Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

Our mobile applications are not great:

Tapatalk requires you pay money if you want to post and has support problems at my end.
STG-Mobile which autodetects mobile devices is OK for small screens but does not scale well to tablets. Switching back to Classic (Desktop) style is not obvious. To see how go here: http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5078

What to do?

1) Apps are the trendy thing. Having a specific STF app developed for all platforms is expensive (unless somebody can do one for free?).

2) Get me to install a better mobile style to replace STG-Mobile (take a look here: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/styl ... er_mobile/)

3) Leave it to you to find and possibly pay for your own generic Apps that can read phpBB forums (eg: http://www.touchbb.com/).

How do you access STF now and do you want it improved. And how?

Admin
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Rachael »

I access the forum using both my iPad and iPhone. On both I use Safari and the classic forum layout - I have the link bookmarked. I prefer using the classic layout even on my phone. Mobile interpretations of sites tend to be ugly and have fewer useable features, which I don't like.

I do sometimesI access the site through Twitter on my phone. If I see a post on the site that interests me via the Twitter feed I'll click through to the forum. Which means I get the mobile version. But as it's only an occasional thing, it doesn't bother me as much as if I were using my iPad.

On many sites, you can chose to switch to desktop version. If you do it often enough, the website will remember that is your preference. That works well for me as an iPad user.

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Steveofsyd
Posts: 306
Joined: 23 Feb 2013 19:05
Location: Wiverton Road

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Steveofsyd »

I'm using my iPad on Safari and it works fine.

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leenewham
Posts: 5886
Joined: 2 Sep 2007 11:58
Location: SYDENHAM
Contact:

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by leenewham »

Ditto. No issues with the web browser on my mobile telephone communication and talking device.

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JulietP
Posts: 294
Joined: 18 Apr 2011 21:14
Location: SE26

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by JulietP »

I have no problem using the forum with my android phone - I just have a bookmark to it on my home page rather than an app.

Juliet

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Carlw
Posts: 25
Joined: 13 Feb 2011 21:06

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Carlw »

I must have been one of the few enjoying Tapatalk integration! Since yesterday I can't connect to STF via the app on my Android phone, so I'm assuming it's been discontinued? I do prefer using it to the mobile view, but I'll manage. Thanks for all you do in running the forum.

Carl
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

I think you are Carl. Hence I didn't check it when changing the Forum theme in last Monday morning's change. I was going to let it quietly die.

However, I will now re-install it and upgrade it to the latest version (the one in use was a couple of years old). I'm away atm so it may be another week before I can address it. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Regards,
Admin
bensonby
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Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by bensonby »

I access the forum regularly from my iPhone (via Safari and not an app) and it regularly logs me out as soon as I go to post or refresh the page. Do you know why this might be?
Carlw
Posts: 25
Joined: 13 Feb 2011 21:06

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Carlw »

Much appreciated Admin! Hope that it's not too much of a hassle for you. Tapatalk is where I spend a lot of time on my mobile, as I'm a frequenter to other forums on Android development, home brewing, and baseball (you might have heard of that sport). Certainly handy to keep track of Sydenham happenings in the same app.
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

bensonby wrote:I access the forum regularly from my iPhone (via Safari and not an app) and it regularly logs me out as soon as I go to post or refresh the page. Do you know why this might be?
The Forum does two checks to verify you are still who you say you are. The first is that the session cookie is correct (set when you login an can be deleted at end of session - see bottom of page). The second is that you are still on the same IP range (to prevent man in the middle attacks). If either of these fails you are automatically logged out.

So check your cookie settings. If these are OK it may be that your ISP is swopping IPs in session. AOL were notorious for doing this. Nowt can or should be done at this end to nullify that.

Admin
paultreacy
Posts: 487
Joined: 10 Jun 2008 17:40
Location: Lawrie Park Road

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by paultreacy »

I use my laptop (as desktop as the screen is broken and so is running through a big monitor) using Chrome browser and an iPad using Safari. Both work very well. It ever works well on my iPod browser but I find myself squinting. iPad is perfect, actually.
Carlw
Posts: 25
Joined: 13 Feb 2011 21:06

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Carlw »

Hi admin,

Are you still planning on re-enabling Tapatalk for the forum? If it's not too much trouble it would be much appreciated!


Carl

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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

Carl,

Sorry, I have just re-enabled the old version of it. Please be my guinea pig.

I would also like to hear from anybody else who detects any side effect. Another forum insisted on putting a 'get Tapatalk' banner across half the screen with no means of removing it (without using Tapatalk). I wouldn't want that to happen here which means I'm reluctant to update it to the latest version which may incorporate this 'nag'.

Admin
Carlw
Posts: 25
Joined: 13 Feb 2011 21:06

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Carlw »

Thanks, just tried now and got the Failed to Connect error message. Could you see any attempts to Connect via tapatalk in your server log? Happy to help troubleshoot for you if it's not too much a bother.

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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

Carl,

Try now ...

Admin
Carlw
Posts: 25
Joined: 13 Feb 2011 21:06

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by Carlw »

Just tried now and this afternoon, still no luck. Thanks for your help and as this is purely a convenience just for me, don't spend too much time on it!

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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: Calling all iPhone/iPad & Android Users

Post by admin »

Sorry to hear that. I will have to put my thinking hat back on. It will stay in the to-do list (though not at the top I'm afraid).

Admin
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