Hello Oxwall. I know I have rapidly posted and asked about Oxwall making a mobile site version for quite some time now, but now since the 1.5 release is over, I think it's time to clarify just how important mobile is in the social networking world.
Since 2011, internet users have been going more towards Mobile for websites, instead of Traditional Desktops/Laptops. Now that it's 2013, you know this will grow. When I person falls in love with a website, or just practically likes to use it, they hope to see effort and more "availability" in it.
Sure, a mobile app is good but this is Open Source, something like that would require paying the Oxwall team to make one for you, or you and/or your team getting together to develop one. But one solution always comes back to help us all, whether your site was hand made, CMS, web builder, or open source. Mobile Website.
A mobile website attachment for Oxwall sites would be the greatest thing to do since sliced bread! (Terrible pun :3) Anyways, a mobile site is there to connect members without a desktop/laptop, or who are not home. Let's break this down.
A Social Network is mainly built on the idea of connecting people and letting them share content. But it is truly limited when no mobile accessibility is not available. A Mobile Website for a social network will not only help boost user engagement since most members like going mobile (especially if your me and advertise on a site that is 95% mobile users,) but you'll also begin to see more activity started on your site.
Statistics have shown me that my oxwall website hits about 1 million + page views every 4-5 days, yet I only have 417 members as I write this. Out 0f 20 people I invited personally on a social network, about 15 of them asked if there is a mobile app or mobile site. When I replied with, "Were still building one," I got the reply, "Oh. Let me know when it's up then, then I'll join." The main reason behind this even if the client has a desktop/laptop, is because mobile seems more easier, and somewhat safer to them.
A reason; wouldn't you love to write a status on your profile of an oxwall powered site you joined saying "Leaving to the dance now!" Then while at the said Dance, your friends look at their newsfeed on mobile and desktop to see that Jake Brunton uploaded 3 photos via mobile. That just makes users happy to see something like that, and makes them feel better that a site their apart of has a option to help them share from anywhere.
Now Oxwall team, if you read this, please read this section. If you are planning development on a mobile website, I cannot stress this enough, "Make it fit mostly ALL phones!" I don't want to be bossy, I know I'm not the one working hard to make it, but seriously. These days everyone thinks everyone has a Smartphone. That everyone uses Androids, HTC's, iPhones, iPods. Not everyone, a lot but not everyone. I use a pre-paid $90 phone for Christ sakes. So a site fit to be on mostly all phones would be the best way to go (and no, this doesn't mean to make it fit even a nokia phone from 2000 :p).
Take in example, like I said before, your SkaDate product's mobile site. That is pure beauty to me. That's like a Picaso painting online to me. A simple yet fluid mobile site that is resizable, scales right, and fits most phones. If and when you begin mobile site development, remember to take your SkaDate mobile in to idea.
Lastly, the features you leave available. I know people freely develop plugins for Oxwall, and thanks for that. But I don't think it would be too good to let them make custom plugins for a Oxwall mobile site. Maybe have plugin developers mobilize their features some, but that's it.
Anyways, my idea I want to show here is this.
There should be under the Admin "Settings" tab, Mobile Site Edit.
There, the admin should be able to:
-Customize mobile site colors
-Chose which plugins go into the mobile site
-Edit the footer links
That's simply it. Also, when I say "Chose which plugins go into the mobile site," I mean something like this. Say I have all the plugins available for the desktop site version. When I chose which are available for mobile though, I could decide whether members had access to links and blogs on mobile, or not.
Anyways, that's my bidding idea and opinion. If you are making a mobile site version, then I love you developers. Have a lovely day.
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The importance of a mobile website | Forum
Munkorn
Jan 3 '13
Mobile is 100% essential for any social network, and for any website. Its a big pity oxwall doesn't have that - if It did l would use It right now
suresh kumar
Jan 3 '13
There should be under the Admin "Settings" tab, Mobile Site Edit.
There, the admin should be able to:
-Customize mobile site colors
-Chose which plugins go into the mobile site
-Edit the footer links
+1 for this idea .
oxwall team try to implement this if its feasible
There, the admin should be able to:
-Customize mobile site colors
-Chose which plugins go into the mobile site
-Edit the footer links
+1 for this idea .
oxwall team try to implement this if its feasible
JB TECH
Jan 3 '13
A not very main stream but solution type idea is to make a directory on the sites like /mobile and within there are the static pages and javascript to make it like mobile fit, then give instructions on how to set a subdomain to the directory. That's one way to give the system more flexibility for extras and other plugins.
