Vague Suggestion

[70s-child]

So of the three issues discussed, the like option is a resounding no but the preview and mobile versions get a resounding 'yes' from me!

I am one of the few people who is actually all for at least trying out the 'thanks' button. Since this site, fortunately, doesn't allow inane status updates, there is no room for 'liking' nonsense (50 people liked the fact that you just took a shower -- not). There is however a danger that people may try to rack up as many 'thanks' as possible by perhaps getting their friends to vote - this would be akin to friending even your enemies on Facebook in order to increase your friend count. But I like to think that, unlike the idiocy that generally prevails on Facebook, a majority of the registered members of this forum are more sensible and have higher standards. After all, most of us have stuck with this site for some years, while I certainly got fed up with Facebook after just a few months.

Since so many people are leery of it however, is it possible to get a preview of the icon for this site, so people have a clearer idea of what they are agreeing/not agreeing to? I think the reason why so many people like the mobile version of the site is because we got a preview of it (And, thank you, Keith. The mobile version is excellent; plus it is an answer to a prayer while waiting in a doctor's office or something).

[Fiona1986]

I am one of the few people who is actually all for at least trying out the 'thanks' button.

I'd be more than happy to see it have a trial run. I can't see it causing big issues, as you say we're generally sensible enough here to not start capaigns to get more 'thanks' than someone else.

[Keith Robinson]

Since so many people are leery of it however, is it possible to get a preview of the icon for this site, so people have a clearer idea of what they are agreeing/not agreeing to? I think the reason why so many people like the mobile version of the site is because we got a preview of it (And, thank you, Keith. The mobile version is excellent; plus it is an answer to a prayer while waiting in a doctor's office or something).

You're welcome, 70s-child! But the difference between a trial-run for the mobile version and a trial run for the LIKE button is that the mobile version is something I need to do anyway, so it was more a case of plunging in with the expectation that I would see it through (even if it took a while). The LIKE button is not like that at all and the last thing I want to do is install a mod (a complex process) and then have to remove it again. Installing mods means locating and opening numerous files and amending code. Plus, there's no guarantee that it'll work because there are different versions of these forums.

Seeing all your comments (and somewhat divided opinions) it looks like it might be better to forget about the forum-wide LIKE button. However, it's possible that I could find or create a snippet of code that acts like a widget -- ie, you install the code on a certain post as required, and that means people can vote on that post. It would be a special setup but might actually be easier and better in the long run. It would mean that LIKES would be by invitation only, and only if the person inviting the LIKES has copy-pasted a bit of code into his or her post (the code would be available from some easily accessible location).

How does that sound?

But right now I need to get on with some work! I've spent the morning tidying up the mobile phone version of the forums so it looks a bit better now. The signature and other surplus info has been removed, a few bits have been spaced out, buttons added back in... Hopefully it's a lot more useable now, although I expect there will be some areas I haven't got to yet, or bits that have proved difficult to adjust. I could go into WHY some bits are difficult to adjust, but I won't bore you with the details!!

[Fiona1986]

I've spent the morning tidying up the mobile phone version of the forums so it looks a bit better now. The signature and other surplus info has been removed, a few bits have been spaced out, buttons added back in... Hopefully it's a lot more useable now.

Brilliant! I will test and review again tomorrow

[Moonraker]

How does that sound?

It depends on what else you have to do on the site(s). I certainly wouldn't give it high priority unless we're all gagging for it! Love the mobile version, many thanks for that.

[Fatty]

It's possible that I could find or create a snippet of code that acts like a widget -- ie, you install the code on a certain post as required, and that means people can vote on that post. It would mean that LIKES would be by invitation only, and only if the person inviting the LIKES has copy-pasted a bit of code into his or her post (the code would be available from some easily accessible location).

How does that sound?

Sounds good, if it isn't *too* much trouble. But as you said it isn't critical and can wait till you have a bit more time to spare. But please give the mouse-over a look. A preview option will make the mobile feature even more efficient. There are threads I keep visiting because I've forgotten I've checked them out already and decided there isn't anything of interest for me. For instance, there's this thread titled 'One thing that really bugs me about this forum...' which I've visited a dozen times because I can't for the life of me remember what it's about. So, out of curiosity, I click on it again and again.

But right now I need to get on with some work! I've spent the morning tidying up the mobile phone version of the forums so it looks a bit better now. The signature and other surplus info has been removed, a few bits have been spaced out, buttons added back in...

I noticed. Some hour ago I saw you had added a 'post reply' button but it wasn't clickable. It works fine now. The layout is also much cleaner. One omission I noticed was that if I click on the 'Forums' link it offers me a 'View New Topics' link but not 'View Active Topics'. I find the latter more useful. Of course, one can easily access it by going to http://enidblytonsociety.co.uk/forums/s ... ive_topics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and bookmarking the URL, but perhaps not everybody would be able to figure this out.

