We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
There is no joy to be had viewing any website on a phone. The phone is a backup device. Desktop, 24 inches, look at the pretty pictures!
I split my browsing between desktop and mobile, but on mobile those full page ads you have to scroll past really suck, try not to harp because I know you need the monies but man they suck. I guess they aren’t as bad as pop-up videos you can’t skip.
I usually read on a laptop because that’s what I do at work instead of working!
What else is there to do with a work laptop? -Sent from my work laptop
Turns out I’m the opposite of your statistics. I cannot log in as a member on my laptop (because work). I have to comment and such on my phone.
You’re doing the Lord’s work, Pete! Keep going!
And after m.whatever came the “whatever” app, right? I’m sure as much as it was for viewing, they also have OS/built-in notifications, since notifications from your phone software stand out more than notifications from your web browser, to help feed the whole notification/feedback loop/tech addiction idea (obviously I’m not accusing this place of that, but some websites do that). So now instead of using the best tool for the job (computer), we’re using the worst (mobile), because it’s the best way to keep us on a tool period. I use mobile because I don’t want to lay in bed with a laptop but I’d rather an Autopian TV channel. Screen is big and far away. One button and go. Let someone on the staff grow an Anchorman mustache to make it fun. “TATV, because ATV was taken”
> wants to send you notifications
EFFFF YOUUUUUU
> wants to know your location
How about no? You have my IP address, figure it out.
> sign up for our emails
*proceeds to send marketing emails every day about stuff reasonable people buy once a month*
> sign up for our text alerts!
Ffffffffuuuuuuuuuuu
> Let someone on the staff grow an Anchorman mustache to make it fun
I nominate Alanis
Don’t forget to install our app!
Oh, and sign up for a subscription!
Oh, and once you’re subscribed, you should upgrade to a premium membership!
Re the “whatever” app … one of the reasons for the growth in apps for reading what easily be read via a browser is that it’s illegal in the US (because the DMCA criminalizes the production and distribution of technology designed to circumvent copyright protection measures, i.e. reverse engineer the app to remove tracking, ads etc).
This was also pretty much a non negotiable element of any trade treaty negotiations the US was involved in, meaning similar laws are in place all around the world.
On the other hand, with a website, I can (for example) make an RSS feed by grabbing individual pages, removing tracking and ad logic. By reverse engineering the website code.
TL;DR Think of it in terms of “right to fix” laws.
I feel attacked by your facts! As one of the 13.4% (and I don’t think I’ve ever viewed on mobile), I’m quite certain that the majority is weird and I don’t want to be their friends.
My phone usage is extremely limited, so am on a laptop and external monitor for almost everything. That device one holds in one’s hand is just a crippled computer, thus not adequate for much of anything in my mind other than basics or when a real computer isn’t useable.
“For the last 28 days, traffic has been 82% mobile, 13.4% desktop, and 5.0% tablet”
Sooooo … could we get notifications to be usable on mobile already? I can see when I have one, but I have to go to a desktop to actually click on it. It’s been that way … forever???
Maybe become a member so you’ll start viewing on desktop? – as TA was meant to be viewed! 😉
(Yes, Shop-Teacher, I know you’re a member, else you wouldn’t be reading and commenting on Tales)
I often view it on a desktop, but sometimes I’m not near one. Right now I’m sitting in the hospital with my father-in-law, and needed a distraction. (He’s ok, just 80 and has an infection).
Agreed!!! It’s annoying as hell!
They work on tablet, fwiw.
I don’t own one of those.
I very briefly blogged for a couple of local websites, and I am absolutely not cut out for it. SEO and editing make me grumpy, and those are the names of the game. I have the utmost respect for those who can do it well.
I’m pretty good about cropping photos, but I never remember to rename/alt-text them. I assume I’ll eventually incur The Wrath Of Pete for that…
I only read this on my phone when I don’t have any other choice. These days I have to break out the readers if I am using the phone. Desktop or laptop is much better.
Peter is my hero for today. He is on a noble mission. I truly despise having to zoom and slide back and forth many of the screenshots this site has published. You guys are normally so thoughtful about the members that I as surprised it was happening so often.
Now, what can we do about the Comment Edit Time Window being too short? The older I get, the more often I screw up a post and then only realize after someone has replied that I need to make a correction. Alas, you’ve got about two minutes or you’re boned. Please fix this problem, as it’s very irritating and wholly unnecessary. It’s just changing one number. Personally I would like no time limit. Anyone else feel the same?
Yes
Agree 100%.
As someone who’s a bit anal about what I write, nothing’s more frustrating than realizing a half hour later (when prompted by a reply notification) that you’ve made an egregious misspelling, or worse, made a your/you’re mistake or some such! Ugh.
Try it now.
Awesome! Thanks. This is just another reason why Autopian rules.
Ok, comment editing is now three hours (I think). Be merry!
Thank You! Very Much Appreciated 🙂
—————————————————
This commented edited after one hour just for my pleasure.
