How about a mobile version of MetaFilter?

October 17, 2006 6:56 PM

Has a mobile version of MetaFilter been suggested here before? I ask because I'm using my phone's online access much more than at home nowadays. Surely there are a few people in the same boat? Neigh!
posted by sjvilla79 to Feature Requests at 6:56 PM (20 comments total)

I'm thinking about this for access to all areas (e.g. MeTa, AskMe, and so on). LoFi seemingly only works for MeFi, which is a shame.
posted by sjvilla79 at 6:57 PM on October 17, 2006

If only the sidebar loaded last, phone/blackberry access would improve. However, I was able to post with a blackberry a few weeks ago, very nice matt.
posted by caddis at 7:25 PM on October 17, 2006

I just bought a blackberry pearl, which should show up next week. I suspect I'll finally have a testbed to create a mobile-friendly version then.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:41 PM on October 17, 2006

for what it's worth, I've found that I can set the plain text preference on my phone's browser and then come home and continue to enjoy the regular color displays. this may have something to do with the fact that I never log out.
posted by carsonb at 8:14 PM on October 17, 2006

Use Google Mobilizer to go to [any site] once, and make a favorite. That's what I do and it seems to work well with most sites I view via phone.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:55 AM on October 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

(smartphone, pocket ie)
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:56 AM on October 18, 2006

Yeah, in terms of viewing the site, the only problem really is the sidebar being first, but it's not really a problem to whizz past it.

Slightly more troublesome is the fact that you can't log in with Opera Mini (which I guess most folk with Series 60 phones are using?).
posted by jack_mo at 3:35 AM on October 18, 2006

ssF: Great tip - thanks.
posted by i_cola at 4:26 AM on October 18, 2006

The regular version works fairly well with a Sidekick 3/hiptop3:

screenshots

I'd like to see a few tweaks so the sidebar loads after the main content, and the CSS adjusted to un-skinny the post listings.
posted by mikepop at 6:11 AM on October 18, 2006

MeFi is fine on my blackberry, i've posted from it before.
posted by empath at 7:13 AM on October 18, 2006

RSS Readers are great, unless you plan on reading every single story.
posted by unixrat at 7:17 AM on October 18, 2006

The problem with phones is that so many of them either refuse cookies or have service provider that strips the cookie data out.

Not meaning to torture the pony, but if Matt's going to get the site working on blackberries and smartphones it would be nice to have it working on normal phones too.

I spend every day sat here building websites for mobile platforms and the dotmobi rules, so if I can offer any assistance, just shout. If we're honest about it though, a read through the dotmobi guidelines and an hour swearing at wurfl and most web developers can build a basic mobile site.
posted by twine42 at 7:44 AM on October 18, 2006

oh, sweet, stupidsexyFlanders! thanks.
posted by carsonb at 7:54 AM on October 18, 2006

I use MeFi all the time from my Palm and it is fine. The only thing that is strange is that I have to preview an answer before posting it.
posted by k8t at 8:40 AM on October 18, 2006

Mobile is all well and good but many of us already type with one hand around here.
posted by scarabic at 9:01 AM on October 18, 2006

mathowie said: I just bought a blackberry pearl, which should show up next week. I suspect I'll finally have a testbed to create a mobile-friendly version then.

Enjoy the pearl. So far I haven't heard anything but glowing reviews from existing owners. I'd love to get one myself but the lock on CDMA that my business has means I'll have to wait at least another year to revel in it's sexiness.
posted by purephase at 9:17 AM on October 18, 2006

I read MeFi pretty regularly on my PSP and I have to agree, one thing that would make it way better would be to have the sidebar load last. Other than that, it works perfectly.
posted by quin at 11:41 AM on October 18, 2006

I've also used Skweezer with great success. I should have mentioned this before.
posted by sjvilla79 at 4:31 PM on October 18, 2006

stupidsexyFlanders: FYI, it's called the transcoder, not the mobilizer.
posted by A dead Quaker at 6:10 PM on October 18, 2006

I got my blackberry today. I set a handheld CSS sheet to hide the sidebars but it doesn't seem to be working. Anyone got any ideas?
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:20 PM on October 20, 2006