2014-12-18, 17:52 PM

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Motorola Feedback Network - and more!

What is the Motorola Feedback Network?

When a phone launches and after software is updated, we are extremely eager to understand what owners are experiencing. We watch our own online communities (forums.motorola.com) and other sites carefully for feedback.

But we have a way to gather feedback in a more systematic way. We turn to the Motorola Feedback Network.

The Motorola Feedback Network (MFN) is a group of owners who raise their hands to provide us with help and feedback. As a member of the Motorola Feedback Network, you can be included in various studies and feedback opportunities. Much of our research is survey-based, but we also do private and public benchmarking studies and ask owners to provide feedback on software before it's widely released. Joining the MFN will not guarantee that you get early access to software, but our goal is to draw all our participants from the MFN. You can't win if you don't play!

Please understand that the Motorola Feedback Network is not just a way to quick way to cut to the front of the line for new software. It’s a responsibility -- you accept risk on the behalf of other owners. If you are not ready to do that (without complaining if things go wrong) you may not want to take part.

How can I join?

Become a member of the Motorola Owners’ Forums (forums.motorola.com). You will find a community dedicated to your Motorola product, where you can offer and get help. You can opt-in to the Motorola Feedback Network when you register, or go to your MotoCare Profile to opt-in later.

Go up to the first two posts above for detailed instructions for joining the Motorola Feedback Network.

What happens after I join?

Usually nothing happens right away. Once you have opted in, you are a candidate to take part in MFN activities, like getting an early look at software or providing feedback on other relevant topics. When we need feedback from members who fit a certain profile -- phone model, carrier, country or region, etc. -- we identify the MFN members in that group and invite them to take part.

I registered for the MFN but didn’t hear anything. Why not?

We do not send an acknowledgement email for registering for the MFN.

Are MFN activities conducted in the US only?

No. We used to be mostly in the US, but we've expanded to conduct MFN activities in the US, Latin America, Europe and India. We're growing the MFN so it serves customers globally.

Are MFN activities in English only?

In the past, yes, but we have started conducting in Spanish, and in Portuguese for Brazil. We’re looking to add additional languages as needed.

How will I know if I’m invited to take part in a MFN activity?

You will receive an email invitation to register for an activity. We use surveymonkey.com to send our emails. If you click the link in the email you will be taken to the surveymonkey.com site. Fill out the registration to be considered. You may find you are not interested in the conditions of the activity, and you can easily opt-out of any particular registration.

What happens when I get an invitation to register for an MFN activity?

You will be asked for information about yourself, and series of questions. There are opportunities to opt-out of each activity along the way. Questions include:

Who you are.

Your phone’s serial number/IMEI. (We don’t use the number in your forums profile because we want to be sure we have the latest one.)

If you have enabled the advanced sharing options (usually under Motorola Privacy in your phone’s Settings menu). These help us see performance data on the software we're looking at.

If you can actually access the Motorola Owners’ Forums.

If you have modified your phone’s software, and if so, if you are willing to restore the phone to stock to take part.

If you understand and agree to the requirements of providing feedback, maintaining confidentiality and other conditions.

Okay, I’ve completed a survey that was sent to me -- now will I be selected?

It is our goal to include every member who fits our target profile for an activity and who completes the registration survey. However, there are limits to how much feedback we can absorb, so we do limit how many can be included. There are some target groups where we have far more interested candidates than we can use, so some are left out.

I made a mistake when I filled out the resurvey. How can I get it fixed?

It’s not generally possible. If it’s something like an incorrect serial number or IMEI, please report that through the Private Community provided. You will also be able to get help with log-in issues; instructions are provided in the emails you will get.

Following instructions is an important part of software testing -- take your time and try not to make mistakes.

I deleted the survey and can't find it. What do I do?

If you deleted it, check your trash. It may still be there. We're unable to resend your survey to you since the links are dynamically created for each user.

I prematurely closed the survey. What do I do?

If you closed the survey and hadn't answered any questions then you should be able to resume. If you've answered any of the questions you will not be able to re-enter.

Following instructions is an important part of software testing -- take your time and try not to make mistakes.

I answered a question and was disqualified. What do I do?

If you were disqualified during the course of the survey you do not meet the criteria for the given opportunity. You will still be considered for future opportunities so long as you don't opt out of the MFN or opt your device out.

My phone was replaced between the registration and the start of the activity. What do I do?

If we have an incorrect serial number or IMEI, please report that through the private community provided. We can’t promise to get it corrected so you can take part, but we will try.

