Mobile Forum Access Now Open To Everyone!

[Jason Dunn]

If you've visited any of the three mobile sites in the past few days for Pocket PC Thoughts, Smartphone Thoughts, or Digital Media Thoughts, you'll have noticed something new: a small "Sponsored by" graphic featuring the Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded logos. <i>Our mobile forums are now open to everyone</i>, subscriber or not. This is something I'm tremendously excited about! :D This means people won't need to log in to read the content, and every article, post, and forum thread is fully consumable on their mobile device. This is something I've always wanted to enable, but given the amount of work Fabrizio did in optimizing the templates it was never an option to just give it away, so we kept it as a subscriber feature. Now that it has a commercial sponsor, everyone can take advantage of this. A very big thank you to the Microsoft <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/default.mspx">Windows Mobile</a> and <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/default.mspx">Windows Embedded</a> team for sponsoring our mobile site! :way to go:<br /><br />So what if you're a subscriber who signed up <i>just</i> for the mobile forums? My hope is that you'll still see value in being a subscriber - the other features (ad blocking, media storage, email blasts, subscriber badge, and the warm fuzzy feeling you get by knowing you're supporting our work here) will continue to be subscribers only. ;-) I'm also going to be kicking off a new round of contests, including a new monthly giveaway sponsored by <a href="http://www.pocketpctechs.com">Pocket PC Techs</a> where we'll be giving away several special accessory bundles every single month to subscribers! (and people who send me postcards) We're also looking at developing new subscriber features including full-text RSS feeds, and we have a simple (but useful) piece of software developed in conjunction with <a href="http://www.twopeaks.com">Two Peaks</a> just for subscribers - you'll hear more about that next week.<br /><br />Lastly, in the next 90 days or so we'll be merging the subscriber benefits from Pocket PC Thoughts and Digital Media Thoughts into one - meaning being a subscriber at any one site gives you <i>an all-access pass</i>. And that also means for those of you who've been waiting for Smartphone Thoughts subscriber benefits to be activated, this is it! We'll be tweaking a few of the benefits in the new configuration, such as getting one $20 Vaja coupon per year, not one per site (I have to pay for these after all). Overall though this change will give you even more value in being a subscriber.<br /><br />Enjoy those mobile forums!

[surur]

As a subscriber I have no problem with everyone having proper mobile access to the forums. I do however feel that lack of advertising is one of the primary benefits of subscribing, and would therefore ask that the WM flag be removed for subscribers.

I find it very distracting, as it looks just like the "page loading" flag, and I end up waiting a few second longer for the page to finish loading.

Surur

[wocket]

Cool. It's nice just to be able to have a quick look when you have a couple of minutes to spare at the mobile forums without having to login.

8)

[acetuk]

I'm a subscriber as well. Being able to access the mobile forums has always been my main reason behind subscribing but as things develop I can understand the need to move forward with the site.

My personal usage of the mobile forums has massively reduced since I moved to using the RSS feeds.

Maybe an new benefit for subscribers would be to offer full article RSS feeds and for non-subscribers offer summary feeds as you do now. Personally that would 'balance' things again to those of use who do subscribe.

But I will continue to pay my subscription as I want to support PPCT. I do the same with certain software authors, buying software that I don't really need to help fund the development of the software that I do use. It is a small price to pay for the service offered.

[surfer]

Thanks Jason. Gonna enjoy it in a few minutes :D

[Silver5]

I had noticed this a few days ago and have been enjoying it! This is one of the best done mobile forums as well because it removes the unnecessary stuff and still keeps most functions available.

[tal]

While I mainly subscribed to support the site since I enjoy it regulary the non-working mobile forums was the thing that helped me surpass my lazyness :D So I hope the now public available mobile forums will not result in a decline of subscribtions.

BTW: The all-access pass to Digital Media Thoughts is a great addition!

Thorsten

[Jason Dunn]

Cool. It's nice just to be able to have a quick look when you have a couple of minutes to spare at the mobile forums without having to login.

Yeah, I enjoy that myself - because I change devices so often, it's a real pain to have to login again on all three sites to access the mobile forums. Now I don't have to. :mrgreen:

[Jason Dunn]

Maybe an new benefit for subscribers would be to offer full article RSS feeds and for non-subscribers offer summary feeds as you do now. Personally that would 'balance' things again to those of use who do subscribe.

Yes, that's exactly what we're looking at doing - we're undergoing a BIG development project right now (back-end stuff) to make publishing and controling the sites easier, but once that's finished we're going to invest in new subscriber features and RSS is on the list of things to look at. We need to make sure it can be implemented in the right way.

[Jason Dunn]

Thanks Jason. Gonna enjoy it in a few minutes :D

Glad you're enjoying it! You can thank Fabrizio for the excellently designed templates. They're pretty old actually (more than two years old now) and we're looking at doing an update to make then even better. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

So I hope the now public available mobile forums will not result in a decline of subscribtions.

