insight. You've done an outstanding job, and I don't think I need to tell you that guys. Thank you.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] TheRealKingSen:
Xda always been full of Snitches and nazi mods
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] gammaxgoblin:
Doing their job is all they need to do and not whine about it and close threads. Their job is not to try to get ppl from making useless posts, they are not teachers or guides. Their job is to clean and moderate. Likely done better by sentient programs or trained gibbons. Open the progress threads and moderate Instead of holding the threat of closing threads over users heads like petulent bullies. They need to check their egos and just execute the functions of their job title. Now this may mean actually doing more work, spending more time doing moderator things....and that's the rub isn't it. They do not want to be bothered with moderating, they just want the ego boost they think the title entitles them to.
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] henklbr:
Just wondering: what has this post to do with the Samsung Galaxy S8+?

Is there no other part of the forum to discuss this?

cc: [MENTION=5302753]The Merovingian[/MENTION] [MENTION=6418283]noppy22[/MENTION] [MENTION=278202]the_scotsman[/MENTION]
[Samsung Galaxy S8+ Guides, News, & Discussion] noppy22:
The post you quoted asks about:

so I would say the OP is talking about "here" the s8+ forum....
[Android General] kdm6389:
Is there a way to live boot twrp/cwm in Samsung devices ?

I have been using $ fastboot boot myNexusBoot.img

can we use this in Samsung devices (Samsung Galaxy S7392)

I need root for just a moment to something like tmp-root
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Hi,

I have a new Z2 Play and the camera's not great. I'm traveling this weekend and need a good camera. Would the Hasselblad mod be an improvement? I see both the phone and the mod have a 12-mp camera but am not techie enough to understand any other differences in specs between the two. I get 25% off at Verizon, which would bring the price down a bit, and I guess I have 14 days to return, but don't want to go through (or put the store through) all that if it's not an improvement over the Z2 Play camera.

My other option is to take an old, inactive Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to use as a camera; it had some water damage but I don't think it affected the camera? Unfortunately I just traded in/sold all 3 iPhones :(

TIA!

(Also xposting to the mods section)
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] tropho:
I think you should get it (I want one too!)

Yes, despite the same 12 megapixel rating it will be a noticeable improvement over the built-in camera. Not only does the Hasselblad mod have a real 10x optical zoom, but it offers selectable modes tailored for sport, portrait, etc. that can minimize blurring and optimize lighting and contrast for scenes. It uses its own imaging hardware so it is not dependent on any of the phone's built-in imaging hardware or software. In addition to saving pictures as JPG files, it also captures images in RAW format, so if you really want to tweak the pictures later you will have uncompressed RAW mode files (though file sizes will be several times larger). In addition to all of that great stuff, I *think* it has optical image stabilization, though reviews on the web claim both that it does and that it doesn't. I haven't been able to confirm if it really has OIS or not.

Unfortunately I don't yet have one myself but have been seriously considering buying one and have done lots of research. My opinion is you should get it if you can afford the $250 USD price, especially considering your comment about getting it at a discounted price. I paid over $200 for my point-and-click Samsung camera, and while it has a 21x zoom and 16mpix sensor I would prefer to have my phone be the center of my imaging solution rather than carry around another device. Sure, I would be doing that with the Hasselblad mod as well but I wouldn't have to worry about moving the pictures off my camera later and they would automatically be uploaded to Google Photos. The convenience and added features would make it worth it.

The only downside (beyond price) I see is that it's useless unless it's connected to a some type of Moto Z phone. However, if you're comfortable with that (it's the same for any Moto Mod) then it probably isn't a concern.

Good luck, and if you do buy it please post an update for those of us who are on the fence need an excuse to buy it!

---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------

I forgot to ask; how do you get a 25% discount from Verizon? I would buy it right now if I could get it at that price.
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Thank you so much!!! Yes, I noticed the same thing you did about some reviews saying OIS and others not, which really frustrated me. However, the official Moto site says (under "Full Specifications"):

image stabilization

Still: OIS

Video: EIS

--but like I said, I'm not techie enough to really know how much of a difference that makes.

