AndroidQuestions.org Updated - Getting Closer to the Code That Will Soon Run LQ
 

I'm happy to announce that we just rolled out another code update to AndroidQuestions.org. We're now to the point that the code is likely 1 or 2 iterations away from the code that will then run LQ. We also rolled out an update to the AQ search. If you haven't visited LQ's new sister site yet, I encourage you to do so. Your existing LQ credentials will work at AQ (and for that matter, all The Questions Network sites). If you have any feedback on the code or site, please let us know. NOTE: There will be a large amount of warning and a feedback period once we've reached a point where the code that is running AQ is the code that will run LQ. This is a preliminary heads up to allow as much feedback as possible. Thanks.

--jeremy

On the topic of AQ, we're also looking for feedback on ways you think we can increase participation there. Additionally, if there are any LQ members who are interested in more directly impacting the future growth and direction of AQ, please contact me offline.

--jeremy

Buy out and shut down the competition...?

Seriously there are already too many android community boards on the web - many of them well established. Users will often just go to the one they know, usually the longest established with the largest archives of content and long term experienced users.

Messageboards in general just snowball and once there is an established community and lots of people logging in and posting daily - that's the momentum that keeps them going. They don't have to be the best to be the biggest, they simply need to be in the right place at the right time.

LQ is in a good spot, it's one of the longest running "general" Linux forums, it has an established userbase and a huge archive of searchable information going back years. There are competitors, but they're much smaller. In trying to be LQ some of the smaller competition have essentially made themselves irrelevant. There is probably only room for one english language LQ-type site on the web.

AQ in choosing one particular OS, already well served by other communities, has set itself the hard task of competing for users from the other android community sites - or attracting other android users who don't visit any of those sites (i.e. the majority of users who just use an android device as a phone/appliance and don't care what OS is installed on it). If it's the latter then the question is: If these theoretical users don't visit those other sites, why would they break the habit of a lifetime and visit AQ?

Personally I think that AQ is probably, at best, a "smartphone OS" subforum here on LQ and does not warrant a dedicated board to itself.

Probably not what you want to hear...

£0.02

I'd agree that AQ has a very difficult task ahead, with many quality established sites already available. That said, I think a sustainable amount of traffic is possible.

--jeremy

I noticed an increasing number of Android questions (or may be I just looked more for them) on LQ, most of them are in the appropriate subforum "Linux - Mobile". Maybe it would be a good idea to add something like a banner that reminds people opening a new thread in that forum that AQ exists and that it may be a good idea to post there if the question is an Android question.
Thinking about that, what is our stand regarding double posting questions on LQ and AQ?

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look into this.

We don't really have one - they are two different sites so members are welcome to post to both.

--jeremy

Thanks for the clarification.

I reiterate my proposal to have AQ replicated as a subforum in LQ, so users can either login in AQ and ignore LQ, or log in LQ and see Android related threads in the Linux mobile forum (as opposite to have a link to AQ).

I don't know if it's technically possible but worth investigating.

ottavio, thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately that's not really technically feasible.

--jeremy

As an update, we've enabled Forum Runner and Tapatalk at AQ. For more information see:

http://www.androidquestions.org/thre...-enabled-at-AQ
http://www.androidquestions.org/thre...-enabled-at-AQ

--jeremy

I'm having some issues with both Iceweasel and Chromium (Debian Wheezy):

Iceweasel:
http://oi42.tinypic.com/2d18o5u.jpg

Chromium:
http://oi39.tinypic.com/9umb1y.jpg

Thanks for the heads up jens. We're aware of the issue and looking into it. Note that it only impacts the homepage and not the forums.

--jeremy

Thanks again for the heads up, we've rolled out a fix.

--jeremy

... and it's all working like expected ;-)

Now the login credential are not passed over from LQ to AQ any more. Is it an intended behaviour? Not that I really miss AQ anyway...

We haven't made any changes that should impact automatic logins across the TQN network. Are you blocking javascript?

--jeremy

Nothing has changed Jeremy. I am logging in on a Windows (cough) machine. The only thing that has changed is that both Firefox and Chrome have been updated but the settings are the same.