Team Emil
Jan 3 '13
Jake,
We understand the importance of Oxwall Mobile and this is going to be on the top of our priorities list this year. The only reason why we still don't have the official mobile version is that we want to make it right from the start - plugin-friendly, extensible, and ready for mobile applications on different platforms, starting from iOS and Android. And it also assumes proper API development that needs some serious platform work. From the very start we didn't want to create a throwaway mobile version that would work so-so for a year and then sink into irrelevance.
All in all, Oxwall may end up as mostly mobile community platform after all, so we do take this seriously. Please allow us some time to impress you with our work once again. I'm deliberately not providing any time estimates but we'll definitely let you know when we start designing it.
Thanks.
We understand the importance of Oxwall Mobile and this is going to be on the top of our priorities list this year. The only reason why we still don't have the official mobile version is that we want to make it right from the start - plugin-friendly, extensible, and ready for mobile applications on different platforms, starting from iOS and Android. And it also assumes proper API development that needs some serious platform work. From the very start we didn't want to create a throwaway mobile version that would work so-so for a year and then sink into irrelevance.
All in all, Oxwall may end up as mostly mobile community platform after all, so we do take this seriously. Please allow us some time to impress you with our work once again. I'm deliberately not providing any time estimates but we'll definitely let you know when we start designing it.
Thanks.
JB TECH
Jan 4 '13
Hello Emil.
Sounds great, and I'm not rushing. My point in this thread was to let others know how important a mobile site is to Oxwall, and to give the Oxwall team some ideas. Take all the time you need.
Sounds great, and I'm not rushing. My point in this thread was to let others know how important a mobile site is to Oxwall, and to give the Oxwall team some ideas. Take all the time you need.
JB TECH
Jan 7 '13
Nah. I tried it and it barely did a thing. This is a big open source, not a small hand-made business site.
Purusothaman Ramanujam
Jan 8 '13
Previously I had a discussion with them and stopped continuing API stuffs as they understand oxwall than me.
Banaмba
Jan 15 '13
A Social Network is mainly built on the idea of connecting people and letting them share content. But it is truly limited when no mobile accessibility is not available.
This is so.
Purusothaman Ramanujam
Jan 15 '13
Emil said the same for Oxwall API to me.
oxwall that does thisThe question is when and on what priority in roadmap?
Pete
Jan 15 '13
I think now this mobile website should be there agenda now and get this out asap, people or loseing members because of having no mobile website,why would people want to stay on your website when there or 100s that you can go on with your mobile,etc, people will start moving away from oxwall if this is not sorted out soon.its ok keep updating oxwall but if you have no members ,then whats the point .i am getting so feed up of this now ,its getting a joke now and i am loseing members . People must think that oxwall websites or a joke ,no wonder some members or strugling ,i wish now that i had used the sms forum board to build my website . Come on oxwall for god sake get this mobile website out .It would be a bit better if oxwall would give us some sort of time scale ,is it coming out in weeks or months ? why cant oxwall give us an update on there progress .
The Forum post is edited by Pete Jan 15 '13
Purusothaman Ramanujam
Jan 15 '13
They have not even updated their roadmap after a month after 1.5 release.
JB TECH
Jan 15 '13
Yes, I don't think a plugin could do the trick. If an Open Source software website is to have a mobile version, it is recommended by most that you ask that the whole software is updated to meet the requirements of everyone's customized software. As for an API system, I think Oxwall's developers may have to do that too, for it effects the users whole software, not just one of two things.
brindy
Jan 19 '13
The reason I don't think the Plugin approach is viable is the plugin will have to know about every other plugin created ... it's just not feasible. Mobile needs to be supported in the core software.
First place to start is to make the default theme "responsive", then encourage theme and plugin providers to do the same - this will solve 95% of issues. For instance, whether I'm accessing via a mobile phone, tablet or a desktop PC should be irrelevant to the actual Oxwall software - web browser is responsible for rendering it correctly. See Responsive Web Design.
However, it appears that some functionality is broken on iOS devices at least. When a user edits their event or a forum post it leaves the raw HTML in the field which then gets submitted to the server as the content. When you subsequently view the update it is displayed as HTML tags instead of being rendered correctly.
(PS I haven't tested this on 1.5 as I'm not ready to upgrade at the moment).
