Tapatalk requests tiresome

[mjr]

I have implemented a mobile responsive theme on a forum I run, and it is really quite nice and works well.

Is that phpBB and if so, what theme?

As the saying goes, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

In this case, Tapatalk could please all of the people all of the time by "failing safe" if it's denied cookies and by not demanding access to the emails in the database and so on... but failing safe would be less effective advertising and using a less zealous licensing agreement would close some future potential revenue streams, as long as forum admins keep agreeing to the current one.

[Paulatic]

The ideal would be to keep Tapatalk support, but get rid of the advertisements for Tapatalk.

I don't get any adverts probably because I started off with the HD version and coughed up the 1:69 or whatever it was then. Is there still the option to upgrade?

[SteveHunter]

I have implemented a mobile responsive theme on a forum I run, and it is really quite nice and works well.

Is that phpBB and if so, what theme?

Yes phpBB

This is the theme


http://themeforest.net/item/coralis-res ... earch_list

[mjr]

If you can point me to one, I'll certainly have a look.

Note that phpBB3.1 is out, and I've been doing preliminary work to upgrade the Forum to use that new version. So any theme would need to work with phpBB3.1 to be usable.

Please please please could you have a look at one of the ones mentioned above? It really would be great to stop reconfiguring each mobile browser to make the forum readable.

[mjr]

Of the current themes, subsilver seems to work better for reading on tablets but isn't great for posting or on phones. Maybe that helps someone.

[admin]

Please please please could you have a look at one of the ones mentioned above? It really would be great to stop reconfiguring each mobile browser to make the forum readable.

Yes, I will investigate other themes, as and when I get some spare time (or a budget) to upgrade the Forum to phpBB3.1. Initial work suggests that this is going to be a big job, because of the number of posts and users we have here, and because of the various non-standard customisations and MODs we've installed. Which is why I always try to stick with standard phpBB code wherever possible.

Sticking to the standard phpBB theme also makes it a lot easier for site visitors, who will probably have seen other forums with the same look and page layout. Using a less-common theme can result in a lot of time spent helping people find things.

For what it's worth, the responsive theme linked above was commercial and is no longer available: "The item is no longer being sold. The author may have stopped selling or it was taken down for other reasons.". Since we have much less control over commercial themes and their support, I much prefer open-source themes that are well-used by the community.

[mjr]

Sticking to the standard phpBB theme also makes it a lot easier for site visitors, who will probably have seen other forums with the same look and page layout. Using a less-common theme can result in a lot of time spent helping people find things.

Oooh ah hang on a minute. I wasn't asking to change the default theme, but just to add some option that works nicely on more mobile devices than subsilver does.

I quite understand that the full version upgrade may take a while, but please could you possibly add an optional non-default mobile theme sooner? I find I'm using another forum more than this one mainly because it works better on mobiles, I doubt I'm the only one and the other forum isn't quite as useful for tourists and commuters, really.

For what it's worth, the responsive theme linked above was commercial and is no longer available: […] Since we have much less control over commercial themes and their support, I much prefer open-source themes that are well-used by the community.

Ignoring that commercial and open-source aren't opposites, the other themes (Artodia/prosilver mobile and Wap Style) are still available.

[Psamathe]

I tried Tapatalk app. Lasted for a couple of days and then deleted it. and now I just can't get Tapatalk to delete my account with them (going through their procedure which means e-mailing them - but they must all be on holiday for 2015 'cos it's just a black hole).

Ideally a mobile theme that automatically activates when the browser is a mobile device (either through the User agent or screen size). I've used some forums where if you switch to a mobile skin on your mobile device, when you use your normal computer you get he mobile theme. Switch to a decent larger screen theme and when next on your mobile you have to handle the bad layout (or switch themes again). and you have to use the same account on both devices in order to keep the "read posts" up-to-date.

Ian

[mjr]

Ideally a mobile theme that automatically activates when the browser is a mobile device (either through the User agent or screen size). I've used some forums where if you switch to a mobile skin on your mobile device, when you use your normal computer you get he mobile theme. [...]

There are ways to do that (basically labelling different stylesheets as mobile and default) but I'm not aware of any current phpBB theme that does it. (If someone would like to pay us to make one...)

[Psamathe]

Ideally a mobile theme that automatically activates when the browser is a mobile device (either through the User agent or screen size). I've used some forums where if you switch to a mobile skin on your mobile device, when you use your normal computer you get he mobile theme. [...]

There are ways to do that (basically labelling different stylesheets as mobile and default) but I'm not aware of any current phpBB theme that does it. (If someone would like to pay us to make one...)

Can't they do it through a different site e.g. forum.ctc.org.uk/mobile or m.ctc.org.uk, etc. and I assume ctc has registered ctc.mobi (I can't believe CTC would have missed this as must be an option). Bascially a different front-end which uses different stylesheets to the same forum data(base).

My own web site has a small javascript routine run when before the page is displayed that checks the User agent and screen size and if it decides it's probably a mobile browser then it diverts to a mobile page (i.e. the main desktop page has the javascript that diverts to a different page for mobiles - so you don't have to bother about mobile domain names - it all works through the same html.

Ian

[Richard Fairhurst]

This might be relevant: http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/01/death- ... rstitials/

In brief, Google is going to start penalising sites where "a giant app install interstitial pops up that prompts you to install that site’s app".

[Swizz69]

Decided to search the forum to see if anyone had moaned about the constant screen tapping req'd to view each page on a phone.

Wasn't disappointed either & the issue was raised in February?!

No-one should agree that this is ok.

It isn't ok. A bit poor in fact considering it's now December. Has anyone considered that Tapatalk has become popular with mobile users who are sick to death of Tap*ping their screens everytime they wish to view another page?

( *-if you'll pardon the pun )

I'd love a mobile version of the forum but having a decent screen on this phone, would be equally happy to use the current desktop view without being asked 4 or 5 times to use an app.

[Paulatic]

Have you got cookies enabled and if so do you keep them?
I think it should show only once if you have or maybe I'm wrong as I use Tapatalk

[Vorpal]

Decided to search the forum to see if anyone had moaned about the constant screen tapping req'd to view each page on a phone.

Wasn't disappointed either & the issue was raised in February?!

No-one should agree that this is ok.

It isn't ok. A bit poor in fact considering it's now December. Has anyone considered that Tapatalk has become popular with mobile users who are sick to death of Tap*ping their screens everytime they wish to view another page?

( *-if you'll pardon the pun )

I'd love a mobile version of the forum but having a decent screen on this phone, would be equally happy to use the current desktop view without being asked 4 or 5 times to use an app.

The answer was also posted...

Refusing as Mick suggests does result in continued requests on my Iphone. A pain and I do have cookies enabled.

However a solution is as follows.
Click to allow Tapatalk but when you get redirected to the App store for the Tapatalk App close the App store again immeadiately. This (I think) puts a cookie onto your phone that in some way allows access but does not install Tapatalk. You can then browse the forum using Safari normally without continuous requsets to install. It works and is great.
If you delete "all cookies and data" in Safari settings at anytime you need to repeat the process.

We aren't going to do anything with the current phpBB software because there is a new version out. It's much more mobile device friendly. The new version of phpBB is currently in testing for the forum. I'm not sure when it will go live. That will get it's own thread in due time.

[Swizz69]

Great - thanks for the prompt replies