IMPORTANT: Reorganizing the Forum

[Andres Kello]

Hi Folks,

As I've mentioned a number of times and specifically in this post (http://mobility.mobi/showpost.php?p=125088&postcount=105), Mobility will be expanding beyond .mobi in the coming months to encompass the entire Mobile Sphere, with a stronger focus on Development.

I want Mobility to become the eBay of the Mobile Industry, a one-stop-shop for any and all mobile needs, questions, and solutions, a place to network with top players in each segment of the industry with the breadth and depth to cater to all needs and tastes.

Whether someone is looking for information on how to unlock a Nokia N95, how to build a 3D app for the iPhone 3GS, which phones allow web access to their GPS coordinates, how to develop a specific .mobi site with simple m-commerce capabilities, or which local carrier transcodes web content (and how), I want them to think "Mobility.mobi".

Today there is a very limited number of members here that can answer the above, and I want to change that by attracting more knowledge. The more knowledge that is shared, the easier it will be to produce something innovative and unique.

The idea is that if there is one site where all mobile needs can be met, then it can spark new partnerships and ideas that would otherwise never have been possible while making members increasingly more productive with all their mobile endeavors. I want to attract the best talent across-the-board to allow not only new partnerships to spark but to thrive here as well.

We're still in the very early days of the mobile game and I want to make sure we catch this wave at its peak and ride it through all the way.

Attempting to be all things to all people is normally a very difficult task, but I think we're very well positioned to do just that. We're experiencing non-stop growth (in terms of unique visitors) and I want to leverage that in the coming months to expand well beyond a simple domain extension. This is a very important step in Mobility's short life and I do not want to rush it, so I want to get input from everyone on how we should begin to reorganize Mobility.

I always believed .mobi would grow to the point where it would become the epicenter of the industry and thus allow Mobility to ride that wave together, but as this past year or so has shown us, that is simply not happening. The reality is that there is simply a lot less interest in .mobi these days, as evidenced not only by the falling New Thread Counts and Post Counts right here on the only .mobi-centric forum in the world (those who saw my presentation to the PAB from a few months ago know exactly what I'm talking about) but also by the numerous loyal members who don't visit as frequently anymore or have disappeared altogether. The mojo is just no longer there, so I think Mobility needs to course-correct and expand for its own long-term viability as it can no longer depend on .mobi if it is to continue its excellent rate of growth.

I'm open to any and all input, as always, so don't be shy and feel more than free to contribute ideas while we openly brainstorm this reorganization.

To help guide us, here is the current layout of Mobility.mobi (as seen on the homepage):



Community
- Introductions
- .mobi Newbies
- .mobi Showcase
---- Member Portfolios
- .mobi of the Month™
- Lounge

General
- News & Discussion
---- Latest "dotMobi" News
---- Mobile Industry News
- Private Discussion (Members only)
---- Digg This!
---- Available .mobi's
- News
- Legal (Private)

mTLD
- mTLD

Mobile Development
- New Developed .mobi's
---- New .mobi sites Developed by Members
- Mobile Web Design
---- MobiForge
-------- MobiForge RSS
---- .mobi Compliance
---- Mobile SEO
---- CMS
---- SMS
- Mobile Advertising / Parking / Monetization
- Mobile Marketing
- Mobile Developers Wanted
---- Mobile Developers For Hire
- Development Ideas (Private)
- Beta Testing (Private)

Marketplace
- Reported Domain Sales
- .mobi's For Sale - Offers Wanted
---- Non- .mobi's
- .mobi's For Sale - Fixed Prices
---- Non- .mobi's
- Developed Mobile Websites For Sale
---- Scripts/Templates/Turnkeys
---- Non- .mobi's
- .mobi Auctions
---- Send to Sedo Auction! (Private)
---- Non- .mobi's
---- Sedo Auctions
---- eBay (Link)
- .mobi's Wanted
- .mobi Appraisals (Private)
- Premium .mobi's For Sale
- Reviews (NEW!)
---- Book Reviews
- Classifieds

Mobile Phones & Carriers (NEW!)
- Mobile Phone Discussion
- US Carrier Discussion
---- US Prepaid/MVNO Discussion
- Canadian Carrier Discussion
---- Canadian Prepaid/MVNO Discussion
- European Carrier Discussion

