Comments on: Mobile Site Help

Mobile Site Help

Irontom — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:14:48 -0800

I am sure this is covered somewhere, but I'm not finding it. How do I use the mobile site on my android phone while logged in?

I logged in to kill the ads, but now I can only see the full site, and that's a pain on my android phone.

By: pb

pb — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:18:42 -0800

You probably clicked the Switch to Standard Site link at the bottom of the page. In that case if you just log out and then back in you'll be set. Logging out will remove the cookie that tells the site you don't want the mobile version.

If you have a custom user-agent set to fool sites into thinking you're a desktop browser (you'll know if you do), you can visit mobile.metafilter.com to tell MetaFilter to use the mobile site even though you're not a mobile device. And again, log out and back in to clear that setting at any time.

By: ericost

ericost — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:42:22 -0800

The log out / log thing is ok, sure, I mean you're pb and all, but I always just click the mobile link in the site's footer links to switch back to mobile version.

By: pb

pb — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:43:05 -0800

Yeah, the Mobile link under the Links menu in the footer will work too. It's just a bit hard to find on a small screen.

By: ericost

ericost — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:17:43 -0800

Look, you're a mod, who am I? But I can find the link on a small screen no problem, with a little pinch and spread zooming. And my phone even has cracked front glass. I just think you're giving out some ... questionable advice, pb, and someone has to say something.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:32:13 -0800

Hey, don't be fucking around with pb's time. He's the only sane one of them.

By: Kerasia

Kerasia — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 03:51:27 -0800

Is pb the only real one?

By: SLC Mom

SLC Mom — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 05:57:05 -0800

Speaking of unreal, there is no link for the mobile site at the bottom of the page on my iPad2.
Logging out switches me to the standard site, but logging in doesn't switch me back..
The mobile.metafilter.com works great though, so thanks for that, PB!

By: deezil

deezil — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:08:21 -0800

If you're using Chrome on Android, make sure the "request desktop site" in the menu is turned OFF. Mine works fine and I'm on the mobile site when that's not checked.

By: pb

pb — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:22:24 -0800

SLC Mom, we don't serve the mobile version of the site to iPads because we feel like the standard version of the site looks great on that screen. So there's no reason to show the Mobile link there because there's no reason to switch back and forth. We don't show the Mobile link to desktop browsers and we consider Mobile Safari on an iPad a desktop browser. (With a few exceptions like the skip to menu link at the top of the page.)

By: SLC Mom

SLC Mom — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:27:46 -0800

Well, that makes sense. Thanks!

By: grouse

grouse — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:12:38 -0800

SLC Mom, just out of curiosity, why do you want the mobile version on your iPad?

By: pb

pb — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:25:40 -0800

I just think you're giving out some ... questionable advice, pb, and someone has to say something.

I appreciate the feedback, that's what MetaTalk is for. Hey, if it was up to me I'd solve everything at the command line with a Perl one-liner. So while I know you have no problem finding the link on a cracked screen, I just try to convey the path of least resistance. After you've been through a few dozen MetaTalk threads where people complain about the extreme hassle of pinching and zooming, that option starts to sound less desirable than the login/logout process. So much like a city that paves diagonally over desire lines in the grass, I'm trying to give the route that it appears most people want to take. The more I know about the situation, the more I can tailor that advice.

By: ericost

ericost — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:31:35 -0800

pb, that's exactly the kind of thinking that leaves paved diagonal paths across our great nation's green spaces. I suggest you quit while you are ahead. Look, you sound like you are trying to be reasonable, why not just admit the superiority of the mobile link in the footer, and stop using the imagined inability of people to use their phones as an excuse for your bad advice? I'm starting to think maybe you get a bonus every time someone logs on to the site or something.

By: pb

pb — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:42:13 -0800

Do you know who else claimed that their way of doing things was superior?

By: radwolf76

radwolf76 — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:20:13 -0800

Modwind'd.

By: ericost

ericost — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:30:55 -0800

pb, I dunno, Jesus? So now your argument against using the mobile link is "Jesus"? Frankly this is getting ridiculous.

By: thereemix

thereemix — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 10:46:30 -0800

...what the hell? Am I missing something? Why are you picking a fight with pb?

By: grouse

grouse — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:13:15 -0800

That's a joke, son.

By: marienbad

marienbad — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:23:53 -0800

"Do you know who else claimed that their way of doing things was superior?"
posted by pb (staff)

Some Mother?

By: SLC Mom

SLC Mom — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:13:42 -0800

Grouse: I don't really. But I am a button pusher on the computer. I check things out and then decide if I like them. And I went to check it out on the iPad and it wasn't there.

I am still internalizing the idea that a site can tell what kind of machine i'm on and customize itself to suit. Next on my check list: PC.MetaFilter vs Mac.MetaFilter.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:28:24 -0800

A bad TCP pun is needed there.

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:10:57 -0800

something something window size something