I had the Moto Z a few weeks ago and got a like-new Hasselblad (supposedly only used a couple times) for $100 on Facebook Marketplace. I only took 2 pics with it though, and one was just when I needed the zoom -- an hour after I bought it (which was almost a 3-hour roundtrip in DC Friday rush hour traffic), I was looking across a busy highway trying to figure out how to get a close-up pic of a faraway sign I wanted to show my kids--then I remembered, duh, I just bought this camera with zoom and that's why I drove all the way out here in the first place! The pic was great as far as the zoom went, I didn't pay attention to anything else. I ended up selling it on Craigslist for $100 when I returned the Z a few days later (due to its' poor battery life). When I got the Z2 Play, the guy I sold it to said I could buy it back if I regretted selling it, but he was happy with it and I didn't want to do that to him (plus I would've had to do another long drive).

For some reason I wasn't sure if the quality of the phone/camera makes a difference--the Z had a better processor and camera than the Z2 Play does, so I wasn't sure if that would impact the quality of pics taken with the mod.

I've seen the mod on Facebook marketplace/Craigslist but am out of time to get it that way now, plus a return will be easier at Verizon. Thanks for your help--I'll bite the bullet and rack up more credit card debt at Verizon tomorrow! It's down to $250 there and I get a 25% discount so I guess that's around $187 before taxes.... ouch. I'll play around with it on my trip this weekend and then decide if it's worth keeping :)
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
I forgot to ask; how do you get a 25% discount from Verizon? I would buy it right now if I could get it at that price.

Apparently my husband's company/employer is one of the companies that qualifies for 18% off service (doesn't apply to unlimited plans) and 25% off accessories. If your employer qualifies, you can enroll online or (faster) in a store with a paystub (like I did--but they still messed up and I had to go through a lot to redo it). Third-party retailers vary in the extent to which they'll honor the discount, if at all. Corporate stores will honor it, as will Verizon online and by phone. It's down to $250 on the Verizon website right now, so I hope it's the same in stores since I'm probably out of time to order online for in-store pickup (leaving town Friday--well, I guess I maybe I could try for in-store pickup in the town where I'm going, LOL). When I bought the Z a few weeks ago, the 3rd-party store offered 50% off the mods if you bought them with the phone. I don't think they carried the camera mod though (?); I don't think any 3rd party stores do. I had some other options including a Groupon for a third-party Verizon store that could probably special order it for me, but again, I wouldn't have it in time for this trip. Though I guess I could always return the one I buy tomorrow, after my trip, and get it somewhere else cheaper.
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] tropho:
That is great info, thank you. I currently get the military discount, which provides 25% discount on select accessories and unfortunately the Hasselblad mod is not eligible. I double checked via a chat session with a Verizon rep and they confirmed it is not eligible. Oh well, I will eagerly await your follow up report on whether I should just close my eyes and click "submit order" :)

Since I can't get your awesome discount, I checked elsewhere and see it's listed on Amazon for $239.99, $10 less than Verizon. I wonder if there's an unused Amazon gift card hiding between my couch cushions...
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
It uses its own imaging hardware so it is not dependent on any of the phone's built-in imaging hardware or software.

This is something I was confused/concerned about--I know the mod took a couple decent pics with the Z, but that phone had better specs and processor (Snapdragon 820 vs 626) than the Z2 Play, and I wasn't sure how much of a difference that makes when using the mod--in other words, I was worried pics taken with the mod on better/higher-end phones might be better than those taken with the mod on midrange/budget phones. It sounds like that's not the case. Thanks for clearing that up!
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
That is great info, thank you. I currently get the military discount, which provides 25% discount on select accessories and unfortunately the Hasselblad mod is not eligible. I double checked via a chat session with a Verizon rep and they confirmed it is not eligible. Oh well, I will eagerly await your follow up report on whether I should just close my eyes and click "submit order"

Since I can't get your awesome discount, I checked elsewhere and see it's listed on Amazon for $239.99, $10 less than Verizon. I wonder if there's an unused Amazon gift card hiding between my couch cushions...