International
- Español
- Português
- Français
- Italiano
- Deutsch
- Nederlands

Adult (Must be over 18)
- Adult Lounge
- Adult Discussion
- Adult Marketplace

Feedback
- Suggestions / Comments / Criticisms

EXTERNAL
- Support Forums
---- mobiSiteGalore (Akmin)
---- Mobi Site Trader One of the reorganizations I envision, for example, is rather than every section on Mobility being about .mobi, creating a section specifically for .mobi and moving all .mobi-related sub-forums underneath that section. So for example, the current mTLD section and sub-forum would be moved under that new .mobi section rather than being in a section all of its own.

As I mentioned earlier, I also want a much stronger focus on Mobile Web Development, including Mobile App Development. In fact, I think each should get its own specific section with several sub-forums to tackle each of the various elements they comprise.

As we continue to grow and expand, the "New Posts" link will become less and less useful as most members will only be interested in a specific section (e.g. .mobi, or app development, or info about phones, etc.), so I'll look into creating a type of "New Posts" for each section so people can keep track of only the sections they're interested in.

So let's think outside the box and see how best we can organize Mobility to encompass all aspects of the Mobile Industry.

I expect this discussion and brainstorming to take several weeks (perhaps even months) before any changes are actually finalized and implemented. Again, I don't want to rush it as this will be the biggest change to Mobility we've seen yet. And of course, if something isn't working out after we've implemented the changes, we can always change things back and re-work them.

Let's butt heads and see what kinds of ideas we can come up with as we continue this amazing journey together.

Let's hear it! :thumbsup:

[Scandiman]

One of the reorganizations I envision, for example, is rather than every section on Mobility being about .mobi, creating a section specifically for .mobi and moving all .mobi-related sub-forums underneath that section. So for example, the current mTLD section and sub-forum would be moved under that new .mobi section rather than being in a section all of its own.

As I mentioned earlier, I also want a much stronger focus on Mobile Web Development, including Mobile App Development. In fact, I think each should get its own specific section with several sub-forums to tackle each of the various elements they comprise.

The transition to the greater mobile web/mobile app development content space is less about moving away from .mobi and more about moving away from domaining. If I had to guess a number, I'd say at least 50% of the human generated threads are about domains for sale. Less of an emphasis on the domain marketplace, reported sales, appraisals, portfolios, etc is needed.

Also consider providing lots of unique tutorials regarding development. Often times those doing development are not inclined to share their hard learned skills with others so freely and the discussion needs to be initiated time and again. If this is to be a place to learn more about development then there needs to be a large quantity of high quality information about the code to make it have authority among the competition. Also be prepared to answer as many questions as you can yourself to move the discussions forward or else it will simply be a bunch of question threads with no concrete answers to help people move forward with their projects. Noobs answering noobs isn't going to get it done. I don't know your budgetary considerations but if possible consider incentivizing some qualified code experts to answer questions. There's tons of places to ask questions online but very few places to get good answers consistently.

[coast]

I agree with Scandiman on all of the above.

[Tim]

I agree with Scandiman on all of the above.
ditto - :argh: I win!












Seriously, though, I have a few suggestions that might look appealing in some form to new people:

1) a job board like that of (now) freelancer.com
2) a credible blog with real, unique, and timely analysis from some of your contacts - published through PR and RSS.
3) a realtime counter of the number or handsets currently activated across the globe
4) revenue share monetized tutorials either through subscription, one time purchases, or ad based revenues.

that's it for now.

[developmy.mobi]

#4

[Dave]

The transition to the greater mobile web/mobile app development content space is less about moving away from .mobi and more about moving away from domaining. If I had to guess a number, I'd say at least 50% of the human generated threads are about domains for sale. Less of an emphasis on the domain marketplace, reported sales, appraisals, portfolios, etc is needed.