Also, considering there are various sizes of mobile screens -- and varying degrees of acuity of vision -- would it be too much work to implement a font size selector (AAA)? The current font is a bit *too* legible for me and I'd like to fit more lines into the screen. I could adjust the zoom setting on my browser but that makes other webpages hard to read.

I could go into WHY some bits are difficult to adjust, but I won't bore you with the details!!

Actually I'm interested... but I suppose I'm in a minority of one, so you can heave a sigh of relief. Is this PHPBB thing open source/free to download? I'm thinking of tooling around with it to get a feel of things, so I can offer more concrete suggestions later. Can't do it while I'm using my phone for Internet access though!

PS: I wonder how Yak feels about her 'vague suggestion' thread being hijacked to host an involved discussion of some very specific -- and completely unrelated -- suggestions.

[Fiona1986]

The mobile site is looking good now. The threads are easier to read without the signatures etc, and the reply button is better too.

I just wonder why I can't zoom on any of the pages though. On the thread list today I was fat-fingerdly pressing the wrong thread pages and wishing I could zoom in to make it easier.

I'd like a mouse over preview, too, though it would only be useful to me on my laptop, don't think I can mouse over on my phone as there is no mouse pointer!

[Keith Robinson]

I altered the text size of the mobile version. It's a little smaller now, which hopefully will suit most of you? It's readable on a very small touch phone like mine, but comfortable on the larger phones (iPhone, Droid, etc). At least to me, anyway. I used Facebook's own phone app as a guide to text size, which is of course used by millions.

Fiona, the pinch-and-zoom would be useful for sure, but the problem is that pinch-and-zoom only works when the layout is a fixed width. Most websites are fixed width, so the phone has to shrink it down to fit, and therefore the pinch-and-zoom works as you'd expect. But mobile websites are, by design, more fluid -- ie, 100% width rather than a fixed width, and so the text wraps to fit whatever the screen size is. Therefore the phone doesn't understand that you still might want to use pinch-and-zoom.

iPhones are really daft. When you turn it sideways, you'd think there would be more space for your text to flow across. But no, iPhones automatically make the text larger! So the text wraps exactly as before, only it's much bigger text. Well, I've stopped that from happening; I personally think that if you're going to turn your phone sideways, then you're doing it because you want more space, not because you want the text to be bigger. Anyone disagree? I've prevented the text from auto-scaling when flipped sideways. However, I'm aware that this might prevent any other form of scaling too!

In the long term, I'm open to opinions about text size and so on. If everyone felt the default text was too small or whatever, I'd change it. But again, when I look at Facebook's app, it's really no different -- the text is the same size and you can't pinch-and-zoom on that either.

What I could do, though, is try to make the tiny page links (1, 2, 3, etc) easier to click and so on. I find that when I click on New Posts, what I really want is to go to the last page and read the newest posts in the thread. To do that I need to click on "4" (or whatever the last page is) which is a very small target.

Fatty, your idea about having a different text size choice built into the mobile website might work nicely, and it wouldn't be TOO difficult to implement if anyone else needed it. Also, I'll add that Active Topics link back in sometime. Oh, and PHPBB forums are free, yes; they're open source and you can download and install a package from phpbb.com.

And finally, as Fiona mentioned, I'm puzzled by the need for a mouse-over preview feature when there's no mouse on a phone. How would that work? Perhaps I could code it to recognize when a finger is hovering nearby....?

[Fatty]

In the long term, I'm open to opinions about text size and so on. If everyone felt the default text was too small or whatever, I'd change it.

I'm able to read it just fine, but it *is* small and someone older might have a tougher time of it. Maybe one point larger? Or maybe you could offer a choice of three sizes. *greedy look*

And finally, as Fiona mentioned, I'm puzzled by the need for a mouse-over preview feature when there's no mouse on a phone. How would that work? Perhaps I could code it to recognize when a finger is hovering nearby....?

On my touchscreenless BlackBerry there's a trackpad that does duty as mouse. Running a finger across it causes a black arrow (which changes to an I-beam in text or a little hand when poised over a web link) to flit across the screen.

[Fiona1986]

iPhones are really daft. When you turn it sideways, you'd think there would be more space for your text to flow across. But no, iPhones automatically make the text larger! So the text wraps exactly as before, only it's much bigger text. Well, I've stopped that from happening; I personally think that if you're going to turn your phone sideways, then you're doing it because you want more space, not because you want the text to be bigger. Anyone disagree? I've prevented the text from auto-scaling when flipped sideways. However, I'm aware that this might prevent any other form of scaling too!

