[headdie]

So our esteemed overlords at Google have decided that in an up and coming update to the mobile search algorithm to reduce the ranking of websites which dont have a mobile friendly portal, fortunately HLP is all good.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/google-search-change-could-cause-mobilegeddon-093734185.html#IGReqX1
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hard-light.net%2Fforums%2Findex.php

[Flipside]

From the article :

"Microsoft and the European Union are among the organisations likely to be negatively affected by the changes to Google's secret search formula."

This is interesting considering the current Monopolization claim against Google for placing their own shopping results at the top of every list.. headed by Microsoft and the EU.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32315649

[headdie]

wow I hadn't realized the extent to which the EU was investigating Google

[Dragon]

Could we get an option to reduce the rating of websites which are "mobile friendly" instead (or at least, don't have a normal, PC-friendly version)? I hate this recent trend, every website gets turned into hideous mess with giant buttons, huge letters and oversimplified layout. On my full HD monitor, it feels like I'm looking at a site for people with poor eyesight. Just look at what they've done with Dilbert site. Mobile versions are fine, but they should be optional.

[Klaustrophobia]

I've noticed a growing trend of things being catered to smartphones and "apps" only.  Not even limited to websites.  Uber, for example.  No way to use it without the mobile app.  I couldn't go on their website and request a ride to the airport.

  I have no interest in a smart phone.  At all.  But soon it won't be optional if I want to function at the same level in society that I currently do.

[Dragon]

It is useful (being able to access internet without space for a laptop is handy), but I'm not going to make it my primary web browsing tool. For me, the smartphone is an emergency device, mostly useful by the virtue of being always on hand. Just like a Swiss Army knife. It's not a good spoon, but it is a spoon, among other things, which is great if you're in the middle of nowhere and don't have an actual spoon. I couldn't care less about mobile websites, especially since on my phone (an Xperia Mini Pro, one of the smallest smartphones ever made), they're hard to use anyway, and larger smartphones don't fit in a trouser pocket. It's frustrating that people think smartphones and tablets are more important than PCs and laptops.

[The E]

It's frustrating that people think smartphones and tablets are more important than PCs and laptops.

They are more important, purely based on how many of the damn things are around.

[karajorma]

They are more important, purely based on how many of the damn things are around.

I think China is the only country where mobile browsing is bigger than using a PC (Unless that's changed in the last couple of years). I'd be pretty surprised if there was any 1st world nation that is that way round.

[Dragon]

Japan, too, based on my friend's experience there. They use phones for nearly everything, including gaming. But outside of Asia (which is nearly completely separate from the western internet anyway), I don't think many such countries exist. There are many smartphones around, true, but from what I've seen, they're used mostly as, well, phones, incidentally fulfilling other functions. Two major things people do with mobile internet seem to be e-mails and social media, all of which have a dedicated app specifically for that (and nag you to install it if you enter their sites in a mobile browser).

So no, they aren't more important. People read Dilbert, shop, access their bank accounts, read blogs, browse forums, etc. from the comfort (dinky screen is a dinky screen, no matter how you slice it) and safety (as PC security systems are much more extensive than smartphone ones) of their own home. So no. Not more important in the slightest.

[The E]

So no, they aren't more important. People read Dilbert, shop, access their bank accounts, read blogs, browse forums, etc. from the comfort (dinky screen is a dinky screen, no matter how you slice it) and safety (as PC security systems are much more extensive than smartphone ones) of their own home. So no. Not more important in the slightest.

I have a somewhat different experience. I use my smartphone a LOT for web access when I am not at home. Basically, whenever I do not have access to my google account on a machine, I'd rather use my phone or tablet instead; being able to access my various accounts without having to dredge up keepass to get my passwords is a really good thing for me.

[Phantom Hoover]

(as PC security systems are much more extensive than smartphone ones)

That's a questionable assertion, given that smartphone OSes use modern, robust sandboxing on a per-application basis as opposed to Windows' cluster**** of global permissions and access (someone recently found a bug in Windows that let you inject code into the kernel by way of the code that draws scrollbars).

[jr2]

Ah, and that one's been around since at least Win '95, correct?

[Phantom Hoover]

I think so? The general story behind it was a microcosm of Windows' security problems: in the early days, they put a lot of code in kernelspace so it would perform better, and had to keep it there for the sake of backwards compatibility.

[Luis Dias]

They are more important, purely based on how many of the damn things are around.

I think China is the only country where mobile browsing is bigger than using a PC (Unless that's changed in the last couple of years). I'd be pretty surprised if there was any 1st world nation that is that way round.

(notice lack of android on that screen. Add that figure in your mind)

http://www.asymco.com/2015/04/14/personal-computer/


e: my bad, missed the "browsing" wording. Yes, it seems pc still dominates browsing time: http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/

But I'd argue that the tide is quickly changing and that the number of people who have predominantly moved to mobile browsing tend to have more money on their pockets, and thus they are catered to a lot more.

[Phantom Hoover]

That's shipments though; it's a rate of change, not total userbase figures.

[headdie]

in our household while I use my PC a lot my wife only uses her Kindle Fire for web work because her online life is dominated by Facebook, Amazon and ebay and she enjoys the convenience of sitting on the sofa with the tablet in her hand, doing what she wants to do then opening one of her ebooks

[pecenipicek]

for what its worth, both google and mobile pages can go **** themselves, together with responsive design.

Spoiler:

why yes, i work with all three way more often than i'd like to, can you tell?

[Mongoose]

I've done plenty of browsing on my school-owned iPad, and it's pretty uniformly horrible.  **** touchscreens for eternity.