“‘Cause I get what I want and it cost me a lot
Put my head in the hole of a guillotine chop”
Test comment to check something. Typically on my laptop it’s difficult to hit the edit icon correctly. I think the target area is too small. Let’s post this comment, try to edit it, and report my results:
Follow-up. What’s happening is that I hit the gear icon and then the “Edit” box opens. However, unless I move my cursor DIRECTLY to “Edit” that option disappears. It very often takes me several times to successfully move my cursor to “Edit” without the option disappearing.
2d follow-up. “Edit” disappears if I move my cursor to the right even a pixel off of the gear icon. It does not disappear if I move my cursor to the left. Recent MacBookPro, good quality Logitech gaming mouse.
YES!
I only use my phone if there’s an article that I feel like I absolutely need to see the youtube/instagram clip that is blocked at work. Even then, I read along on the desktop until I get to the clip, watch on mobile, then immediately back to desktop. For reference, I’m 35, but have always been an “old soul”
Interesting…what’s funny is that for this totally awesome site I’ve always been 100% mobile…since it’s a transportation site…ha ha
As a member that is almost exclusively on mobile, thank you. I don’t know how many sites I’ve been on where I’ve had to zoom in to read the text and then swipe back and forth to read the whole line. I don’t think I’ve ever had that issue here
Or turn the phone sideways and scroll endlessly…
This is not a dig:
I’m surprised that “Few of our stories are written or edited on phones” given the number of typos; I assumed that things like “screencaping” made it through because Spell Check for phones is less robust.
Also congratulations on being around long enough for anybody to be a long-suffering anything!
Amusingly, some of my bigger stories have been written on phone screens. My thumbs definitely hate me!
Then props for doing as well as you do–your typos are exceptionally rare, which is even more impressive given the length of some of your stuff!
What are these thumbs you speak of? (Swype keyboard enthusiast here)
Spell check for phones is more robust in that most keyboards have auto correct. Computer keyboards don’t.
What’s weird to me is that all browsers offer built-in spell-check and have for many, many years, and now MacOS and Windows have it at the OS level, so typos should really be gone for good.
As a member who reads on tablet at home or in the van, I definitely appreciate the consideration given to mobile users.
-posting while babysitting a unit on the roof of a tire factory
Fun fact: I wrote the majority of my nuclear piece with my thumbs in bed, because my laptop sucks and the computer desk chair at home isn’t the most comfortable. However, reading scans of vintage magazines on a phone is truly atrocious, so anything I wrote while juggling a few PDFs was on desktop.
Interesting how different it is for members vs not. I read a lot on both, but I would guess I’m on desktop more.
I read Autopian almost exclusively on desktop, because I’m at work (ahem).
This is the way.
Same here! And between Chrome updates and security updates forced by IT, I end up reloading my 50+ tabs enough that I figure it should count for something.
I read Autopian wherever I am. Which means on whatever I happen to have available at the moment. Sometimes it’s a desktop, sometimes a phone, sometimes a tablet, and on occasion, an Apple Newton (but getting WiFi to work was a real bitch).
I read autopian exclusively on phone, because I’m at work.
If it helps, you can tell your desktop browsers to behave like mobile browsers.
In Firefox: Cmd+Opt+M will open responsive design mode as a fast check of any size device you want to check.
In Chrome: Cmd+Opt+I to start getting into dev tools and pick a device
In Safari: open Xcode you heathen
https://its.uri.edu/services/946442a2ab7e3cfcb0d9034469b32186c7fad400e8/simulating-a-mobile-environment-in-a-browser/
I have T/A (I think that is much cooler than TA for The Autopian) running all day long on a large monitor so that I can flush my brain between reports. I will agree that reading it on the phone sucks, but that is also due to the iPhone Google app not seeming to have any way to increase the text size.
Same here, I’m on a 32″ monitor
I’m using reading glasses or I wouldn’t be able to see it on my phone.
Aha! Now we know the truth! Alanis wasn’t puking her guts out due to food poisoning, she was was just sick of Peter’s nagging!
Cropping pictures is great. My pet peeve is having to scroll down half a picture of blue sky and trees before ever seeing the dang vehicle!!!
I read this site on laptop and now the expanded margins make sense. I’m a young old (pushing 50) and not so down with the modern world.
Limiting column width is also good for readability. Trying to read a line of text that’s actually 12 or 16 or 30 inches wide is tough.
Young old? That’s like saying you’re a little bit pregnant.
You’re old; own it, be proud and revel in it 😉
Actually, there are gradients of old, unlike pregnancy. At 50 you’re not nearly as old as a medium old 65and certainly not an old old 85. I’m a young old and I’m sticking to it.
We were GenX and never supposed to age! I’m mostly bald and more grey than salt and pepper.
Exactly! I still have brown hair, just not much of it. And the beard is whiter all the time. It’s not fair. We were promised better.
You were promised something?