I just checked and I have a $24 Amazon balance, LOL, and $22 on Google Express which only has the Tumi battery mod (which I just returned--too heavy, but it's now down to $16.99, which was basically free with a Groupon). Based on my experience with Verizon, I suspect you were given incorrect information about the mod not qualifying as an eligible accessory. I was told something similar at a corporate Verizon store and they turned out to be wrong. When I'm back in town next week, I'll try to get confirmation for you :)

OT - Another 3rd-party store that currently has a Groupon, said they could special order the Incipio wireless charging battery mod for me. They're saying it's $34.99. I'm going to try to get it and try to get them to honor the price after they realize their mistake (retail is $89.99)......
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Update: Got the camera mod!

Update:

Verizon confirmed this accessory isn't eligible for either the employer or military accessory discount.

I went ahead and got it at a discounted price. If I decide not to keep it after my trip this weekend, I'll sell it rather than return it, but that probably won't happen.
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Which picture do you prefer? LOL. I also took some indoor shots at my desk and am not sure I see much of a difference...

Having trouble getting both the embedded pics to show up in this post, AND the link to the pictures to work when clicked on (clicking on the Google Photos links takes me to an XDA page)
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Comparison shots

https://goo.gl/photos/ont5BbJrGtEN7vGm7
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
The comparison shots

Sorry about all the posts since there's no option to declutter by deleting.

I just realized if you click the little i at the top right of the pic, and keep that sidebar open as you scroll through the pics, it will show you which pics were taken with which camera (HB being the mod and XT being the phone without the mod).

Can you PM me? I'm not sure if that option exists here. Thanks.
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] benjamminh:
Other than zoom shots, the Z2 Play takes better photos. It's an even bigger gap with the 2016 Z Force Droid and probably Z2 Force. But zoom shots are usually better with the Hasselblad. Also, you can experiment with other camera apps to see if you can get somewhat better shots.
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] tropho:
Wow, thank you so much for shooting so many pics for comparison! They both look great but I think the Moto's color temperature is warmer than the Hasselblad's in these pictures, which look to be on the cooler/bluer end of the color spectrum. I like the warmer colors more, but that's something easily changed before or after. Given there are so many tweakable settings in the Hasselblad mod's camera software I'm sure there is something that can be turned on or off depending on the scene. Even so, with the addition of zoom and optical image stabilization I'm still in love with the mod and your efforts have only made me want it more. I now have a birthday gift recommendation to subtly pass to my wife!

Btw that street market looks cool!

---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------

I forgot to ask your opinion of the time required to focus with the Hasselblad, especially when zooming. Some of the reviews criticized it's slow focusing. Did you experience that, and if so was it constant or just during certain situations like low light?
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Thanks!

Sorry for the delayed response, I've been having multiple issues getting into my account and was just about to give up and create a new one. I preferred the Z2 Play shots and am debating not keeping the camera and selling it for the discounted price I paid (or just returning it).
[Moto Z2 Play  Questions & Answers] danicrit:
Yup, I preferred the Z2 Play shots as well, and I'm not convinced there are "so many tweakable settings" with the mod that will really make enough of a difference to justify $200. I'm thinking about returning it, or selling it so someone else can get the discounted price--that's why I asked you to PM me in case you might be interested in buying it. I also wanted to find out what state you're in, since I'm traveling this weekend.

I actually had an album with Z2 Play shots a couple weeks ago, but already took it down. (I think all the pics are still in my trash folder though, if you're interested in seeing them.)

That's the Thursday Farmer's Market right outside my office :)

I've never noticed any lag/time issues with focusing or zooming, but then again I wasn't really trying/paying attention, literally just walking around doing point and shoot with no effort (the way most of us take our pictures on the fly). I knew from reading reviews this time around that I needed to press the shutter button halfway down, wait for it to focus, and then press the rest of the way to take the picture. One thing that did scare me a bit was that I started getting 'camera error' message issues after taking pics, and wasn't able to save those pics. I kept taking the mod on and off, restarting it manually, etc. It finally went back to working normally, but I don't know what caused it or how to fix it.... I've seen some user reviews that it just stopped working after a few months but am not sure how/why.