Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Technical Help and How To's Mobile friendly message boards

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but would there be way to make these message boards mobile-friendly or any interest in doing so? Reading L&C fanfic and checking in on message boards are both things I really like to do from my phone. It's really handy and convenient.

If a conventional "responsive site" isn't an option, for some reason, maybe there's also a way to integrate this site with the Tapatalk app, an app specifically designed for browsing online forums via mobile.

Of course, I don't even know if there would really be interest in doing this from most people here, though I do know that mobile browsing is very popular nowadays, so it's possible implementing this would make the forum more attractive to potential new users. Also, it would probably take some work, I'm sure. I'm not meaning to barge in and demand things, it's just an idea that I wonder if others would be interested in too. I do have some web development knowledge, so it's possible I could even help implement this myself? Only if you trust me...haha.

V7.6 of UBB.threads is supposed to have a responsive template (http://www.ubbcentral.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/256948/Responsive_template) and was just released or will be soon. So there's that option...

I'm not sure if the support contract includes upgrades or if they cost extra. Annette can tell us more about one (or I manage to dig up the info from a couple of years ago when the last update happened.)

Michael

Thanks for the info, that sounds promising.

I would not be interested in a mobile version unless the standard browser version was also mirrored. The only "mobile" browsing I do is on a Galaxy tablet and the regular site looks OK on it. I never post using the tablet (and only rarely text with my phone) because using the "keyboard" is a royal pain in the backside.

On a similar note, I understand that people like using smartphones for browsing. While I have a smartphone, it was selected for call quality and durability. I have never browsed using it. When I do read things on the phone they have been downloaded.

I do the majority of my reading on my desktop computer as it gives me a headache to try to read for long on such a small screen. (If I download any stories, it is onto my Nook, which is so old now, it doesn't hold a charge very long.) Sometimes, I'll check to see if any new installments of stories I am reading have posted, so that it gives me extra umph to check the message boards (as if I need a push) while on my computer. I don't post on my phone (I'm not even logged into the site while on my phone) as typing on the tiny keypad is not user friendly and usually (according to my texts) has more errors than my liking (YES, autocorrect, I'm pointing to YOU!). I also find it's not easy to change / edit what one has written on a cell phone. As a writer, I'm used to editing as I type, changing a word here or there to make what I want to say to be more clear and accurate.

When they changed the Archives site to be more mobile friendly recently, it really alienated the rest of us who find the new site bland, vague, and more difficult to find stories. Personally, I don't understand how it is supposed to be an improvement for mobile browsers (or anyone) as it now looks like all the other boring websites out there. There's nothing to it that says, "This is an awesome FanFic Site! Stay and Read!" (And for you literalists out there, you know I meant visually.)

Like Shallowford, I rarely browse while on my phone because I find it slow and difficult to find what I'm looking for. For those of you who do a lot on your phones, kudos. I do think that if the message boards were to change again to suit only the group using mobile devices at the expense of the rest of us, membership would decline rather than increase. It feels as if membership, readers, and comments declined after the last message board change just a few years ago and I would hate to see that happen again.

Virginia, ditto to everything that you said. I use the web on my phone only when I am out in the community and what I am using it for can't wait until I get home. (e.g., if I am running errands and want to check to see whether a store is opened before driving there.) Between poor eyesight and figuratively fat fingers on my part, web browsing on a phone (or even typing on a tablet) is not a pleasant experience.

For me, the issue is simply RL, and there's not really anything that can be done to this site to make me post more.

- Lynn

I, too, mostly read this from a desktop. It's too much trouble from my phone (too small). All this mobile-friendly stuff just doesn't have the same oomph as the older versions (plus, when sites like this one get upgraded, everyone has to go through and fix the links in their stories to make them accessible again. That was annoying enough the first time, but now, when I have less time for things like reading, writing, and commenting, there's a good chance it will be months before I get around to fixing all those links again.

