New Jailbreakers: Beware of Bad Advice

[Massie]

Just a reminder to all the new jailbreakers out there?if you're having trouble with something feel free to ask about it but be sure you don't just blindly follow every piece of advice out there. Whenever a new jb is released there are always self-appointed experts rushing to tell people that "you have to restore" or to "uninstall mobile substrate" or "try DFU mode" (among other bad or nonsensical advice). Very often these are just guesses or things someone has read online somewhere.

People here love to help, and most issues can be sorted without too much trouble. But when you get a bunch of advice it's a good idea to take a breath and look at the source. Check post counts. Look at a member's history. Get a second opinion. And remember: it's almost always easier to fix than you think.

 

[kch50428]

Restoring is "Bad advice"???

My first foray into the world of jailbreaking was on my iPhone4, and I restored and started over 5 or 6 times over a weekend to get everything figured out... When things are not working right, or as you would like them - Restoring is the ultimate last resort... and then you can stay stock, or try jailbreaking again. I gave up the jailbreak to go to iOS6...and came to not miss jailbreak things... so I've not undertaken the task of jailbreaking now that it's possible with iOS6.x.x

My $0.02 - though some here will say it worth far less than that...

 

[jclisenby]

The best advice is that if you don't know how to fix it, DON'T JAILBREAK! So many people jailbreak and then have issues cause they have no idea what they are doing. No tweak is worth messing up your device. If you don't know how to do it, don't do it.


Tappin and Talkin from my iPhone 5

 

[Jrome.brooks]

We need a how to guide
About blobs
Adding files
What and what not to do

 

[kch50428]

Everything one might need to know about jailbreaking is in the stickies at the top of the forum... or in any of the fine iMore blog articles by Ally Kazmucha.

 

[Massie]

Restoring is "Bad advice"??? .

Definitely bad advice in some instances! I've seen people asking about simple issues (like having brightness dimmed after respringing) and someone will show up and say "plug into iTunes and restore as new."

It's like fixing a corrupt mp3 by re-importing your entire cd collection.

 

[talkin73]

Restoring is "Bad advice"???

My first foray into the world of jailbreaking was on my iPhone4, and I restored and started over 5 or 6 times over a weekend to get everything figured out... When things are not working right, or as you would like them - Restoring is the ultimate last resort... and then you can stay stock, or try jailbreaking again. I gave up the jailbreak to go to iOS6...and came to not miss jailbreak things... so I've not undertaken the task of jailbreaking now that it's possible with iOS6.x.x

My $0.02 - though some here will say it worth far less than that...

I think Massie's point, which is well taken, is that it is wise to consider the source of any advice you get about fixing a jailbreak issue. This applies to other things as well... ie; taking financial advice from someone in a lot of unnecessary debt or relationship advice from someone thrice divorced... my judgement is that both of those would be bad ideas. The OP seemed to be trying to provide big picture guidance for anyone having an issue. As far as I'm concerned, the number of "Thanks" he's received establishes his credibility in offering guidance to those who are in need of assistance.

 

[talkin73]

The best advice is that if you don't know how to fix it, DON'T JAILBREAK! So many people jailbreak and then have issues cause they have no idea what they are doing. No tweak is worth messing up your device. If you don't know how to do it, don't do it.


Tappin and Talkin from my iPhone 5

Using this logic, I should probably be living in a cave and walking everywhere I go. I have no idea how to fix most plumbing and electrical issues, though I own a home. I have very little knowledge of how to fix anything under a hood but I own a car. Your feedback seems to imply that one should have no dealings with anything that they themselves can't personally fix, which seems a bit outlandish to me. Do you apply the same advice to your own life? One of the most obvious benefits of forums like these is that it provides people with the opportunity to learn from one another. If the only people that were ever involved in jailbreaking (or simply using iPhones for that matter) were people who knew exactly how to deal with any/all problems that might arise, then the forums might be a bit less lively...

OP: Phone just locked up. But, I did steps x, y and z and fixed it.

Response: Yeah, I know how to do that too.

OP: Good thing, we wouldn't want anyone asking any questions around here.

Response: Yeah, I know that too.

Your comment about what "So many people" do is substantiated by what? Your own personal experience reading these forums? People posting on these forums are a self-selecting group. What you and I will never know is how many people are out there who jailbreak their iPhone but have no problems at all and don't need to post on the forums here. There may also be a lot of seasoned jailbreakers that have their own network of folks they work with outside of more mainstream public forums like iMore which I have generally experienced as an attractive venue for both experienced folks and beginners alike.

Your last statement is perhaps the most jarring... "If you don't know how to do it, don't do it." What's with the intolerance to people trying something and then asking for help in learning?