Different Versions of this Site?

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Poppy
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Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Poppy »

Having just purchased a new tablet, I have noticed how this site comes up different to how it usually came up (pinkish colour) and now it comes up white. It always came up like this on my Mum's phone but then you can't see your user control panel or private messages. The society also comes up like this but then you can click a link to see the main website. Is there any way of getting the main forum page up on a tablet or mobile phone and has anyone else had this problem?
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Carlotta King
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Carlotta King »

I haven't found a way either.

On my phone, the site is, as you say, white, with no user controls or messages, and there is no link to view in desktop mode.
However the main site either has a mobile version or full version that you can load on a phone or tablet, as you have already found out! :)
Thankfully the main desktop version of the site is also very mobile-friendly and doesn't take hours to load like some desktop sites do on mobiles - the photobucket site was a nightmare, half the buttons and functions didn't even load on my phone! :roll:

Before I got my broadband I could only visit this site on my phone, so the only way I could check my private messages was to click the link in the emails I received informing me that I had a new message, and then the private message page would load. :)

You could always save the pm page in your favourites so it's always saved for you to access, that's what I did. :)
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by pete9012S »

Before I joined the Society proper and got my password and all that, I always imagined the 'Secret Passage for Members' area of the site was a place were secret,private conversations and discussions took place....but actually when I took the plunge and subscribed to the Journal and then got my password, I found to my enormous surprise that.....

Oh sorry,can't say-you'll have to join for yourself like me to enter Tony's Secret Passage... :D

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/secret-passage.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Poppy »

Thanks for that, Carlotta! I think that might be the best thing to do. It's still annoying though, because I definitely prefer the other version.
pete9012S wrote:Oh sorry,can't say-you'll have to join for yourself like me to enter Tony's Secret Passage...
:lol: :lol:
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Carlotta King »

No problem! :)

I wonder if it recognises the operating system and loads it from that, or identifies the device itself? I don't have a tablet so I'm not sure if sites load their mobile versions on tablets by default.

i.e. if it recognised an Android browser would it assume that you're accessing it on a phone (even if you were on an Android tablet) and load its mobile version (which is what it seems to have done with you), or would it actually detect the type of machine you're using, and load whichever version was suitable (ie I would have thought that a desktop version would be better for a tablet because it's almost the size of a laptop).

I wonder what it would do if you had a Windows tablet with a normal Internet Explorer browser - would it load the mobile version because you were on a tablet, or the normal version because you were using IE?
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I must admit I prefer to use my lap top for the internet. It's a bigger screen and I prefer a keyboard, rather than all this touch screen.

When I use my tablet for browsing when I'm sat watching TV, this site comes up completely different from my lap top, and so I don't post anything until I can sit at my desk using the lap top. I mainly use the tablet for just browsing and reading really. :)

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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Carlotta King »

I agree about the touchscreen - it takes me about half an hour just to write a text message on my touchscreen phone, so if I was writing a message on here it would take me about two hours! :lol:
I much prefer a proper keyboard.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by shadow »

On my tablet it goes to the mobile site as the default but on my version, an android tablet - nexus 7, you can change it back to the computer version.

On the top right of the screen there are three square dots in a vertical line. Click on this to bring up a menu. Near the bottom of the list is 'request desktop site' with a square box next to it. Click in this box and it should change the layout of the site back to the computer version. I don't think this feature is available on the iPad, not sure about other tablets.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Carlotta King »

That's really interesting, Shadow - I had never noticed that request option on the list before - I just thought it was your standard 'refresh' and 'bookmarks" etc list - I never scrolled down to the bottom!

I just tried it on my phone and it didn't load the desktop version for me but that's probably because it can see that I'm definitely on a phone - obviously if you're on a tablet it will load it.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by shadow »

I forgot to add that you need to be using chrome as a search engine which is standard on android tablets.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Poppy »

Yay! Thanks Shadow - it's the desktop site now! That's much better...
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Moonraker »

I don't think this feature is available on the iPad
There is no need for this feature on an iPad, as websites appear exactly the same as on a conventional computer. I think it depends on the operating system, many cheaper tablets use browsers that only display in "mobile" mode. I guess you get what you pay for. I seem to remember Anita had problems using the Society site on her tablet.

My phone (Android) shows the Society site with a white background and the avatars appear at the bottom left of the post. I can't seem to get the 'proper' looking site on the phone though. Keith set up the mobile site, so I would imagine you are correct, Cathy, when you say the website recognises the device and loads accordingly.
Pete wrote:I always imagined the 'Secret Passage for Members' area of the site was a place were secret,private conversations and discussions took place
I've always thought that would be a good idea, and might even encourage non-members to subscribe! The Camra forum I subscribe to has this feature where only members can access and comment on certain topics.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Fiona1986 »

Moonraker wrote: I think it depends on the operating system, many cheaper tablets use browsers that only display in "mobile" mode. I guess you get what you pay for. I seem to remember Anita had problems using the Society site on her tablet.
Not sure that's always true. I think it depends on the website. There are loads that automatically load as mobile sites on my iphone, but many of them have a link that allows you to override that switch to the full site. (Hotmail comes to mind right away.) As far as I can tell the forums don't have that option available, though before the mobile site existed you could browse the forums in their full web form.
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Moonraker »

Yes, I speak with little authority. You are probably right. I remember when Keith put out the site in beta mode and asked me what I thought of it. I guess once that's done it is always the same on a mobile device.

The iPad however acts like a laptop/computer and not a mobile device, so thankfully all websites appear normally (unless you access via an app).

A pity Keith no longer looks in on the forums, as he could explain all of this!
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Re: Different Versions of this Site?

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

He is only an email away though if anyone wanted to ask him.

Personally for me the computer lap top is better. I like to see a big screen before me. These small screens I find just impossible!!! :roll:

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