http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: Sorry mobile device - Recent Posts en Sun, 28 Jun 2026 05:34:48 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250951 Tue, 23 May 2017 17:10:50 +0000 crowriver 250951@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Old, possibly. Mature? Not necessarily. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250938 Tue, 23 May 2017 15:25:46 +0000 chdot 250938@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"CCE is miles more mature"</p> <p>Some of its members too (perhaps). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250937 Tue, 23 May 2017 15:23:34 +0000 Darkerside 250937@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That being said, we didn't try and migrate any content from old CCG (we just parked it in /archive), which we could get away with given the small size of the forum. </p> <p>CCE is miles more mature, so can't just pick the glossiest-looking software in the same way... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250909 Tue, 23 May 2017 12:46:58 +0000 Nelly 250909@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"It certainly renders very nicely on all the devices we've tested it again"</p> <p>Indeed - </p> <p>I don't have any grumbles with the way CCE works (especially given that it is run and hosted at zero cost to its members), but CCG certainly looks smashing on my Nexus 5X (android). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250906 Tue, 23 May 2017 12:33:24 +0000 Darkerside 250906@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://citycyclingglasgow.com/">CCG</a> is actually using nodebb rather than discourse. It certainly renders very nicely on all the devices we've tested it again although, as chdot rightly points out, content and active users beats swish software!</p> <p>CCE on android is bearable. Double-tap to centre on text normally does most of the legwork. Tend not to reply much when away from the desktop, mind. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757&page=2#post-250765 Sun, 21 May 2017 20:44:03 +0000 Klaxon 250765@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The problem is that this specific theme wasn't written with mobile compatibility in mind, so mobile browsers have to render it 'like desktop', which means unpredictable and often undesirable results. Fixed width columns and small text aren't bueno.</p> <p>A day or two of work from a CSS wizard would likely be enough to fix it up to a 'modern' standard without changing the appearance much. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250764 Sun, 21 May 2017 19:26:35 +0000 crowriver 250764@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"In my experience the browsing experience (for this site) is pretty much exactly the same on Android"</p> <p>Yeah but the text is tiny so you need to zoom and pan to read it... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250744 Sun, 21 May 2017 07:18:31 +0000 cb 250744@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In my experience the browsing experience (for this site) is pretty much exactly the same on Android/iOS (with Android handling the Send Post text box better).</p> <p>iOS experience made a little better by using the Google keyboard of course! (Though <em>still</em> no quick access to the number keys...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250728 Sat, 20 May 2017 10:54:15 +0000 Baldcyclist 250728@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Maybe worth explaining what 3 or 2 column responsive theme means, typically with a 3 column theme you would have the following layout depending on the device you were using...</p> <p>3 column - desktop<br /> 2 column - tablet (sometimes collapses to 1)<br /> 1 column- mobile</p> <p>Alternatively if you had a 2 column theme, it would be...</p> <p>2 column - desktop and tablet.<br /> 1 column - mobile</p> <p>The trend nowadays is to focus on content over menus, so 2 columns more prevalent.</p> <p>Re how 'legacy' bbpress is, although it's perhaps not being actively developed now by Wordpress, it is open source and there seems to be an active community keeping it up to date. I don't know which version the site uses, but I would be tempted to upgrade it to the latest version (maybe the hosting already patches it automagically). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250712 Sat, 20 May 2017 08:55:32 +0000 chdot 250712@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't want to seem too iPhonist about this, but this surprised me -</p> <p>"</p> <p>Android used to support text reflow when browsing, which basically meant that even if you zoomed in you wouldn't have to scroll left/right to read all the text as all the paragraphs would be reflowed to fit the screen size.</p> <p>This was removed in Android 4.4 but some browser versions offer their own implementations.</p> <p>"</p> <p>I have always believed that Apple/iOS is generally 'better' in many ways but (secretly) known that Android sometimes gets good features first. </p> <p>Seems odd that it can't handle relatively simple web sites. Even more odd that it has removed some (apparently) basic functionality. </p> <p>Is BBPress so 'legacy' that Android has given up on it? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250711 Sat, 20 May 2017 08:50:18 +0000 hunnymonster 250711@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>2 column? Don't think so - if there are clients struggling with one column, 2 is going to require a scanning electron microscope :)</p> <p>Responsive design : dynamic reformatting depending on the size of the window in the browser (apologies if I'm in grandparent-teaching-egg-sucking mode here)</p> <p>There may be something to help near here though <a href="https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/responsive-issue/" rel="nofollow">https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/responsive-issue/</a></p> <p>Edited to add: root cause is probably that the sidebars don't disappear in the current theme/configuration when the window width decreases. