mobile view / app for MUScoop?

[SonofPianoMan]

I love MUScoop and it's content.

Is there any chance there is any work on a version that is a little more mobile friendly(or something I don't know about)? I would really enjoy having this content more easily available on something besides my computer. Unfortunately the site is not very phone/table friendly.

I have no idea on cost or additional work but I for one would definitely appreciate it if it was available. Thanks for all the work behind the scene's running the site.

[mu_hilltopper]

Did you try this?

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?wap

or

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?wap2

[Skatastrophy]

or this

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?imode

[Tommy Brice for Coach]

I have thought about developing an Android app for MUScoop in my spare time for fun. Do the Admins have any input as to how easy/accessible the data would be?

[nathanziarek]

I have thought about developing an Android app for MUScoop in my spare time for fun. Do the Admins have any input as to how easy/accessible the data would be?

I couldn't find an easy way to access the data short of screenscraping, which is tremendously difficult due to the 1990s-style HTML of the forum software.

[mr.MUskie]

I couldn't find an easy way to access the data short of screenscraping, which is tremendously difficult due to the 1990s-style HTML of the forum software.

Just make it available on Tapatalk.

http://tapatalk.com/

Tens of thousand of forums have activated Tapatalk to drive member's engagement on mobile. Get your forum listed on Tapatalk for free.

[kryza]

I couldn't find an easy way to access the data short of screenscraping, which is tremendously difficult due to the 1990s-style HTML of the forum software.

It uses a MySQL database, it's easy to grab any data you want with SQL queries. Regardless, mobile apps for niche sites are a bad idea. Responsive design is the way to go.

Here's an article to help you guys set up a mobile version;

http://www.doncaprio.com/2011/10/customizing-simple-machines-forum-smf.html

[Ari Gold]

I added MU scoop to my iphone home screen and its suitable and still better than the links hilltopper provided.
the first one doesnt work for my phone and the 2nd one was far too bare bones for my taste. It looks like an original geocities page.
This taptalk looks like a viable option too

[mr.MUskie]

This taptalk looks like a viable option too

I use tapatalk for several other forums that I visit.  Works great!

[nathanziarek]

Regardless, mobile apps for niche sites are a bad idea.

That's a pretty big swing. I'm not so sure I'd be willing to make such an all-encompassing statement without understanding the needs of the niche audience. Notifications are impossible without an app, for example.

Responsive design is the way to go.

Responsive is great. I'll put my professional MUScoop reputation on the line and say all sites, regardless if they have associated apps, should be responsive. It takes 50% more work upfront and then pays for itself from then on.

It uses a MySQL database, it's easy to grab any data you want with SQL queries.

Assuming you have access to the database and understand the way posts are stored and retrieved (and that the structure doesn't change on ya). I was more referring to the fact that there wasn't a published API.

Just make it available on Tapatalk.

That was talked about a while back in the Superbar. My understanding then was that the forum version was too old to accommodate either Tapatalk or the mobile theme...but that was some time ago.

[nathanziarek]

Ignore that last thing I said -- look like this forum version is up-to-date enough to work with Tapatalk AND it looks ridiculously easy to install.

http://tapatalk.com/activate_tapatalk.php?plugin=smf

My irrelevant vote is for Tapatalk!

[Skatastrophy]

I'm against tapatalk just because of the spam it creates for mobile users that refuse to install their app.  God their pop-ups are annoying!

[mr.MUskie]

I'm against tapatalk just because of the spam it creates for mobile users that refuse to install their app.  God their pop-ups are annoying!

I have the app installed.  $2.99 on Android,  don't know about iOS.  Not sure how you would use it without installing it.

[nathanziarek]

I'm against tapatalk just because of the spam it creates for mobile users that refuse to install their app.  God their pop-ups are annoying!

Oh...that's them! Yeah, I'm against Tapatalk now. We'll see which way the wind blows in another hour.

[mr.MUskie]

Oh...that's them! Yeah, I'm against Tapatalk now. We'll see which way the wind blows in another hour.

Q: Why a pop-up is shown in my mobile browser?
A: After you installed Tapatalk, a one-time alert will be shown to mobile web users to notify the Tapatalk option. While you are free to remove it during installation, it is important for us so to keep this service sustain't I dimble and free of charge to forum owners.

[gjreda]

Theoretically, it's possible that someone could rewrite the Scoop style sheet with CSS media queries to make it responsive, no?  It'd likely be a disaster since when you're doing responsive design, you're designing that from the start and not going backwards, but it should be possible.

If anyone does decide to go the scraping route and needs some help, happy to do so (or if someone's ever looking for some help on a side project).