Also consider providing lots of unique tutorials regarding development. Often times those doing development are not inclined to share their hard learned skills with others so freely and the discussion needs to be initiated time and again. If this is to be a place to learn more about development then there needs to be a large quantity of high quality information about the code to make it have authority among the competition. Also be prepared to answer as many questions as you can yourself to move the discussions forward or else it will simply be a bunch of question threads with no concrete answers to help people move forward with their projects. Noobs answering noobs isn't going to get it done. I don't know your budgetary considerations but if possible consider incentivizing some qualified code experts to answer questions. There's tons of places to ask questions online but very few places to get good answers consistently.
Good suggestions, although I don't want to be too in a rush to scrap the domaining angle. There are quite a few of us who are still in it primarily for that, even if the reseller market is lousy at the moment.

I think the de-emphasis on domaining would happen naturally, particularly given that .mobi discussion will be merely a sub-forum of the overall forum.

[gogo]

I'm really looking forward to this.

If you want the question answering to flourish, check out how they created http://stackoverflow.com/ - I read they put a huge effort into ensuring the best answers are promoted.

And this is a good resource too - not specific to forums, but really helps you think clearly: Building Social Web Applications (http://http//oreilly.com/catalog/9780596518769) especially about how to give authority to answers, similar to the rep system here. The book has various case studies and inside info.

This thread is one of the things they recommend - laying the groundwork for change - and they recommend setting a deadline, too.



I think the de-emphasis on domaining would happen naturally, particularly given that .mobi discussion will be merely a sub-forum of the overall forum.

I agree, and it may also interest a new clientele in domains and domaining. Why not an FAQ for designers or businesspeople on how to pick a domain name? A lot of people put that decsision in the hands of a web developer and get mixed advice and mediocre results.

[Andres Kello]

Great feedback so far, folks!


The transition to the greater mobile web/mobile app development content space is less about moving away from .mobi and more about moving away from domaining.It's actually about expanding beyond both. For example, I want to attract developers interested in creating iPhone-specific sites with Javascript enabled, but those discussions rarely happen on Mobility since such a site would fail a Ready.mobi score and be non-compliant as far as .mobi is concerned. Mobile Apps also have nothing to do with .mobi. Having said that, I don't want to lose the domainer appeal of Mobility and .mobi will still be important, but it will only be a section of the forum to better reflect the realities of the mobile industry.


If I had to guess a number, I'd say at least 50% of the human generated threads are about domains for sale. Less of an emphasis on the domain marketplace, reported sales, appraisals, portfolios, etc is needed.I would agree with that percentage and I have no problem with the volume of domain sales thread, but I do have a problem with them representing such a large proportion of threads. So while I wouldn't want to derail the marketplace at all, I do want to expand the forum so that that 50% is naturally lowered dramatically due to new and interesting threads and discussions about things other than domain sales. However, I would still like to keep this as the place to buy, sell, and trade mobile domain names, but perhaps there will no longer be a need to differentiate between .mobi domains and non-.mobi mobile domains (e.g mHotels.com) either of which could prove equally useful for a mobile developer.


Also consider providing lots of unique tutorials regarding development. Often times those doing development are not inclined to share their hard learned skills with others so freely and the discussion needs to be initiated time and again.If one thing has amazed me about the internet, it's people's willingness to share knowledge. I've seen it time and again in such places like Namepros, Webmaster World, and right here on Mobility. Lot's of great people have passed through Mobility, but few of them stick around. I think that's because they find it quite limited once they become a member and browse around (like you said, half the threads are about domain sales). We've had Google Senior Engineers join, members of the Sony Ericsson Developer World team, VP's from Bango, prominent Mobile Bloggers, among others, and these are the kinds of folks I not only want to attract, but also convince to stay and help build this community. Sticky's and tutorials are a great idea as they lay the groundwork for more specific discussions. We already have some great sticky's (which I'm sure are responsible for a significant portion of the Google traffic we receive), and I agree that more sticky's and in-depth tutorials will be warranted to avoid having to reinvent the wheel each time.


If this is to be a place to learn more about development then there needs to be a large quantity of high quality information about the code to make it have authority among the competition. I agree 100%.


Also be prepared to answer as many questions as you can yourself to move the discussions forward or else it will simply be a bunch of question threads with no concrete answers to help people move forward with their projects.Absolutely, but it's going to take a lot more than just me answering questions to move this forward, and I think we have a strong enough community that everyone will be engaged in the process. What I think we're currently missing here is a more organized structure that's more conducive to that kind of help and collaboration.


