Comments on: The .mobi Domain is a Big Mistake http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/ Fri, 16 May 2008 20:37:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Christian http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-14388 Christian Thu, 25 May 2006 19:48:34 +0000 http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-14388 I've carried both PDAs and mobile phones over the years with a web browser and currently carry an EVDO phone with a reasonable browser, so assuming ignorance on my part, choose your own adventure style, doesn't exactly help your argument. The problem isn't with the domain extension. It's the crappy markup behind it. Instead of developing a whole second version of your app for a 'mobile' which will vary widely in specs, why not fix the app you've already got. It'll save you time, money and your users grief when they're forced to guess if they should go to .com or .mobi. I’ve carried both PDAs and mobile phones over the years with a web browser and currently carry an EVDO phone with a reasonable browser, so assuming ignorance on my part, choose your own adventure style, doesn’t exactly help your argument.

The problem isn’t with the domain extension. It’s the crappy markup behind it. Instead of developing a whole second version of your app for a ‘mobile’ which will vary widely in specs, why not fix the app you’ve already got. It’ll save you time, money and your users grief when they’re forced to guess if they should go to .com or .mobi.

]]> By: Steve Castle http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-14387 Steve Castle Thu, 25 May 2006 19:02:57 +0000 http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-14387 The idea behind .mobi is conformity to standards and accepting those standards. Using .mobi as a scapegoat for other bogus extensions like saying most networks (.net) fall under commercial entities (.com). To debate the point and further healthy discussion, I pose the following questions. Do you have an internet capable device? If no, I recommend you get one, then you might have a little more of an understanding of the issue, whether or not it comforms with Web Standards. If yes, continue When is the last time you took your mobile device and surfed without reaching a page that was not mobile-friendly? Chances are, never. There's not enough of them out there. By introuducing .mobi, there is a push for the publishing of mobile-friendly websites. I understand your point about "yahoo.com should be both the regular and mobile-friendly website". In a perfect world, that would definitely be the case. I'm not asking you to be an early-adopter or even an early part of the early majority, but at least think about how this could affect mobile computing as a whole regardless in the end if .mobi sinks or floats. The idea behind .mobi is conformity to standards and accepting those standards. Using .mobi as a scapegoat for other bogus extensions like saying most networks (.net) fall under commercial entities (.com). To debate the point and further healthy discussion, I pose the following questions.

Do you have an internet capable device?

If no, I recommend you get one, then you might have a little more of an understanding of the issue, whether or not it comforms with Web Standards.

If yes, continue

When is the last time you took your mobile device and surfed without reaching a page that was not mobile-friendly?

Chances are, never. There’s not enough of them out there. By introuducing .mobi, there is a push for the publishing of mobile-friendly websites. I understand your point about “yahoo.com should be both the regular and mobile-friendly website”. In a perfect world, that would definitely be the case. I’m not asking you to be an early-adopter or even an early part of the early majority, but at least think about how this could affect mobile computing as a whole regardless in the end if .mobi sinks or floats.

]]> By: Dave Vogt http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-13118 Dave Vogt Wed, 03 May 2006 05:32:34 +0000 http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-13118 I agree with Ansel that even the best xhtml isn't going to make Amazon useful on a 1 in screen, but for that matter, what is? I don't believe Amazon could provide a useful service that would not completely overwhelm a mobile browser with sheer volume of information. I believe wholeheartedly that the answer is clean code and <em>accessibility considerations</em>. Make a site that's accessible to a screen reader or text browser and you'll be accessible to mobiles. It also removes the trouble of maintaining seperate sites with (nearly) identical content. As we've seen in the past, seperate is rarely, if ever, equal. I agree with Ansel that even the best xhtml isn’t going to make Amazon useful on a 1 in screen, but for that matter, what is? I don’t believe Amazon could provide a useful service that would not completely overwhelm a mobile browser with sheer volume of information. I believe wholeheartedly that the answer is clean code and accessibility considerations. Make a site that’s accessible to a screen reader or text browser and you’ll be accessible to mobiles. It also removes the trouble of maintaining seperate sites with (nearly) identical content. As we’ve seen in the past, seperate is rarely, if ever, equal.

]]> By: ginnie http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-12950 ginnie Fri, 28 Apr 2006 17:53:27 +0000 http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-12950 I agree with your notion of web standards, CG, but given the lameness of reality and its lack of standardization, this article sorta helps, I think: http://webmonkey.com/webmonkey/04/12/index4a.html?tw=design I agree with your notion of web standards, CG, but given the lameness of reality and its lack of standardization, this article sorta helps, I think:

http://webmonkey.com/webmonkey/04/12/index4a.html?tw=design

]]> By: Ansel http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-12877 Ansel Tue, 25 Apr 2006 16:04:12 +0000 http://obviousdiversion.com/general/mobi-domain/#comment-12877 Agreed 100%. My additional 2 cents is that sites should also be publishing APIs that allow developers for mobile gadgets (or anything else) to figure out what to do with data; sometimes even super standards-compliant XHTML markup isn't the most useful format for information to be in, depending on what you want to do. (Think Amazon: can you really imagine trying to do anything on Amazon from a 1-inch screen?) Agreed 100%.

My additional 2 cents is that sites should also be publishing APIs that allow developers for mobile gadgets (or anything else) to figure out what to do with data; sometimes even super standards-compliant XHTML markup isn’t the most useful format for information to be in, depending on what you want to do. (Think Amazon: can you really imagine trying to do anything on Amazon from a 1-inch screen?)

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