Mobile viewer for site? Do you? would you?

vievetrick · 02-14-2008, 06:41 PM

Curious, I am not very computer savy in the world of websites but I have a question. I have to admit (you all heard it from me before

) I have an iPhone and I find myself checking websites all the time from it. Some have mobile version of thier sites. I wonder if this is something you have thought about doing here Adam? I guess if there is a price to do this I can see why not. I set up a poll to see if other check the site via a web enabled mobile device.

So the question do you view the site via a web enable device? Yes or No or I would more often if mobile friendly.

You can chose more then one answer

**Adam** · 02-14-2008, 07:06 PM

At the moment, we've got the text-only archive version of the site, but to avoid duplicate content on the site (for the sake of SEO), most of the links in there redirect to the regular version of the forum.

Personally, I think that mobile devices need to catch up with PC web browsers and at least be able to display basic HTML content.

What I can potentially do is create a text-only skin for the forum, though- that wouldn't be much of a poblem to add.

*procyon* · 02-15-2008, 12:09 AM

I sometimes use my phone with Opera Mini to read new posts here. Actually I had to type the whole address to "New Posts" to my phone, because the upper menus need javascript.
A non javascript version of the site would fill all my needs for mobile browsing. I don't mind the images/ graphical elements of skin.

vievetrick · 02-15-2008, 06:43 AM

I guess my question would be does a text version kill all the pictures? I like being able to see the pictures as well. If the text only version is that "text only" I would rather scroll like I do now.

**Adam** · 02-15-2008, 10:16 AM

No, no post content would be changed at all.

JCSullivan · 02-16-2008, 07:11 AM

I use the simple skin both on the desktop and the iPaq. No images are lost when I view on the iPaq. What I do hate is having to scroll left/right.

ftpaddict · 02-21-2008, 05:14 AM

I would, but I can't. No PDA/Smartphone, you see.

EDIT - just tried the site out on my Nokia 6230i, and it loads up fine and is usable enough. The only thing that I'd like to see would be handheld-optimized graphics (i.e. resized images). Those of us without unlimited data plans will end up paying an arm and a leg to browse the site.

vievetrick · 02-21-2008, 06:17 AM

Sorry been a little busy. I will try the simple skin today. I never really thought about that. Looks like only a few view on a portable so I can't see you doint much work for a handfull of us Adam.

**Adam** · 02-26-2008, 02:33 PM

I have now installed a modification that automatically forces an extremely simple skin for all mobile device users. However, it might not be working properly because I've disabled the viewing of this skin for general users on the PC.

Could anyone access the site from a phone or a PDA (other and the iPhone, which can handle the regular skin) and let me know how everything looks? Thanks!

JCSullivan · 02-26-2008, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by vievetrick

Curious, I am not very computer savy in the world of websites but I have a question. I have to admit (you all heard it from me before ) I have an iPhone and I find myself checking websites all the time from it. Some have mobile version of thier sites. I wonder if this is something you have thought about doing here Adam? I guess if there is a price to do this I can see why not. I set up a poll to see if other check the site via a web enabled mobile device.

So the question do you view the site via a web enable device? Yes or No or I would more often if mobile friendly.

You can chose more then one answer

not so sure. icons are above eachother instead of next to eachother.

although iuse it the forum is notthe easiest to read on a mobile device.

vievetrick · 02-26-2008, 05:38 PM

everything seems okay. I switched the skin on my iPhone to the simple one last week and find it easier to check now. The only thing that is wierd is I usualy click New Posts and it only lists two pages. No big deal just something I noticed.

**Adam** · 02-26-2008, 05:56 PM

Hi guys,

I just tested it on my own PDA, and the text-only skin doesn't show unless I also make it accessible to PC users- that's a problem, though, because once you select it on the PC, you can't switch back unless you know the corrent URL to type in to do so.

vievetrick · 02-26-2008, 06:07 PM

that is a bummer.

ftpaddict · 02-27-2008, 12:10 AM

Haven't tested it yet, but I think you should disable it and leave it at that. There aren't that many mobile users checking the site anyway.

JCSullivan · 02-27-2008, 05:29 AM

@ftpaddict - that's one hell of a wrong attitude - look at the %. It sounds like the IT guys in the old days, when they wanted to rule the world. Gee damn glad someone thought of user empowerment.

Anyway, I do use my PDA to access email and other sites. Gmail provides html and mobile views which make it much easier.

Forums on the other hand, are not the easiest to view and if I get a chance this week, I'll do a comparison.