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This weblog is about web technologies and news. Welcome to exchange your thoughts on the web, aka to me the big W. I am hoping to invite some guest and partners writer for this site. Therefore you may see multiple writers blogging here.

One web?? Your thoughts?

wmseto | 13 May, 2008 04:48

I have seen discussions about "one web". Meaning no one wants to see optimized web pages for mobile anymore. Some even would say it is waste of time to optimized pages, because mobile devices are now powerful (or getting more powerful) to render the full web. I think it is true in many ways...

But then I see this kind of news keep coming...

Brand new Google Reader for iPhone

http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/05/brand-new-google-reader-for-iphone.html

I have tried it and it is really good experience. What is the motivation to optimized for 1 device? Obviously, some resources (engineering time) have to be spent to maintain and  develop this single device version. In that effect, resources are taken out from the "standard" version, I suppose.

I would like to hear your thoughts... Please! 

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Comments

One web

neil.bellamy | 13/05/2008, 11:57

If designers, writers and other content producers create compliant code, it can be rendered appropriately by whichever interface it's user has chosen to employ, without recourse to specific optimisation.

The next problem is that (to pick a couple of names from a hat) Adobe and W3C will have very different ideas of what standard code looks like, requiring each user to install a plethora of software interfaces geared to various types of information.

Perhaps emphasising the benefits of appropriate standards and encouraging cross-proprietary solutions would help ?

TeaShark

tote_b5 | 13/05/2008, 13:01

tote_b5

Hi,

I've stumbled upon TeaShark (http://teashark.com/index.html) recently. They're doing the same as Opera Mini, but a bit differently. One of the 'bits' is that they use WebKit on the server side (http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/opera-mini-has-competition-but-who-is-teashark) to render the pages so that it always fits to small screens comfortably. Of course, the client app is Java-based and will run on many phones including feature phones.

I think if something makes 'one web' closer in the near future then it must be rather TeaShark than the Google Reader.

Tote

Context optimized

jsmanrique | 13/05/2008, 13:41

It is not about mobile optimized but context optimized (user, device, environment, ..). Of course, devices are getting more powerful, but AJAX is making them consume more battery, and the screen won't be bigger than my hand... Sometimes I use mobile versions of some sites in my N810 and sometimes I use the 'desktop' version, it depends on the context (at home, at bus stop, ...), so that's one of the main advantages of 'one web' defined as "optimized context aware information", and that's reason W3C has a W3C Mobile Web Initiative working in things like "Device Description", "Delivery Context Ontologies"...

Use cases are different

widianuser | 13/05/2008, 15:01

More than engineering, mobile services are about user psychology when runtimes and browsers improve. It is true that you can use the same services with your desktop and mobile, but will you be happy as a user when you do that? In desktop environment you have high speed connection, large screen, keyboard, mouse, comfortable chair, cup of coffee and relaxing music playing at the background when you browse the wonders of the internet. In mobile environment it is raining, you have phone in one hand and screaming child on the other and you must get an answer to a specific question quickly - when does the bus leave?

I've tried to open discussion on topics like this on my site, mobilitics.net.

//Harri

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