Open poll here: If we enabled wikiHow editing on your mobile phone, would you use it? What else would you like to do on wikiHow from your mobile phone? What would you not like to do from your mobile phone?
I would like to add photos to wikiHow from my mobile phone.
system
3
Haha, so because of the 140 Twitter character limit, here it is: Currently, the only thing I can do via Android is view and post on the forums and do straight patrolling on the Special:RC. I can’t do quick edits, edit normally, etc because the scrolling basically sucks and I’m limited to a small screen (versus at home on my laptop) & I’m severely afraid that I’ll mess something up due to the slightest scroll (and how my phone acts with cut & paste). I remember one time, I think it was sometime last week, where something happened and I couldn’t “quick edit” a simple thing that Krystle and I missed, so I had to ask her to fix it for me. I’d like to be able to at least quick edit in while patrolling so I don’t have to tap “Skip” all the time. I wouldn’t do or wouldn’t like to do anything “heavy-set” on there, such as QC, formatting, video/image reviewing, etc that actually takes time to “sit down and review closely” kind of things.
I use an iPod Touch, I just switch from mobile to desktop view to do edits, patrol, ect. The only thing I can’t use is the categorization app, so I do it manually. I think you should allow the following things in the mobile website: • Write and edit articles • Patrol Recent Changes • Upload photos from iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad photo library • Use the image adder app • Use the categorization app • View and edit your user and talk page, as well as other users’ pages • Leave messages on discussion and talk pages • View edit history • View the recent changes box/window that’s in the mid right margin on almost every page • View almost to all special pages
I have trouble writing things using the “keypad” on my Nook (which is why I haven’t patrolled or edited wikiHow with it), so editing and writing articles is out for me. When I write articles I usually use browser tabs to reference sites about the topic and I wouldn’t have that option with a mobile phone I don’t think. When patrolling, there’s usually a time when you need to make edits so that would be out for me. I think the image picker app would be good because you could touch the image to enlarge it and maybe touch it again to use it for the article. I don’t know if this is possible, but it would be cool if there was a way to make it easier for people to upload pictures from their iPhone onto wikiHow.
I would like to be able to patrol from my iPhone. I think creating a dedicated app would be awesome.
Ditto to Metsguy234, but I don’t even have a phone, so my opinion is kind of meaningless.
I like the ability to upload photos from your iPhone photo library, esp for user pics and article images.
I have the iPhone app for wikiHow. I think that you should be able to edit articles from your iPhone. Right now the only thing it can do is look at articles.
system
10
I would prefer an iPad application for wikiHow editing. Adding wikiHow apps for other tablets (Android devices and Blackberry’s Playbook) sounds like a good idea in addition. It is difficult to edit wikiHow from a phone, but with a tablet it is quite practical.
Elyne
11
I don’t like patrolling on my phone, but like Elocina and WikiRicardo said being able to upload pictures from your phone directly to wikiHow would be really cool and handy, I would also like to see an easier way to edit wikiHow.
I’d like the actual logging in to easier. (Without having to go to the full site and zooming in every two seconds.) PS. Just tried RC on my phone the first time. It didn’t work. It let me roll the edit back fine, but then it refused to mark it as patrolled. I’m not so sure how good a dedicated patrol app would be. Wouldn’t that lead to many people just coming across it may chance in the app store and start a bad patrolling spree?
system
13
Is there already an iPod app? I would use that.
system
14
This is a good point. We could make it impossible to create an account from the application (meaning that only currently registered contributors could use it). This way, anonymous vandals would have to sign up first, greatly reducing the chances of “drive-by”, in-app patrol vandalism.
Jordan
15
My phone has a 4.3" screen, which helps a little with doing a few quick patrols or very minimal editing during the day, but I agree that’d it be great to have a mobile optimized version of wikiHow to make contributing easier in this respect. Even so, I’m still very cautious with editing from my phone, just because (as others have pointed out) it can be more difficult to quickly fix any mistakes, scroll back when patrolling, etc. than when using a laptop or computer.
I have the iPhone, and I’m actually using it right now to post this. I think now on most smartphones you do have the capability if you go to the full site. I know when I had an old blackberry I had the opera browser which allowed me to go to the full site. I think if the mobile site had editing it would be a bit sleeker to look at. I havent really edited off my phone though, so I can’t say how well it works using the full site. The only thing is that it would open up for more mistakes in editing, with the majoirity of phones being touchscreen, so that means more mistakes, and slower editing. As for patrollIing a separate app would be good, along with apps for wikihow on android too. (if there isn’t already). To answer the question, yes I would most likely use it. I’m not always around a computer, like now for example. Also another thought. Even if we decide to not implement this feature now we will eventually. Just look at how many people already edit from their phones, iPads, nooks, and other fancy devices.
I write articles with an iPod Touch and anyone who is fluent with the touch screen key board can easily edit and type without mistakes. Just as long as they check over their work, as with any computer or mobile device.
I think the big question here is: Are enough people proficient enough with the iPod Touch/iPhone keyboard to make it worth pursuing an edit wikiHow app?
system
19
Why not create a poll amongst the different mobile phones and their “speeds”? I know Monica has a lot more experience texting and web surfing than me on our Android phones.
I would use it to view articles and welcome new users. I would not use it for editing, mainly because it’s to much of a hassle on my IPod.