Noobs answering noobs isn't going to get it done. I don't know your budgetary considerations but if possible consider incentivizing some qualified code experts to answer questions.I don't plan to invest any more capital into Mobility until it can pay for itself, but the incentives - which are a great idea - do not necessarily have to be financial in nature. In fact, often times simply being an "expert" on a specific topic at a popular public forum has its own rewards as it opens doors to opportunities and partnerships from people who are made aware of your talents by your contributions. We've even seen that right here on Mobility, with new partnerships forged between members who sought out each other based on what they had witnessed right here.


There's tons of places to ask questions online but very few places to get good answers consistently.And we want to make sure Mobility is the latter. :)


Seriously, though, I have a few suggestions that might look appealing in some form to new people:

1) a job board like that of (now) freelancer.com Excellent idea, I agree 100%. This shouldn't be difficult to do. However, I would not want Mobility handling the finances of the job board, but it could certainly serve as a sort of craigslist-type board and then let members take it from there. It would be an expansion of the current "Developers for Hire/Wanted" sub-forum, and I think it should even get its own section.


2) a credible blog with real, unique, and timely analysis from some of your contacts - published through PR and RSS. Funny that you would mention that as I was planning for precisely this thanks to the upcoming vBulletin 4 which comes with a Publishing Suite with a seamlessly integrated content management system (CMS) and blogging platform. My idea is to invite guest bloggers who are prominent in their mobile field to post about a specific topic (and plug themselves and their work in the process). This would help make Mobility a great resource for unique and compelling articles about the Mobile industry while giving authors more exposure to their work.


3) a realtime counter of the number or handsets currently activated across the globe That would be a clever marketing gimmick that wouldn't be difficult to do. All we would need to know is the current number of handsets plus the rate of growth, and a little Javascript would make it happen. This would be a great reminder to members and visitors alike of the extraordinarily massive size of this industry.


4) revenue share monetized tutorials either through subscription, one time purchases, or ad based revenues. Revenue-sharing is a great incentive for authors, but is often difficult to implement seamlessly, particularly on a forum like this. I prefer to keep Mobility 100% free, including the knowledge within, even if it means slightly less contributions from members. Having said that, I'm not completely closed-off to the idea and this is something we could re-visit after the changes are implemented depending on the quality of submissions we could entice via a revenue-sharing model vs. the free model.


Good suggestions, although I don't want to be too in a rush to scrap the domaining angle. There are quite a few of us who are still in it primarily for that, even if the reseller market is lousy at the moment.

I think the de-emphasis on domaining would happen naturally, particularly given that .mobi discussion will be merely a sub-forum of the overall forum.Don't worry Dave, I have absolutey no intention of scraping any domaining sections as I still want Mobility to be the place to buy, sell, and trade mobile domain names and sites. I also agree that the de-emphasis will happen naturally as we expand, and that I do intend to make happen.


I'm really looking forward to this.

If you want the question answering to flourish, check out how they created http://stackoverflow.com/ - I read they put a huge effort into ensuring the best answers are promoted.

And this is a good resource too - not specific to forums, but really helps you think clearly: Building Social Web Applications (http://http//oreilly.com/catalog/9780596518769) especially about how to give authority to answers, similar to the rep system here. The book has various case studies and inside info.

This thread is one of the things they recommend - laying the groundwork for change - and they recommend setting a deadline, too.The Digg-like promoting of best answers is one of those outside-the-box ideas that could prove quite useful. However, we'd have to think carefully about how it would affect the flow of the forum, particularly if threads and/or posts are ordered by diggs as opposed to time. There are already a few vB hacks (here (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=203801) and here (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=150751)) that could do something like this, and there is an open-source digg-like platform (http://www.pligg.com) that we could possibly add independently of the forum, so these are some things to start thinking about.


I agree, and it may also interest a new clientele in domains and domaining. Why not an FAQ for designers or businesspeople on how to pick a domain name? A lot of people put that decsision in the hands of a web developer and get mixed advice and mediocre results.That's a good idea and would not be difficult to do. We certainly already have the expertise to do it. This is a perfect example of the kinds of new sticky's we could add.