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250709 Sat, 20 May 2017 08:43:56 +0000 chdot 250709@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"It's typically far simpler for everyone to use a responsive design to the forum so the content renders according to the screen size."</p> <p>Are you suggesting a 2 coll version might work better on some mobiles? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250708 Sat, 20 May 2017 08:12:44 +0000 hunnymonster 250708@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As a forum owner elsewhere, I can tell you that I (and many other forum owners) are actively moving away from using Tapatalk to provide mobile access - main reasons (there are many others):</p> <p>1. The plugin often creates security vulnerabilities allowing easier hacking of the site. The fix is always to upgrade the Tapatalk plugin. Also as the clients are updated, some features break if the plugin isn't updated - always detected by the whiniest users (and conversely if the plugin is updated, there is always a background level of users who never upgrade the app and again they always seem to be the whining ones)</p> <p>2. Almost every time you upgrade the plugin, it seems that Tapatalk have decided to give themselves more control over the forum's content (for example forcing adverts in, hijacking content posted to be used elsewhere) or to introduce a payment schedule for the most useful features (either to users or to the forum owner)</p> <p>3. For those that paid for the app in the dim &amp; distant past (and some of us paid multiple times - Tapatalk, Tapatalk 2, Tapatalk Tablet) adverts aren't supposed to appear as a gesture to previous support. Note "supposed".</p> <p>4. Those mobile users that don't want to use Tapatalk are constantly presented with an intrusive banner "this site is available on Tapatalk" banner only dismissable by allowing Tapatalk to set a cookie on your machine... Which of course are never going to be allowed by exactly the sort of people that don't want Tapatalk interposing themselves in the first place.</p> <p>The alternative: It's typically far simpler for everyone to use a responsive design to the forum so the content renders according to the screen size. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250703 Fri, 19 May 2017 20:09:47 +0000 chdot 250703@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Bc that sounds helpful/interesting.</p> <p>Fortunately I don't understand most of it.</p> <p>I bet CFl does... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250699 Fri, 19 May 2017 19:37:00 +0000 Baldcyclist 250699@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd have a look at the code if it were on GitHub.</p> <p>Most of my theme'ing (not a designer, don't make things pretty) is on Moodle, but a wee bit of Wordpress too.</p> <p>It's a fairly simple 3 column layout, so I'd imagine (maybe aiming a shot at my foot...) it would be fairly simple give it a more mobile friendly (2 column) responsive theme where the content lands on top in a single column when on mobile.</p> <p>Might be possible to even install bootstrap.</p> <p>Edit: googling suggests a clean bootstrap theme already exists.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250667 Fri, 19 May 2017 13:05:12 +0000 acsimpson 250667@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Since the demise of CCE Feed I've been using feedly (<a href="https://feedly.com/">https://feedly.com/</a>)</p> <p>The free account only updates once every couple of hours but it's good enough. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250661 Fri, 19 May 2017 12:10:44 +0000 chrisfl 250661@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>crowriver - I use newsblur <a href="https://newsblur.com/" rel="nofollow">https://newsblur.com/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250648 Fri, 19 May 2017 10:43:18 +0000 crowriver 250648@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Even with text reflow I think the way the CCE site formats the text into columns with padding either side (html frames? Cells?) would stop the text reflow from being so useful. </p> <p>My main issue is if I arrive on the main page, then want to click on the right hand column to read the latest post: after I've zoomed in on Android browser (whether my quite large screened smartphone is turned sideways or not) I have to pan sideways to click on the 'latest post' link for a given topic. Bit of a PITA, and just makes the whole thing cumbersome and slow on a mobile browser. </p> <p>Maybe I need to try the newsreader app approach on CCE for mobile instead. Any recommendations for a good app for Android that works as an RSS feed reader for CCE? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250633 Fri, 19 May 2017 08:33:03 +0000 cb 250633@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Android used to support text reflow when browsing, which basically meant that even if you zoomed in you wouldn't have to scroll left/right to read all the text as all the paragraphs would be reflowed to fit the screen size.</p> <p>This was removed in Android 4.4 but some browser versions offer their own implementations.</p> <p>E.g. quick Google -<br /> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/3sii8q/browsers_with_proper_text_reflowwrap/">https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/3sii8q/browsers_with_proper_text_reflowwrap/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250631 Fri, 19 May 2017 07:54:25 +0000 chdot 250631@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I turn it sideways and zoom"</p> <p>Yes, I've always found it be enough.</p> <p>I was aware that in the 'early days' many mobile/smart phones had poor(ish) resolution and/or small screens.