I'm honestly disappointed that there's not much interest in this idea. I don't think making the site mobile-friendly necessarily has to hurt those who only use desktop. I know little about UBB.threads software, but I would be surprised if there was no way to make the site mobile-friendly without making significant questionable changes to the desktop site. But I guess if the forum software is badly written enough that upgrading it to a mobile-compatible version will break all the links, there's nothing that can be done about that.

I understand focusing on existing users, but I guess I just wish this site was more "future proof", and without being mobile friendly, it's already far behind. As someone who's learning web development, I know that's just the way it is. But if the community doesn't see much benefit, I can accept that.

I agree that the upgrade to the lcfanfic.com site was of debatable quality, but mobile-friendliness is not the problem in and of itself, I don't think. Interestingly, the individual story pages of that site always looked great on mobile even before the change.

My problem with changing the site to be more mobile-friendly isn't that it wouldn't still be compatible with desktop -- it would -- but that upgrades to this kind of site have an obnoxious habit of breaking the links (there are other UBB sites I've used that had that problem). If it could be done without breaking the links, I'd be all for it (because yes, the site would still work just fine with desktops and laptops).

That's too bad, but it does make sense as a reason mobile friendliness may not be worth it. Ah well.

This week I found out about "computer vision." After reading something on an iPad for about 20 minutes, I develop blurred vision. It's actually double or triple vision when I look at the screen, and blurred elsewhere. It also can lead to headaches and other signs & symptoms. It may have something to do with the pixels in the tablet. So, goodbye, tablet. I much prefer reading on my pc, and now I have another reason why.

Yikes! Thanks for letting us know.

After starting my new job last August, I started developing head aches. I couldn't believe I was looking at the computer monitor any longer than I did while unemployed and writing fanfic all day. Luckily, my new job came with vision insurance as a benefit and I was able to get new glasses. That helped get rid of the head aches. I wish you luck, cuidadora, and hope you don't develop double/triple vision any more. We'd hate you lose you from our virtual world.

Thanks Virginia! I'm glad your headaches are better.

It took me awhile, but I finally realized the vision changes only occurred after being on the iPad, and cleared within a half hour of stopping. I first noticed it at the end of the day, and thought it due to fatigue. Since not using the iPad, no recurrences. Yay!

I posted to let others know in case they find the same thing, or may want to try to prevent it. The information I found online suggested it has something to do with the pixels on the tablet's screen. And it has limited the time I've been online and able to comment, so my apologies to anyone whose stories I haven't read or commented on. Hopefully I can catch up in the next few weeks.

I mostly read fan fiction my phone, which is one of the reasons I'm not on the boards as much. I'd love to have a mobile friendly version.

Since we don't want to go through the hassle of an upgrade, and we want to keep the board the same for desktop users, what if I make a mobile stylesheet?

I can write up a stylesheet that only changes the styles for narrow screens, so it wouldn't affect desktop users. I would have to send it to an admin here to put it on the site. I'll look in to what that would entail.

Does anyone have an opinion on this approach? Has anyone tried this here and run into problems?

I think it would be worth experimenting with.

Virginia R wrote:
"When they changed the Archives site to be more mobile friendly recently, it really alienated the rest of us who find the new site bland, vague, and more difficult to find stories. Personally, I don't understand how it is supposed to be an improvement for mobile browsers (or anyone) as it now looks like all the other boring websites out there. There's nothing to it that says, "This is an awesome FanFic Site! Stay and Read!" (And for you literalists out there, you know I meant visually."

Virginia,
I couldn't agree with you more. I always liked the left paragraph format. When reading on my laptop, I am overwhelmed with the large print and indentation style. I tried downloading (copy/paste) a fanfic into Microsoft Word and then change the paragraph formtting, But it won't allow me to use a global command. I genuinely miss the Kerth banners, etc.

SupesFan, regarding the formatting: The recent stories already come in multiple formats, including DOC. For the older stories, I recommend just docking the browser window to the left of the screen instead of going fullscreen. Using the Windows-key + left-cursor is just a click away.

Michael, who's learned to deal with the vagaries of widescreen computing the hard way.