I think there will be some decline, but the sponsorship of the mobile forums from Microsoft will help offset that. I also want to continue to improve the subscriber benefits so people will want to keep subscribing. ;-)

[frankenbike]

I can get the mobile index, but I can't seem to get the mobile forums. When I click the forums on the mobile page, I still get the PC formatted version. I do have my web browser set with the IE6 hack so most other PC based web sites open (more or less properly).

Any direct url that I can use for the mobile forums, since the clever self detection of my device as a mobile doesn't appear to work?

[Jason Dunn]

I can get the mobile index, but I can't seem to get the mobile forums. When I click the forums on the mobile page, I still get the PC formatted version. I do have my web browser set with the IE6 hack so most other PC based web sites open (more or less properly). Any direct url that I can use for the mobile forums, since the clever self detection of my device as a mobile doesn't appear to work?

I'm afraid you're out of luck - running a hacked browser will give you a broken experience because we've optimized for mobile devices. You're asking for a mobile-formatted forum experience on a device you've hacked to be a desktop browser, which just isn't possible.

[surur]

Jason, you've answered everyone else's question accept mine.

As a subscriber, can I get rid of the advertising in the mobile forum?

Surur

[ctmagnus]

Um... tabletpcthoughts.com (www.tabletpcthoughts.com)?

Not that I'm anxious or anything... ;)

[frankenbike]

I can get the mobile index, but I can't seem to get the mobile forums. When I click the forums on the mobile page, I still get the PC formatted version. I do have my web browser set with the IE6 hack so most other PC based web sites open (more or less properly). Any direct url that I can use for the mobile forums, since the clever self detection of my device as a mobile doesn't appear to work?

I'm afraid you're out of luck - running a hacked browser will give you a broken experience because we've optimized for mobile devices. You're asking for a mobile-formatted forum experience on a device you've hacked to be a desktop browser, which just isn't possible.

Thanks for the reply.

I appreciate the efforts of PPCT. However, you're mistaken about it not being possible. Aximsite's mobile forum works just fine. I don't know it's the IE6 hack that's causing the problem, not knowing how your system detects whether it's being accessed by a mobile device or not. But it does not affect the ability of some non-PPCT forums like Aximsite to self-detect the device.

As for one way to make it possible, you could make it so if you click on "forums" from http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/mobile/index.php, it would only take you to the mobile formatted forums, no matter what device you're using (even a desktop PC).

Just a thought.

[Ed Hansberry]

I appreciate the efforts of PPCT. However, you're mistaken about it not being possible. Aximsite's mobile forum works just fine. I don't know it's the IE6 hack that's causing the problem, not knowing how your system detects whether it's being accessed by a mobile device or not. But it does not affect the ability of some non-PPCT forums like Aximsite to self-detect the device.
I think he is sniffing the agent string. You've change it to masquerade as a desktop PC, so you are given the desktop feed, which is, IMHO, the right way to do it. Separate URLs and {shudder} asinine .mob domains for mobile devices are a hack. The server should intelligently look at what is accessing it and offer up appropriately formatted content.

Is AximSite sniffing or using a separate URL?

[Jason Dunn]

I appreciate the efforts of PPCT. However, you're mistaken about it not being possible...As for one way to make it possible, you could make it so if you click on "forums" from http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/mobile/index.php, it would only take you to the mobile formatted forums, no matter what device you're using (even a desktop PC).

Sorry, I should have clarified: it's not possible given the way we've approached the design. To me, content and form must be separate on the Web. Content is the words, form is the HTML wrapped around it. You then present the same content to all clients, desktop and mobile, but you change the form to suit the device. You look at the device that's asking for the content, and you present it to them in a form that works. Nothing is hard-coded, everything is fluid. That's the way the Web should be. No hard coded sites, no .mob domains, etc.

What you're trying to do is get the best of both worlds - view Web sites designed for a desktop browser, yet you're still expecting mobile sites to work. And as much as I like to make everyone happy, we can't help you in this case because we don't take the "hard code road". Sorry.

[dazz]

Jason,

BIG thanks for making the mobile forums available to all. I have been enjoying for the last few days and love it! I had been going to the forums anyway on my PPC and have been putting up with the format, so this mobile version is MUCH better! I have been trying to do the same on my site but it would take more of a rewrite than I am prepared to do. :wink:

We all really appreciate all the work you and the rest of the team put into PPCT. Keep it up! 8)

[frankenbike]

Well, as I said, somehow Aximsite is doing it. I didn't change any agent or anything, I just used the RegKing registry hack to emulate IE6. That's a pretty standard hack to give mobile users access to a hell of a lot more content than is formatted for mobile devices at this time.

It sounds like you're taking the position of the purist. That mobile devices shouldn't be used the way desktop PCs are used. But sometimes, when you're travelling or mobile, the PPC is the only device you have to fulfill all your electronic resource and computing needs.

From your point of view, the way I have my device set up is the problem. From my point of view, your system is not working and is malfunctioning. If I can get to the mobile intro page, which is formatted correctly, I should also be able to get to the mobile forums. You are telling me that I'm wrong philosophically, and that I have no need to see all the content that is not specifically formatted for mobile devices. I find this perspective a little perplexing: shouldn't we be doing whatever is necessary to make our devices as useful and flexible as possible? Should we deny ourselves access to pages which will specifically not load because they claim we need IE5 or greater, when our browsers are capable of loading those pages?

