Mobile Users: Mobile Skin Poll

[Greg Bernhardt]

I've had some requests to drop it and now some to keep it. Be heard now! :)

 

[MacLaddy]

Keep it, most phone browsers, i.e, Dolphin, Skyfire, Opera, have the option to identify as a regular desktop and will not display the mobile version if that's what the user desires.

 

[NeoDevin]

Keep it. I know I've complained about it lacking features before, but trying to view the forums on my iPod with the regular skin would be tough. I would have to zoom into be able to read the text, and then constantly scroll left and right to see who is posting what.

 

[ZapperZ]

I'd like to see it changed rather than dropping it. I kinda agree with NeoDevin in that I wish it has a lot more sophistication to it. As it is now, I tend to do a lot of scrolling to get to everything.

Zz.

 

[cristo]

I've just voted drop it, but since realized that my phone circumvents the mobile skin anyway!

 

[JaredJames]

Aside from it could do with additional features, I say keep it.

If it came to using the regular skin I wouldn't bother on my phone.

 

[JaredJames]

What happened? The poll is clearly "keep it" and yet it's gone off my phone.

 

[MacLaddy]

What happened? The poll is clearly "keep it" and yet it's gone off my phone.

I actually lost it before this poll was open. Sometime on Wednesday, I believe.

 

[Dembadon]

I voted to keep it.

I have to zoom in and out quite often when using the default layout. I believe the default layout also takes longer to load.

 

[JaredJames]

I voted to keep it.

I have to zoom in and out quite often when using the default layout. I believe the default layout also takes longer to load.

Exactly what I encounter. An absolute nightmare.

The poll still says to keep it and yet it's still gone.

 

[cristo]

I have to zoom in and out quite often when using the default layout.

But it's much easier to do a bit of zooming than to have few functional features.

I believe the default layout also takes longer to load.

Not for me: my phone loads the the default page in a fraction of a second.

 

[Dembadon]

But it's much easier to do a bit of zooming than to have few functional features.



Not for me: my phone loads the the default page in a fraction of a second.

If Wi-Fi is available, I agree, it's pretty quick, and the difference is negligible. However, without Wi-Fi, it's much slower -- AT&T doesn't have a very good data speeds in the mountains.

 

[KrisOhn]

I voted for keeping it.

For the people who want to seen it gone, they can turn off the mobile browser function in their phone or device. On the other hand, if it is gone, the people who want it, can't just turn it back on at their own will.

In my experience the default site also loads much slower than the mobile version, and that is with Wi-Fi, the phone I'm on is a Blackberry Curve.

I'm checking now on my phone, and the mobile version is back up, Whew!

 

[cristo]

In my experience the default site also loads much slower than the mobile version, and that is with Wi-Fi, the phone I'm on is a Blackberry Curve.

The normal site loads without delay for me, both on wifi and over the mobile network. Still, I've figured out how to disable the mobile mode now, so it makes no difference to me.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

The normal site loads without delay for me, both on wifi and over the mobile network. Still, I've figured out how to disable the mobile mode now, so it makes no difference to me.

Would you be able to explain how that is done? Thanks.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Would you be able to explain how that is done? Thanks.

The mobile skin is activated when it recognizes a "mobile user agent string". change the string and the mobile device won't be detected.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

The mobile skin is activated when it recognizes a "mobile user agent string". change the string and the mobile device won't be detected.

Thanks very much, Greg!

 

[Gallin]

Could anyone explain to me how to disable the mobile website on an iPad?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Could anyone explain to me how to disable the mobile website on an iPad?

I added the ipad to an exception list. Does it work?

 

[Gallin]

Wow that confused me for a bit there. Ya it works. And now I can even see the poll. Thanks.

 

[Sankaku]

Why is my desktop Opera11 (stock agent string under Linux) being recognized as a mobile device? I have to mask as Firefox to use the site...

Thanks for any help.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Why is my desktop Opera11 (stock agent string under Linux) being recognized as a mobile device? I have to mask as Firefox to use the site...

Thanks for any help.

can you post your exact agent string?

 

[Sankaku]

can you post your exact agent string?

You bet:

Opera/9.80 (X11; Linux i686; U; en) Presto/2.7.62 Version/11.01

Thanks for looking into it. I notice that desktop Opera does get interpreted as a mobile device on a few other sites.


If I change to "Identify as Firefox" it becomes this, which usually works fine:

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en; rv:1.9.1.6) Gecko/20091201 Firefox/3.5.6 Opera 11.01

 

[Cantstandit]

Why is my desktop Opera11 (stock agent string under Linux) being recognized as a mobile device? I have to mask as Firefox to use the site...

Thanks for any help.

I can confirm that, thank god I can mask as Firefox...

 

[Gallin]

So I had the non modile version up yesterday and now it's back... Did you decide that the modile version is what it's going to be?

 

[disregardthat]

The mobile skin appears in my opera browser on my computer, does anyone know how to disable it? For chrome it's regular though, I don't know what's wrong.

 

[Sankaku]

The mobile skin appears in my opera browser on my computer, does anyone know how to disable it?

Because Opera makes a mobile browser that is used in a lot of mobile devices, many sites (wrongly) think that you want a mobile layout.

You can tell Opera to pretend to be Firefox on any site that does this. This fools the site into giving you the right page layout for a desktop browser. I sometimes also do this on sites that complain that I am not using an "up to date browser" and then direct me to go download Netscape (which hasn't existed for years)!

Right-click on the page and click "Edit Site Preferences." Go to the "Network" tab at the far right and the bottom entry is "Browser Identification." See what works best for you.

Once set, Opera will remember to "mask" itself every time you come back to that site.

 

[disregardthat]

Right-click on the page and click "Edit Site Preferences." Go to the "Network" tab at the far right and the bottom entry is "Browser Identification." See what works best for you.

Thanks, that worked!

 

[Sankaku]

Now if I set to "Identify as Firefox" I get a 502 Bad Gateway page and physicsforums is essentially broken. Yikes.

I have to completely "Mask as Firefox" to get the site usable. Personally, I think feeding different pages to different browsers is the wrong approach. But maybe I am just a luddite.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

the opera problem has been fixed

 

[Sankaku]

the opera problem has been fixed

Much appreciated. I can confirm it is working normally for me again...