New! Mobile Version of IsraelForum Launched

[NewsGuy]

If you like to surf the Web with a smartphone with Web browsing capabilities, we now have a version of the forum that is much more friendly for mobile devices.

This is just something I put together and there is definitely a lot of room for additional features and much more. But for the time being it's up and running.

I tested it out on an iPhone with the Safari browser. If you have an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android phone, you will automatically get the mobile version of the site.

So, just fire up a browser on your smartphone and go to: http://www.israelforum.com.

As of now, the mobile version is good for reading forum threads, and pretty much follows the content on our regular home page. I have not built in the ability to post, though, just to read as of now.

If anyone with a Blackberry or a Droid phone would like to test it and give some feedback, it would be helpful, as it's just been tested right now for the iPhone (with the Safari browser, not an App).

[Mediocrates]

I see www.israelforum.com on Safari on an iPod over Wifi as the normal website. Same for IE6 on Windows Mobile 6.1 and Opera Mobile 10 on Windows Mobile 6.1. In mobile mode=on, Opera works but looks hacked up like it 'usually' does. Does mobile mode use its own url like 'm.israelforum' or something like that?

I find that forcing the desktop version display is a lot more usable than letting Opera manipulate it in mobile mode. It's not a mobile mode altered layout, it's just a messed version of the default layout.

[NewsGuy]

Thanks for testing. I now added opera, ipod and (I think) Windows Mobile as user agents that are shown the mobile version of the site. Could you re-check?

[Reffo]

Newsguy

I like it. But I am looking forward to the version which would allow me to post too. Thanks ...

[NewsGuy]

Newsguy

I like it. But I am looking forward to the version which would allow me to post too. Thanks ...

Thanks reffo. Did you view it on the iPhone or something else?

[Reffo]

The i-Phone.

[bararallu]

No! Not the iPhone!

[Reffo]

You don't like the iPhone? I love it ...

[bararallu]

Modern Idolatry. The revelation of Steve Jobs, it's called "i". ;)

I refuse to get into their ecosystem. Just like a am reticent to do with Microsofts. Probably Google's too. All these guys try to platformize so you then wind up paying for stuff you should be getting for free or more so: at a much more competitive price. So I'll like Apple when I see some companies banging on Apples business a little. Also I think they are really bad rip off artists. Their industrial design is a complete rip off from some famous designs of the past, for just one and people actually think they innovated that stuff.

[Reffo]

Newsguy

Here is some more feedback, this time a bit negative, I am afraid: I cannot see all the messages in a larger thread. For instance, in the "How To Defeat Obama" thread, I could only scroll down to message number #25 (Dayag's) message. I could not view any messages beyond that ...

[Reffo]

Bararallu

In the case of the iPhone I decided to indulge myself and view it entirely from the point of view of an end user. Basically, I like the extras that it gives me, I can afford it, it is in a niche of it's own at least for the moment. The rest, I don't really care about (eg whether it's new or derivative technology) I say, it's none of my business ... However if someone else comes up with something better and cheaper down the track, I might reconsider ... :)

[Mediocrates]

iPod uses the same Safari browser as iPhone. I'm using it now and it looks just like desktop version, as it always does. The mobile nature is a bandwidth saver.

[Mediocrates]

I flushed out browser of all cache history & cookies and started over. It looks the same. Someone with an iPhone should test that agent. I will see what IE & Opera look like on WinMo 6.1 later. If you want to see a great implementation of desktop vs mobile compare engageonline.wordpress.com on a mobile vs a PC. Another is Cuteoverload.com

[Mediocrates]

Typically the server should be able to recognize the client browser and redirect to another path like www.yourserver.com/PDA

[Mediocrates]

Looks the same on WinMo IE

[Mediocrates]

Looks the same on Opera on WinMo with or without plugins enabled

[NewsGuy]

Newsguy

Here is some more feedback, this time a bit negative, I am afraid: I cannot see all the messages in a larger thread. For instance, in the "How To Defeat Obama" thread, I could only scroll down to message number #25 (Dayag's) message. I could not view any messages beyond that ...
Right, I need to add "pagination" code that will allow for seeing all the posts in the thread. I'll try to get to that asap. For now, I'll show all posts on one page.




iPod uses the same Safari browser as iPhone. I'm using it now and it looks just like desktop version, as it always does. The mobile nature is a bandwidth saver.
Strange. I've now tested on an iPod and the mobile version comes in fine, so I now that the iPhone and iPod (touch) are working so far as I can see. I wonder why you're getting different results...