I heard a recruitment survey was sent out. Can I get an invite?

Maybe. We generally don't send out multiple rounds of invitations. You must be opted in at the time the invitations are sent. If the number are below our target group we may elect additional rounds of invitations.

I sold or gave away the phone I registered. Can the new owner take part in the activity?

No. Any MFN invitation you receive is for you only.

Can I share my invitation with someone else, or pass it on?

No. Any MFN invitation you receive is for you only.

Have I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Motorola?

Yes, when you opt-in to the Motorola Feedback Network, as part of opting in you agree not to share communications even if you elect not to participate.

Does the Non-Disclosure Agreement end when the opportunity is completed?

No, the agreement extends indefinitely. What happens in the MFN, stays in the MFN. Sharing confidential information outside the Private Community may result in a ban from the community.

How can I improve my chances of being used in MFN activities?

There are a few ways to increase the odds that you will be included:

Become an active member of the Motorola Owners’ Forums. We prefer to draw from our community members. (And that means more than posting “when is the new software coming?”)

Be a member in good standing of the Motorola Owners’ Forums. Follow site rules, don’t get abuse reports filed against you for breaking rules. (Basically, no personal attacks, profanity or posts that would lead someone to violate their warranty.)

Don’t wait. When products first launch, we often don’t have as many owners as we need in the MFN. Get in early and your chances go way up.

Make sure your forums profile is filled out. That means country, carrier, etc. We often look at those criteria when choosing candidates, and when yours if blank, we won’t be able to identify you.

Know your own forum’s Display Name!

Fill out your registration form carefully and read what you are agreeing to. When we have more candidates than we can use, mistakes on the form are an easy way for us to cut down the list. Being able to follow instructions is a sign of a good candidate.

If you are included in activity, provide feedback! If we ask you to provide your feedback on software, for example, and you don't post observations or respond to surveys, we will notice. If that is a habit, we’ll stop including you at all.

Don’t break confidentiality. That means don’t post your invitation to register on the Internet or otherwise share any MFN communications.

I registered but I have not heard anything. What should I do?

Sit tight. We don’t generally acknowledge your registration, and it may be some time before you receive an email saying we are ready to start. There have been cases where we asked for registrations, but then had a change in plans and had to wait a month or more before we started. Please do not email, PM or post questions about an activity. In fact, posting that question on a public site can get you removed from the activity and the MFN for violating confidentiality.

Will I get notification that I am not selected?

We don't send any confirmation that users weren't selected. If you are selected you'll receive an email from us with instructions. If you don't receive an email from us, you can assume you weren't selected.

What is a “Soak?”

This is a commonly used name for an activity MFN members are frequently offered. This is a final review of new phone software before it goes out to everyone. When we “soak,” we’re seeing how final, approved software works outside of the limited internal testing we can do. Sometimes things will show up when 500 people use it that didn’t show up when 50 did.

Is it risky to take part in a Soak?

Yes, a little -- but not very. Usually the software we soak is the software we release. However, understand that you are accepting some risk that the software has problems. Being part of the MFN is not just a quick way to cut to the front of the line for new software. It’s a responsibility to accept risk on the behalf of other owners. If you are not ready to do that (without complaining if things go wrong) you may not want to take part.

If I take part in a Soak, will I get the software everyone else gets if you need to make a change?

Yes. In nearly every case, the software we provide in soaks is the final software. If we do make a change, you will likely be asked to soak that version as well. So everyone who takes part in a software activity ends up on the “final” software version.

How many people are chosen to take part in an MFN activity?

It depends on the activity. If we are able to use a survey to get the information we need, the limit is usually just how many members we have who fit the qualifications. If we are reviewing individual comments, then there are limits to how much feedback we can absorb. When gathering feedback about software, for example, we generally can't accept more than about 1,000 members. However, this is usually not a problem since we typically have fewer than 1,000 members of any particular owner group we're looking for.

If we have more members than we can use, we use the criteria listed above in the question "How can I improve my chances of being used in MFN activities?"

Is a soak “beta testing?”

We do not consider a soak beta testing, as we expect soak software to be final -- no more development needed. We’re not always right about that (sometimes we do need another version), but that’s our expectation.

Are there beta testing opportunities through the MFN?

Yes. We do at times use MFN members for actual beta testing, we call it "TestDrive". These are longer activities and the members may see multiple versions of the software, helping us get to the soak version. This is an invitation-only opportunity and we prefer to use MFN members who have a good history of participation in soaks and other MFN activities. Because it is true beta testing, it carries a bit more risk (and is a bit more fun).