</p> <p>This isn't a problem for most people these days.</p> <p>I was alway glad that BBPress looked 'proper' and didn't default to a more basic mobile version.</p> <p>It's disappointing that WordPress gave up developing BBP.</p> <p>I considered it the best option (for easy of use and appearance) at the time and haven't seen anything with significant advantages since (not that I look very often).</p> <p>I <em>hope</em> something will come along.</p> <p>However, the key thing is content and I'm still (happily) surprised at the number of people willing to add some really great and useful words on all sorts of subjects and degrees of seriousness.</p> <p>Long may it continue. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250630 Fri, 19 May 2017 07:29:00 +0000 cc 250630@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>fwiw I've never had a problem with CCE on iOS/Safari. When I'm on the phone I turn it sideways and zoom to read any text that would otherwise be too small. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250627 Fri, 19 May 2017 00:49:23 +0000 crowriver 250627@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@chrisfi, I'm not trying to make work for anyone here BTW. </p> <p>Originally wondered if I'd missed something that everyone else was using. Then wondered if there was a "quick fix". It seems not... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250588 Thu, 18 May 2017 17:43:37 +0000 chrisfl 250588@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, I don't think that there is any support for bbpress 1 in tapatalk. </p> <p>I still need to chat to chdot, but I do need to see if I can get the forum working on php7. My thinking is to put the code for the site up on github, and would welcome changes if anyone wanted to make the theme more mobile friendly.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250561 Thu, 18 May 2017 16:15:41 +0000 crowriver 250561@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@chrisfi, hmm, there is a Wordpress Tapatalk plugin, but the reviews are......mixed, to say the least! Also, downloaded the thing, and at the foot of the readme.txt:</p> <p>"Developed and Tested on WordPress version 3.3 or higher. However it should work with older versions also."</p> <p>Not *terribly* reassuring.....no mention of standalone bbPress.</p> <p>So I'm assuming it's either:</p> <p>a) not doable<br /> b) doable but will break the forum - see a) above. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250558 Thu, 18 May 2017 16:03:55 +0000 crowriver 250558@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"You volunteering to do the 'donkey' work then crowriver?"</p> <p>Nope. My days of tinkering with web servers, CMS etc. were over and done with many years ago!</p> <p>Don't even run a server (hosted or otherwise) anymore. FTP, SSH, etc. just all such a PITA. If I need a public facing site it's usually WordPress for me these days, otherwise soshul meedja suffices for the rest.</p> <p>Anyway only raised the issue because I noticed the anomaly cited at the top of the thread and wondered if I'd missed some "obvious" way to make CCE play nicely on mobile devices. Seems not, and it is mostly scrolling and zooming on browsers then! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250551 Thu, 18 May 2017 15:42:12 +0000 chdot 250551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've had an iPhone (various models - none the fashionable oversize ones) since before CCE, on Safari 99% of the time. </p> <p>All fine (except for needing to use reading glasses). </p> <p>There is currently an iOS/Safari bug which reloads the page occasionally when you highlight something (while writing) which is REALLY annoying. </p> <p>If CFl can find a variation that works better, then great. </p> <p>Since he has been in charge of hosting general reliability has improved, but I'm not aware of any usability changes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250544 Thu, 18 May 2017 14:26:10 +0000 chrisfl 250544@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've just had a look around - I can find an entry for the plugin on the BB Press 1 plugin site: <a href="https://bbpress.org/plugins/legacy/" rel="nofollow">https://bbpress.org/plugins/legacy/</a></p> <p>But there is no actual plugin.</p> <p>When I switched over the hosting of the forum, I trialed an import of the data into Discourse which worked really nicely. (This is the software that Glasgow is using). </p> <p>At the time I also had a quick play with BB Press 2 - but it felt more like a blog with a forum added on the side, although that's probably portable. (I couldn't get an import to work very well either).</p> <p>Personally I find the forum unusable on mobile. But I tend to read via an rss feed and a feed reader, so only every actually use the site directly for posting. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250543 Thu, 18 May 2017 14:22:29 +0000 DaveC 250543@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You volunteering to do the 'donkey' work then crowriver? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250541 Thu, 18 May 2017 13:47:01 +0000 crowriver 250541@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Sounds like we need some boffins to write an app. "</p> <p>Or just enable the site to be compatible with Tapatalk? Wheel, re-inventing, no need, etc. Apparently bbPress is supported, so not sure why CCE not available via the app?</p> <p>EDIT - maybe the version of bbPress used for CCE is too old? Tapatalk for WordPress (bbPress) plugin seems to be fairly recent. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17757#post-250539 Thu, 18 May 2017 13:43:09 +0000 neddie 250539@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sounds like we need some boffins to write an app. I'd be happy to help, although I'm no app expert. </p>