It's bad enough that we are expected to pay for a browser that is Java and or Flash enabled. I won't at this time. But please don't take the position that I should be locked out of the rest of the HTML world just so I can use the mobile formatted PPCT. Assuming that it's the RegKing IE6 registry hack that is causing the problem (I'm not entirely convinced it is, but I'm not changing my registry just to test it out).

I'm not demanding that you change your policies or your site. You do a lot of work to make this site a valuable resource, and I appreciate that. But I am saying that I'm probably not the only one who is experiencing this problem, and if I'm not alone, it might be worth providing some alternative means of accessing the mobile forums besides your automatic detection...which is obviously imperfect and is using a scheme that is too easily fooled into coming to the wrong conclusion.

[Jason Dunn]

Assuming that it's the RegKing IE6 registry hack that is causing the problem (I'm not entirely convinced it is, but I'm not changing my registry just to test it out).

It is absolutely the RegKing registry hack that is not allowing you to see the mobile forums. Our templates are dynamic and when your browser visits it says "Hello, I'm IE6" so you get the desktop version. Our code is doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

However, here's what I will do: I'll talk to Fabrizio about looking for a second level of detection, something other than the browser user agent string, to see if there's a way we can more deeply identify the mobile device and dish up the mobile forums.

[Jason Dunn]

Um... tabletpcthoughts.com (www.tabletpcthoughts.com)? Not that I'm anxious or anything... ;)

We expect to launch one new site before the end of the year - right now it's a toss-up between two new sites, but I'm not ready to talk about it publicly yet. ;-)

[Mitch D]

As a subscriber I have no problem with everyone having proper mobile access to the forums. I do however feel that lack of advertising is one of the primary benefits of subscribing, and would therefore ask that the WM flag be removed for subscribers.

I find it very distracting, as it looks just like the "page loading" flag, and I end up waiting a few second longer for the page to finish loading.

Surur

With all due respect Surur I don't understand how you can mistaken the "sponsored by" logo for the animated logo.

[Kevin Jackson]

We'll be tweaking a few of the benefits in the new configuration, such as getting one $20 Vaja coupon per year, not one per site (I have to pay for these after all).

Quick question about that -- does the one per year apply to any other benefits? And what about Lifetime/Deluxe subscribers, do they get to partake annually in the Vaja coupon goodness?

More curiosity than anything.

Thanks for continuing to make ThoughtsMedia such a great family of sites!

[frankenbike]

It is absolutely the RegKing registry hack that is not allowing you to see the mobile forums. Our templates are dynamic and when your browser visits it says "Hello, I'm IE6" so you get the desktop version. Our code is doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

However, here's what I will do: I'll talk to Fabrizio about looking for a second level of detection, something other than the browser user agent string, to see if there's a way we can more deeply identify the mobile device and dish up the mobile forums.

Thank you. I couldn't ask for more.

[Jason Dunn]

Quick question about that -- does the one per year apply to any other benefits? And what about Lifetime/Deluxe subscribers, do they get to partake annually in the Vaja coupon goodness?

Lifetime subscribers can get the Vaja coupons each year, the free PDAmill game each year, etc. The micro-light is a one-time thing though. ;-)

[Kevin Jackson]

Quick question about that -- does the one per year apply to any other benefits? And what about Lifetime/Deluxe subscribers, do they get to partake annually in the Vaja coupon goodness?

Lifetime subscribers can get the Vaja coupons each year, the free PDAmill game each year, etc. The micro-light is a one-time thing though. ;-)

Not only do you have a great family of sites, but you are exceedingly generous as well!

[pjerry220]

Thanks Jason and crew. Keep up the good work.

[surur]

I find it very distracting, as it looks just like the "page loading" flag, and I end up waiting a few second longer for the page to finish loading.

Surur

With all due respect Surur I don't understand how you can mistaken the "sponsored by" logo for the animated logo.

Well, it does look the same, doesnt it, and I did say only a few seconds. Either way, my mobile access is not being sposored by anyone, its one of the features I've paid for, so I would prefer if it was gone. On a PC I could have ad-blocked it, but this is not available on the ppc. Lack of ads is one of the reasons why I subscribed in the first place.

See my views in this thread here:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42266&amp;start=10

Surur

[Jason Dunn]

Thank you. I couldn't ask for more.

Can you try again? We've changed our code - let me know how it works. If it's still not working, please go here:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/tools/ua.php

...and report what your browser is stating.

[frankenbike]

Thank you. I couldn't ask for more.

Can you try again? We've changed our code - let me know how it works. If it's still not working, please go here:


It's working perfectly now.

Thank you very much for your efforts. I hope this open this opens the forums to even more people.

Again, thank you very much.

[Jason Dunn]

Subscribers now have the ability to turn off the "Sponsored By" graphic on the mobile site. To do so, please go into Subscribe > Customize and under the ads customization switch to "Customize Your Pocket PC Experience" and you can turn them off there.

[surur]

Thx Jason.

Aaahh...Content, pure content....

Surur