Great feedback so far, folks, let's keep it coming! :thumbsup:

[coast]

I think it goes with out saying - and all the more reason it should be said - that the reason most of us have success either with .mobi domains or with developed site is due to the contacts we have made on this forum. I believe people will continue to share. The guest post idea is great. I am doing that myself for mobienthusiast, and although none have yet been published, I am meeting people who do enterprise mobile solutions. People in that realm would certainly be influencers when it comes to .mobi, and would be a welcome addition to the forum.

[Pred]

number 1 for me is get that ba$**** rss feed out of the news section. bloody repetitive crap and it keeps knocking down the interesting threads.
i would suggest putting the rss in a separate little area, a mini forum, not a subforum as it is now

rant over :embarassed::biggrin:

[Andres Kello]

number 1 for me is get that ba$**** rss feed out of the news section. bloody repetitive crap and it keeps knocking down the interesting threads.
i would suggest putting the rss in a separate little area, a mini forum, not a subforum as it is now

rant over :embarassed::biggrin:That's something we can look into as we start organizing the new sections. I wouldn't want to do away with the RSS Feed completely as it's been responsible for a significant chunk of new .mobi site discoveries, but I agree that they can get quite repetitive, particularly when companies start launching Press Releases all over the place.

Keep in mind, however, that as we continue to expand and grow, the "New Posts" link will become less and less useful as it will encompass too many posts in too many different sections to be of any particular use to any one person. To get an idea of what I mean, when was the last time anyone used the "New Posts (http://www.namepros.com/search.php?do=getnew)" feature on NamePros? They removed the link a long time ago as it's just not useful on larger forums that encompass a wide range of sections. When the "New Posts" link no longer becomes useful here on Mobility, the idea will be to include a type of sectional "New Posts" to show only the new posts of each section as opposed to new posts in the entire forum so that people can catch up on threads specific to the topics they're interested in.

[Andres Kello]

OK folk, I think the best way of going about this reorganization is to move in a top-down fashion:

1) List ALL the "sub-industries" currently in existence within the mobile industry.
2) Narrow #1 down to useful and relevant "sections" of the forum.
3) Put #2 in the most relevant order as should be displayed in the forum homepage.
4) Rinse and Repeat for the sub-forums of each section in #3.

So let's start with Step #1.

Below is a quick list I came up with of the various mobile sub-industries I could think of. Some might be redundant, some might belong together, others might be better off underneath another sub-industry, and some might not even belong on the list, but I want to be as thorough as possible during this initial brainstorm to ensure we don't miss any mobile segment. So let's only add to this list and not remove anything until we get to Step #2.





Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events


OK, let's start growing this list, so post anything that pops into your head and don't be shy as we want this list to be as thorough as possible before we start refining it.

Fire away!

[GijsZePa]

Mobile Applications
Mobile Application Development (Iphone, Android, nokia, palm ...)

[coast]

Under "mobile operating systems" I would subdivide them by browser, i.e. Symbian, Opera Mini, Safari, whatever Blackberry default is, etc.

[Andres Kello]

Mobile Applications
Mobile Application Development (Iphone, Android, nokia, palm ...)Mobile Application Development added (Mobile Applications was already on the list). Thanks G!



Under "mobile operating systems" I would subdivide them by browser, i.e. Symbian, Opera Mini, Safari, whatever Blackberry default is, etc.You've skipped ahead to Step #3! :biggrin::laugh:

But you also just brought up another important sub-industry: Mobile Browsers :thumbsup:

Here's the list so far with the 2 additions above:





Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers



Remember folks, we're just brainstorming mobile sub-industries as this point and adding them to the list above.

Keep firing away and let's be as thorough as possible before we move on to the refinement stage in Step #2.

[Scandiman]

Under "mobile operating systems" I would subdivide them by browser, i.e. Symbian, Opera Mini, Safari, whatever Blackberry default is, etc.

OS's and browsers are two different things though. OS's would be Symbian, Android, Maemo, Windows Mobile, etc...

[coast]

OS's and browsers are two different things though. OS's would be Symbian, Android, Maemo, Windows Mobile, etc...


