Responsive and mobile site views

Jason Perry

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mobile-phone-popular-model-samsung-galaxy-s4_318-51589.jpg
I use google adsense and webmaster tools to monitor and help with any issues on the site. I logged in and got an alert that the site was "less than ideal" for viewing on mobile devices, so I enabled "Responsive views" for the forum.

My look at it on my own device/phone after enabling this is that the text is larger and some navigation seems to be optimized for mobile viewing.

I hope this is an improvement for folks! I suspect/wonder if it is, though, for folks with older devices. (Google tells me that 43% of the traffic here is on a mobile device....if so, that kind of surprises me and blows me away). Still, I wonder if this is an improvement for everyone, the majority of folks, just a few, or not at all.

If you have feedback about this, please let us know!
 
mobile-phone-popular-model-samsung-galaxy-s4_318-51589.jpg
I use google adsense and webmaster tools to monitor and help with any issues on the site. I logged in and got an alert that the site was "less than ideal" for viewing on mobile devices, so I enabled "Responsive views" for the forum.

My look at it on my own device/phone after enabling this is that the text is larger and some navigation seems to be optimized for mobile viewing.

I hope this is an improvement for folks! I suspect/wonder if it is, though, for folks with older devices. (Google tells me that 43% of the traffic here is on a mobile device....if so, that kind of surprises me and blows me away). Still, I wonder if this is an improvement for everyone, the majority of folks, just a few, or not at all.

If you have feedback about this, please let us know!
Thank you for all you do but I don't like this moblie version brother don't band me lol
 
Thank you for all you do but I don't like this moblie version brother don't band me lol
No worries, no banning forthcoming (probably);)

But, I am curious if you have reasons/input? Anything in particular you don't care for? Also, what device are you using to view? All of this helps me to figure out if there is a problem, something I can tweak, or if it is just a matter of taste/preference.
 
No worries, no banning forthcoming (probably);)

But, I am curious if you have reasons/input? Anything in particular you don't care for? Also, what device are you using to view? All of this helps me to figure out if there is a problem, something I can tweak, or if it is just a matter of taste/preference.
Copy that. I'm using a Android. When I pull up the page on the phone it is extremely lengthy as in everything feels smashed together making the user do multiple steps in order to get to a specific location on the website. After using it a few times it was easier but i am just use to the desktop verison and this probably will just take some time getting use to that's all.
 
Copy that. I'm using a Android. When I pull up the page on the phone it is extremely lengthy as in everything feels smashed together making the user do multiple steps in order to get to a specific location on the website. After using it a few times it was easier but i am just use to the desktop verison and this probably will just take some time getting use to that's all.

Good to know!

I am going to continue to see how it works as it is now....for a couple of reasons. First (and most importantly), according to Google, if I don't use what they call a "mobile friendly" layout, they will not rank this site as high in the search results. Therefore, not having this current layout will hurt in providing information to those searching for it on Google and may hurt folks findings us and signing up. Second, it sounds like Google "thinks" this format will help with ads and revenue (which leads into my point below).

I think it is possible to have this layout as a "mobile style" and to also offer a way to see the desktop version on mobile devices. I need to look into that and see if I can pull it off myself. However, I suspect that the time for me to learn all I need to implement that may be prohibitive and take away from what I would like to do more of- comment and post on substantive issues. So, if the ad revenue does pick up, I can look to hire someone to improve/tweak the mobile site, offer the desktop view and make improvements overall to the styles and navigation.

To everyone, if you have feedback or problems, please let me know. It does help!
 
Great source of information, I appreciate the knowledge I've gained from this forum.

Re: the mobile version, would you consider building in the option for a user to switch to the desk top version? Or is there already this option?

Working from the iPhone 6, I relate to the person who described the screen as being smashed and the loss of navigation ability.

Regardless, this site has been helpful to myself and I spread the word to others about its benefits.
 
@Jason Perry - I had consider developing a mobile app for PEBForum. However, when I research the CSM platform you use, I was not able to find any APIs to directly interface with the system.

With that said, I did create an Alpha version of a mobile app to test on the forum, but it is just that, Alpha, and not ready for production use.
 
So, I briefly revived the mobile project, as of this post. And, I may consider releasing an Android app for the forum.
This post was edited with an Alpha version of the WebKit app. Which, provides all the base functionality needed to use the forum.
 
Copy that. I'm using a Android. When I pull up the page on the phone it is extremely lengthy as in everything feels smashed together making the user do multiple steps in order to get to a specific location on the website. After using it a few times it was easier but i am just use to the desktop verison and this probably will just take some time getting use to that's all.
This can all be managed through a mobile app, which I have started work a year or two ago for the site. However, I was not able to find any APIs as I said earlier, to integrate with the CMS Jason uses. That said, since the updates to the forum software, and the enabling of the mobile compatibility, the Android Webkit interacts with the site in a more friendly manner. And, it interacts in such a way, that I think it would be nice to have a native web app for the forum. Stay tuned, and I will post images of the app in use, for those of you that are interested.
 
These images are taken from the native app running on a Nexus 5.
Screenshot_20160723-121239.png Screenshot_20160723-121321.png Screenshot_20160723-121344.png Screenshot_20160723-121302.png Screenshot_20160723-121427.png Screenshot_20160723-121354.png
 

Thanks for the input and weighing in.

Not sure is you have looked at the documentation and/or community on xenforo.com (Xenforo is the software package that we are running here on PEB FORUM).

But, I appreciate your looking into the issues and thinking about this. Anything that helps....well, it helps!!
 
Thanks for the input and weighing in.

Not sure is you have looked at the documentation and/or community on xenforo.com (Xenforo is the software package that we are running here on PEB FORUM).

But, I appreciate your looking into the issues and thinking about this. Anything that helps....well, it helps!!
Jason, I did look at their documentation, and the devs at xenforo have been working on a native web app feature. However, from what I have read about this app, they intent to license it separately from the CMS software. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan of this model, as I feel this is almost equal to micro transactions.

See here, for details: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/native-xenforo-app-in-development.109044/
 
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Jason, I did look at their documentation, and the devs at xenforo have been working on a native web app feature. However, from what I have read about this app, they intent to license it separately from the CMS software. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan of this model, as I feel this is almost equal to micro transactions. See here, for details: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/native-xenforo-app-in-development.109044/
AvnSgt,

Yeah, that is not the software developers...it is an "add-in"/private developer (akin to someone developing and then having an "app" on the Apple App Store).

With you on not being a fan of what this developer is discussing/proposing.

There are a few other already developed "mobile solutions" (TapaTalk is one of the more often discussed vendors). From what I can see, too many problems and not enough value to pursue these options.
 
AvnSgt,

Yeah, that is not the software developers...it is an "add-in"/private developer (akin to someone developing and then having an "app" on the Apple App Store).

With you on not being a fan of what this developer is discussing/proposing.

There are a few other already developed "mobile solutions" (TapaTalk is one of the more often discussed vendors). From what I can see, too many problems and not enough value to pursue these options.

That is typical, I have seen developers walk away from mobile deployments before. And, with this being a content manage system (CMS), php, is likely at the heart of the website, handling a lot of the actions/user request.

In my recent experience, php is not fun to work with for mobile app development. That said, I do volunteer work for my son's high school, as I am not able to work, and every year we get a challenge to build an APP. This year's challenge has not been released yet, but there is always a possibility the requirements, and theme could fit a real world problem. If this is the case, I can pitch the idea to the high school kids, and see what they say.
 
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