[Mediocrates]

Debug console is clean, no errors. Let me try another browser instead of Safari.

[Mediocrates]

Ok I tried a half dozen free iPod browsers they all work on the mobile option the way they should. Good job.

[Mediocrates]

Super weird; I fired off a Safari session FROM a Mercury browser session an Safari comes up in mobile mode.

[NewsGuy]

Medio: thanks for testing and I'm glad that you were able to see the mobile version. I should really set up a test page for you to see which user-agent your browser is coming in as, if it isn't being recognized as a mobile device.

Reffo: I added the pagination feature, so all posts are viewable at 10 per page. Thanks for reminding me!

Ahhh... We're so cutting edge! :D

[NewsGuy]

Newsguy

I like it. But I am looking forward to the version which would allow me to post too. Thanks ...

Hi Reffo, I added basic posting capabilities now that take you through the regular desktop version of the site, but work fine, as I'm posting this reply from my iPhone. Not perfect but workable.

[Reffo]

Newsguy

Looks good, thanks ...

Here is some more feedback/suggestion:

At present, if someone quotes a previous post, it appears as follows:

(Quote):
And the only way we loose is by capitulating.
My suggestion is that it should include the name of the poster who is quoted. For instance, if someone quotes me, then it could appear like this:

(Quote) Reffo:
And the only way we loose is by capitulating.

[Reffo]

Newsguy

I have the following 'bug' report for you...

I previously (in my above post, initially) I used the mobile version of the forum . Of course, as part of that, I had to log in. But when I did, I actually ended up in a different thread and since I didn't realize it, my feedback to you ended up in the wrong thread, namely: "Hamas Terrorist Salah Shehada Eliminated" I later had to go there and edit my message and repost my feedback to you in this thread, using the conventional method.

[NewsGuy]

Reffo, thanks for letting me know. I found the bug. Should be fixed now.

[Reffo]

Newsguy

Yes, it works now....

What do you think about my suggestion regarding the quote? I think that it would make the posts look more orderly. It would be great if you could implement it, but then again it's easy for me to say, you are the one who has to do the hard work ....:)

[NewsGuy]

Newsguy

Yes, it works now....

What do you think about my suggestion regarding the quote? I think that it would make the posts look more orderly. It would be great if you could implement it, but then again it's easy for me to say, you are the one who has to do the hard work ....:)
Thanks for making that point. That's done now.

Remaining issues:
- Exceptionally long URLs in posts which are so long that they wrap onto 2 lines and get "broken."

- Would like to add a "list of forums" screen.

Otherwise, though, it's a complete system and easily usable for anyone with a mobile device who wants to access and use the forum.

[Reffo]

Thanks for that Newsguy. Looks more user friendly (easier to follow who is saying what to whom ...).

[NewsGuy]

Hey Medio,

If your mobile devices still aren't automatically redirected to the mobile version of the forum, I've created a small utility to try to debug the problem.

This will tell you how the forum software is seeing your browser, and maybe it would give me a clue as to why it's not being seen as a mobile device:

http://www.israelforum.com/?show_browser=1

Just copy and paste the results for me, so I can study them.

[Mediocrates]

All the results are in your PM.

[NewsGuy]

All the results are in your PM.

Fantastic. Thanks. It looks like everything's working fine now, right?

[Mediocrates]

FYI I note two things about Opera on iPod: 1 creating a reply from mobile mode reverts the display to desktop mode, 2 submitting the reply does not appear to actually write or display even though it looks like the submission worked.

[NewsGuy]

That's correct. For right now I'm leaving the registration and posting functions to vbulletin's desktop version, since I'm not up for rewriting so much of the code and I also don't want to stumble on security traps for lack of time.

As a side-note, I'm treating all Opera accesses as being from a mobile device. If you log on using Opera from a desktop, you'll still get the mobile version of the site.

[Bat Tziyon]

Tapatalk works fairly well with mobile devices.

[Madeline]

Tapatalk works fairly well with mobile devices.

Could someone explain tapatalk so that even a dummy like me can understand it?

Thanks

[curlyg]

I just want to point out an issue with the mobile version of the site in case you aren't aware of it:

When someone posts a link and you click on it, it just refreshes the page you are currently on rather than taking you to the linked site. This happens to me on two different Apple devices.