Mine still just makes the forum text bigger when I turn it sideways.

What I could do, though, is try to make the tiny page links (1, 2, 3, etc) easier to click and so on. I find that when I click on New Posts, what I really want is to go to the last page and read the newest posts in the thread. To do that I need to click on "4" (or whatever the last page is) which is a very small target.

That's the exact issue I was having, so yes, making them a bigger target would be great.

[Keith Robinson]

Alrighty then, I've made the text very slightly bigger, AND have figured out what enables/disables the pinch-and-zoom. So now you can zoom in as needed.

iPhone (or at least the iPod Touch I'm testing on) now makes the text bigger when you turn it sideways, but Fiona, you said it was doing that anyway? Oh well, I don't know. I'll have to live with that. You can at least shrink it back down once turned sideways. This is an iPhone "bug" (or just one of those things Apple like to do different no matter what people say about it). I can disable it to a degree, but it also disables zoom, so it's best to leave it alone.

Android is much better!

And Fatty, really? BlackBerry? Do they still exist? Sorry, just a personal dislike. I do know what you mean by the little moveable cursor though; my old keypad phone had that too. It was hideous and I wouldn't ever dream of viewing a website on it. But then, it wasn't as advanced as a BlackBerry either. Anyway, I honestly don't think I'm going to a mouse-over feature for the mobile version partly because it's useless on touch phones and also because it might not work on a BlackBerry either; many phones don't allow Javascript, which is what would be required. Just out of interest, maybe you could look into that and see if Javascript works?

Edit: Okay, I admit I'm a touch screen snob. I shouldn't be, because there are way too many keypad phones out there to dismiss. So I'll bear it in mind, Fatty!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Just out of interest, for those of us who don't have a mobile phone with internet access, how much of the website has been adapted for mobile phone users? Is it just the forums, or other pages too? Are images a problem when browsing a website using a mobile phone, and if so does that mean it would be difficult to wander through the Cave of Books using a phone? What about pictures that people upload on their forums posts? Do those still appear (other than avatars, which I guess have been disabled)? I'm just curious about how the website would come across to anyone who happens to access it by phone only.

[Fiona1986]

iPhone (or at least the iPod Touch I'm testing on) now makes the text bigger when you turn it sideways, but Fiona, you said it was doing that anyway? Oh well, I don't know. I'll have to live with that. You can at least shrink it back down once turned sideways. This is an iPhone "bug" (or just one of those things Apple like to do different no matter what people say about it). I can disable it to a degree, but it also disables zoom, so it's best to leave it alone.

Yes, before and after you post talking about it turning my phone sideways kept the same word wrap/layout but made the text bigger. I'm using an iphone 3s, there may be differences between that, the ipod touch and the iphone 4/4s anyway. It's not a big deal, as I usually turn my phone sideways either to fit in wide pages or because I know it will make text bigger on other ones. On the regular site on my mobile I browsed with the phone sideways as the forum fitted better that way.

I have to agree about touchphones, Keith. I think there's so much more you can do with them rather than fiddling with two or three buttons. Even if the iphone has some features that could do with being refined.

[Moonraker]

iPhones are really daft. When you turn it sideways, you'd think there would be more space for your text to flow across. But no, iPhones automatically make the text larger! So the text wraps exactly as before, only it's much bigger text. Well, I've stopped that from happening;

Marvellous! That irritated me - how clever you are to sort that one out! Incidentally, when I tilt my iPhone sideways, the text is still the same size, but a couple of taps on the screen reduces to the same as the 'portrait' view. It is now a perfect size (for me, anyway).

Mine still just makes the forum text bigger when I turn it sideways.

Try the double-tap, Fiona.

[Fatty]

I honestly don't think I'm going to a mouse-over feature for the mobile version partly because it's useless on touch phones and also because it might not work on a BlackBerry either; many phones don't allow Javascript, which is what would be required. Just out of interest, maybe you could look into that and see if Javascript works?

Touchscreens don't allow easy typing and texting, or maybe it's just my fingers. On my BlackBerry I occasionally edit 1000-word articles if I'm travelling and have no access to a laptop, and my typing speed is decent on the miniature QWERTY keypad. No stupid autocorrect to foul things up either.

The cursor's fine - I never faced any problem clicking the page numbers at the bottom, for instance. And the mouse-over works with my BlackBerry, as with this site I regularly visit: http://bikeszone.com/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (it doesn't seem to have a mobile optimised version yet). That aside, it isn't a dealbreaker really.

I'm no BlackBerry fan though; it's just that I prefer a keypad and I like its efficient push mail (and BlackBerry Messenger of course). If I go touchscreen in future it will definitely be the Android platform. I wouldn't ever consider an iPhone. The premium one pays just isn't worth it.