What happens if I take part in some type of beta testing and my phone is ruined?

Unlikely, but if it happens we will replace it as fast as possible.

Can I quit the MFN?

Yes. Simply go to your MotoCare profile and opt out.

I’m opted-in to the Motorola Feedback Network, but I never get invited to activities - why not?

It’s possible that we have not had any activities for your specific product/country/ carrier mix. We don’t have activities for every version of a device delivered to every region or carrier. Once we’ve approved new software on several phones, we’re confident that we can deliver it to the rest.



Other reasons you may not get invitations:

You opted out of surveymonkey.com emails, so your invitation can’t be sent. (You may have opted out from surveys from some other organization, but surveymonkey.com’s opt-out is universal and would apply to MFN emails as well. To opt back into surveymonkey.com emails, go here .)

Your email address has changed or has a typo, or you used a different email address to register than you think. Check your profile.

You have never logged into the Motorola Owners’ Forums, so your profile is incomplete. Log in and get involved in your device community.

You have not kept your registration up to date and your current product is not listed and/or opted in to the MFN. Check your profile.

You have only generally opted into the MFN but you haven't opted in devices you want to participate with.

You have an older product that we’re no longer targeting for updated software.

The invitation is in your spam folder -- check there.

You have been suspended from the Motorola Owners’ Forums or the MFN for violating Forums or MFN rules.

We are oversubscribed with candidates and eliminated you based on a variety of criteria. See “How can I improve my chances of being used in MFN activities?” above.

I read on the Internet that the Motorola Feedback Network was reviewing software for my phone model. Why wasn’t I included?

All MFN communications are confidential. It is safe to assume that most of what you read on the Internet about the MFN is false or at best, a rumor. We do know that invitations to register for MFN activities are regularly leaked. However, we rarely see leaks about our actual activities, and we definitely do see people pretending to be Motorola posting false rumors on different tech sites. So don’t believe what you read, and see above to make sure you are not missing invitations due to some registration issue.

I heard that soak had started for my phone/country/region/carrier. Does that mean the software will be released for me soon?

Sometimes but not always. You can’t really trust rumors about MFN activities, as they are confidential. And we really can’t know when review activities will end until they have completed. We may have to spend more time investigating reports from the MFN team, or even go back and create a better version of the software. Software is not ready until it's ready and we’re confident in the software.

I always see the invitations to MFN activities posted on the Internet. Obviously you don’t really care about confidentiality, right?

We do, and if we find out you have broken the agreement to keep MFN communications confidential, we will remove you from the MFN and the Motorola Owners’ Forums.

Why haven't I received the [insert version here] update for my phone?

If you are not in a Motorola Feedback Network project but want to know why you have not received an update that you think you should have received, there are a few extremely likely reasons, and a few unlikely ones.

Most Likely: It's not out yet. Don't believe rumors or news that doesn't come directly from Motorola - sometimes the tech sites are wrong, and sometimes people post false information pretending to be Motorola, but mostly people just speculate. Does everyone you know who has the same phone you do, have the update? Is everyone posting on online communities, with the same phone in the same region, saying they have the update? That would suggest that it actually is out. If not, it's probably not released.

Very Likely: It's not out in your country/region or on your phone. It may be out for a specific model in India, but not yet out in Brazil. Or, it's out for one model in your country but not another. The software is different and requires its own reviews. On it's way.

Also Likely: It's rolling out in phases in your country/region. If a lot of people are posting that they are getting it, but some are saying they have not received it, it may simply be coming soon. Often the rollout is staged to prevent overloading the servers. Wait a few days. You might also try pulling it by going to Settings > About phone > System updates (location of this command can vary on different models). Sometimes you can do that even if there is no notification. If you can't -- might not be released yet.

Possible (you will know): Have you rooted your phone or otherwise modified your software? That could prevent an update. Even if you have never done so, if you bought you phone secondhand that might be the case. There are some apps that root your phone, but it's pretty clear so that's not easy to do without you knowing. Sometimes you can update even when rooted; sometimes you think you are back to stock but it won't work.

Also possible: Your particular carrier elected not to take the update. In a few cases, a carrier will decide not to provide the update to customers.

Unlikely, possible: There is a specific problem with your phone. If you have confirmed that everyone around you with the same phone has the update, you can't "pull" it, you might have a problem. First, do some simple tests. Turn your phone off and back on. Try on Wi-Fi and on data. Make sure you have data -- can you access the Internet? If all this checks out, contact Motorola Customer Care for help.​

Updated April. 11, 2016