[split] Bring4th and the Mobile/Tablet Experience

[rva_jeremy]

Hey, I'd like to add one more thing that I've only recently been noticing.  It kind of goes along with the paring down features point I mentioned in my questionnaire, and comes from the work I do in my job as a web developer: Bring4th.org needs a better mobile experience.  The reason this is important: mobile is taking over, and it's on track to be the majority device on the web.  So in order to be available to the most people possible, we should figure out how to get users a great mobile experience.  

It looks like phpBB 3.1 is claiming to be responsive (meaning it adapts to best accommodate the screen size of the device).  Steve, anything I can do to help, lemme know.

[Parsons]

I want to second jeremy's sentiments.

I work tech support for one of the largest cell phone carriers in the US. I can say with extreme confidence that the majority of customers have 1 or 2 mobile devices (usually a smartphone or a tablet) and an aging computer that either doesn't get used or doesn't work anymore. Some customers say they haven't even powered on their computer for months or over a year. Other customers have never even owned a computer and only have their smartphone. And don't misunderstand, most customers I speak with are not tech savvy at all.

I would give a rough estimate that 40-60% of the people I talk to do not have a computer or do not use it anymore and only use their smartphone/tablet. I'm sure this will continue to increase very rapidly over the coming years.

[rva_jeremy]

Thanks for the echo, Parsons. I bring the issue up with some hesitation because I know how much work it is to achieve ideal responsiveness. But: if the issue is a lack of participation, then we have to go where the people are, and they're just not on desktop devices as much as mobile devices these days.

[The_Tired_Philosopher]

As a browser of b4 mainly from a phone.

Yes please

[APeacefulWarrior]

I spend a lot of my time here on a Galaxy S5 tablet and everything works fine for me. Are other people having problems?

[The_Tired_Philosopher]

The report a post option doesn't display properly for me on an LG Optimus running v.4.1.2 of Android.

Also the text box interface is not a fan of my keyboard. I have a very hard time with the touch-hold function (left click) to paste or cut text.

Also nearly impossible to use the biorhythm calculator (though I haven't checked it in a while) to check 'various' dates due to a display glitch concerning a cookie file, it doesn't overwrite the initial generated file, results in showing the exact same graph the first time you input info until you clear your cookies or the file the calculator generates.

[rva_jeremy]

I spend a lot of my time here on a Galaxy S5 tablet and everything works fine for me.  Are other people having problems?

Yeah, just to be clear: it's not an issue of not being able to do anything.  It's an issue of doing it on a small screen where the entire experience is optimized for a different width screen.

As an example of what I mean: go to customink.com on your desktop, and then visit there on your phone.  You'll see that they are two completely different layouts, with the latter having a bigger font and a more vertically scrolling flow, the menu collapsing into the "hamburger button", etc.

[Diana]

I usually visit B4 from my computer but I'm on my iPad right now. Yikes, takes so much longer to type. Everything seems to function the same. I also tried my iPhone and aside that everything is smaller it all seems to look and function the same.

Admin: I don't know if you have the ability to check these particular devices, but I can give you feedback, take screen shots, etc. if you need. 

[Kaaron]

I agree. Everything is too wide and I have to zoom to click links on my phone.
Maybe a mobile version of the site?
I have no idea about how much work that is though...

[Aion]

I am also a mobile user and it can be tedious at times although I don't really mind the navigation and zooming (it's like working in 3D).