Forum owners who don't have mobile-friendly layouts

That's frustrating, though maybe the theme I linked is better at maintenance that some that are out there? It's certainly worth giving the look if you have time.

 

Assuming that it's compatible with the latest version of the forum v. 3.2.1

My site is on v. 3.0.10

 

I have been learning to make different Jcink skins mobile friendly, and it's a godsend! I'm on my kindle half the time, or my phone at work, and not being forced to go to the default Jcink layout is amazing. <3 I gotta say, it's a lot of work, but it's worth it in the end! Especially for a completely self-taught coder like me. xD

 

For me, it's all really dependent on the skin. I'm old school like Archivist, and develop mainly for PC and laptops. I try to find a skin that's going to work across all platforms without having to go through several more skins just to make it work. AKA I follow the law of KISS--and NOT the band. It's gonna get to a point, I fear, where I eventually will have to suck it up and learn to code for mobile. It's happened before, and around the time it becomes officially pinnacle for most markets is when it's too late for most developers. I look at it, also, from an actual game dev's point of view. More often than not, the game dev in me says, "Shoulda done this five years ago, mate."

 

Found one!! I was looking through the phpBB site and found a style that works for all monitor types.
phpBB Style Proflat

It may be light on the graphics but there's a bundle of color options.

 

Ooo, that looks like it would work well for the site.

 

I think it will, it just might do the trick. as for graphics in the style, that can be taken care of later. Right now, the priority is updating the forum itself and adding the style. Once this is done I can search for a graphics designer to work on changing images to customize the style for each venue (game). We don't need special features per style, just change graphics.

 

This is the thing that gets me, jcink and other services do offer a mobile version. If you are wanting the desktop version to be mobile friendly, that's not going to always happen no matter how hard some of try. However, I think people should use the mobile versions of sites. >>; and not complain when a skin coded for a computer doesn't work on your smart phone. Just my two cents.

 

so what you're saying is that I can choose either desktop friendly or mobile friendly but can't have both? And yet- this style that I found does both.

 

or you know.. use the version made for you device? I don't get why this is such a complex idea. XD

 

It's not, and I'm not making it complex. once my forum is updated I'll install the new style and make it the default style, problem solved for everyone.

 

The point is, some websites don't bake available a version that works for mobile devices. I'll gladly use an ugly skin if it means a side is functional on my phone, but some websites don't bother to give the option.

So, the question of the thread is, what about them? Are they alienating potential players? Is it going to hurt them? Absolutely.

 

I know for a fact that jcink has a mobile version of it's site... built in. Now, I do not believe that sites that have desktop and mobile versions should have their desktop skin be perfect for mobile devices when that isn't what it's made for. However if the mobile version, meaning you are actually using jcink's mobile site and not going on the site and using desktop mode, and the skin is hard to read or you can't make things out... tell the skinner/site coder/main admin that their official site mobile mode does not work? That the text is white on a white background *I have had this happen with my own coding* or that there is a problem. Because if you are using the desktop version on your phone I am not going out of my way to recode things to make it work for your device. It's that simple, use the official mobile setting and there won't be any issues. my two cents. #endrant

 

Ok, I think there's been some misunderstanding. So to clarify things I'll use some examples.

I use a laptop computer- 16 in monitor, I have a friend who uses a tablet, I don't know the size.
And I'm thinking it's safe to assume you use a cell phone or tablet.

The style that I found for my phbb forum has settings that will allow it to work for all of us. I can select the setting for my laptop, my friend can choose the one for her tablet etc. Yes, it makes for a complex style but in the end, everyone is able to access the site. And isn't' that the goal?

 

The problem for some is the fact for the many using a Free host forum, often the mobile themes do not come with that version and only by paying for a server host are you then able to add the mobile theme. Even with that, some of them don't work as well as on others. I know we had some initial difficulties with SMF getting our mobile themes set up correctly.

One issue we do have on our forums are the fact that quite often the quality of posts suffer when done from a mobile phone ( I can't quote other devices). We've tried to discourage members from doing so until they can access either a PC or at least something with a larger screen and keyboard (even if virtual)

 

That is the one thing that I have issue with, accessing via cell phone, the screens are so small.

 

I post by mobile very often - I don't have much time, I end up using any free moment for writing, and this often means out of home. It can be done by mobile. Google docs works very well!

As for forum themes, all my skins are entirely mobile-friendly so I can assure you that, at least on MyBB, it's not an impossible task. I know jcink has an "automated" mobile option, that however works very poorly and isn't easy to bypass. Never coded for jcink, though, so I am not sure.

 

Quality doesn't suffer because you have a small screen, quality suffers if you write a post as if it were a text. You can write a long post on google doc, take all the time to complete it and edit it, and do a better job than you'd do in the only short break in which you have access to your desktop.

Sure, writing directly on a forum from mobile isn't a great idea, however even if you use other resources you still need a mobile-friendly skin to navigate it easily.

 

We have maybe two or three members who use their phones or whatever to post every now and then. At best we might get 3 lines out of them in those circumstances. Often some will write at the end ((Posted from phone)), just to let us know the reason for their crappy post. XD

 

A great deal if you are a perma or quasi-perma mobile person such as myself. I use google doc and am almost exclusively mobile at all times. Not to sound like a pretentious prick but I am a fairly competent writer and a fully involved member of any site I'm on. Forgoing a mobile friendly layout for your users that rely on mobile is short changing your site - you could be alienating some very excellent writers and fun plots.

OP - Personally, if a site isn't easily accessible on my phone its not worth my effort at all. There are too many other good sites with functioning mobile layouts for me to bother trying to muscle through on one that does not have one.