[Webpub] Surfing on your phone is a “cringeworthy process"

[Lisa C. Mayer]

Surfing on your phone is a “cringeworthy process”
February 24th, 2009
http://webpub.mit.edu/2009/02/surfing-on-your-phone-cringeworthy/

You’ve got to love Jared Spool’s use of the English language. In his  
Feb 17th Alertbox article “Mobile Web 2009 = Desktop Web 1998” he  
discusses the similarities he uncovered during a recent usability test  
of mobile sites:

- Abysmal success rates
- Download times dominate the user experience
- Scrolling causes major usability problems
- Bloated pages hurt users (not physically I hope)
- Unfamiliarity with a browser’s user interface limits the user’s  
options
- JavaScript crashed and problems with advanced media types (video,  
flash, etc)
- Reluctant to use websites on mobile devices
- Search dominance
- Old-media design

The article goes on to discuss screen size issues, arguments for  
separate mobile sites, ideas about mobile web’s future, and where to  
learn more.



Lisa C. Mayer : web & database consultant at MIT- IS&T- DCAD
lmayer at mit.edu  |  617.452.4225  |  (gtalk & aim) lisacmayer
Join MIT WebPub! :  http://webpub.mit.edu  :  follow mitwebpub










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