... which is why I am glad people who know more than I do are contributing to the forum :thumbsup:

[Dave]

Keep in mind, however, that as we continue to expand and grow, the "New Posts" link will become less and less useful as it will encompass too many posts in too many different sections to be of any particular use to any one person. To get an idea of what I mean, when was the last time anyone used the "New Posts (http://www.namepros.com/search.php?do=getnew)" feature on NamePros? They removed the link a long time ago as it's just not useful on larger forums that encompass a wide range of sections. When the "New Posts" link no longer becomes useful here on Mobility, the idea will be to include a type of sectional "New Posts" to show only the new posts of each section as opposed to new posts in the entire forum so that people can catch up on threads specific to the topics they're interested in.
Actually, NamePros still has the "New Posts" link, and I use it from time to time to see if there's anything I've been missing in other sections.

So I do agree that having a New Posts option for each section is good, I'd like to continue to have it available here for the overall forum as well. It's a good way to keep up with areas that you might not otherwise be inclined to frequent.

[gogo]

mobile gaming, mobile handsets, mobile social, mobile gambling, mobile user generated content, mobile photos, mobile tv, mobile dating, mobile tracking, mobile controls (ie phone used to control house or vehicle), mobile streaming

mobile homes? mobility aids and scooters?

a bit off topic but here is another use of the word mobile:
http://www.mobile.de/home/index.html
claims to be Germany's biggest vehicle market.

and http://mobiliaonline.com/ is where mobile.it takes you - a furniture shop

[Andres Kello]

Actually, NamePros still has the "New Posts" link, and I use it from time to time to see if there's anything I've been missing in other sections.

So I do agree that having a New Posts option for each section is good, I'd like to continue to have it available here for the overall forum as well. It's a good way to keep up with areas that you might not otherwise be inclined to frequent.You're right, Dave, they still have the New Posts for logged-in users, although like you said, it's only used from time to time. But I have no problem leaving it on here like you suggesetd (it will be particularly useful for us Mods!).

Speaking of Mods, as we continue to expand, we're probably going to need to complement the current Mod Team with Section Mods for individual sections as it will be difficult for the current Mod Team to mod the entire forum with so many different sections hustling and bustling, particularly as the forum continues to grow. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.


mobile gaming, mobile handsets, mobile social, mobile gambling, mobile user generated content, mobile photos, mobile tv, mobile dating, mobile tracking, mobile controls (ie phone used to control house or vehicle), mobile streamingGreat stuff! :thumbsup: Added:





Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming

Let's keep 'em coming!

[Scandiman]

Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming



I never knew so much was going on in Alabama. :embarassed:

Do we need to have "Mobile" again and again and again and again..........

[Andres Kello]

I never knew so much was going on in Alabama. :embarassed:

Do we need to have "Mobile" again and again and again and again..........We will have to use "Mobile" repeatedly for each section that goes live for SEO purposes, unfortunately. I know it's incredibly repetitive, but if it helps bring in more traffic (and more targeted traffic), then I can live with it. :)

[coast]

I never knew so much was going on in Alabama. :embarassed:

Do we need to have "Mobile" again and again and again and again..........

Tired of that judge in Mobile, Alabama on the RSS Feed? LOL I keep deleting those threads.

Mobile needs to be repeated if it's a search term. That's just good SEO.

[pilot]

We will have to use "Mobile" repeatedly for each section that goes live for SEO purposes, unfortunately. I know it's incredibly repetitive, but if it helps bring in more traffic (and more targeted traffic), then I can live with it. :)

Andres, I'd be careful with the repetition of the word mobile for SEO purposes. You'll need to strike a careful balance on each page for the word "mobile" vs other on screen text, also known as keyword density. This could hurt your efforts on the SEO front instead of helping.

Instead of one long list that reads: mobile this, mobile that, it would be more beneficial to have mobile at the top of the page and then list the sections below it. Hope this makes sense.

[coast]

Pilot wouldn't we get density diluted by content? Those would be page titles, wouldn't they?

[pilot]

Pilot wouldn't we get density diluted by content?

You're correct Coast!



Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events

If we were to take the page above that linked to the different pages you can easily see that the word mobile is close to 50% of the total words. That's obviously not good. A good average would be somewhere between 3-5%. When I read some of the stuff here, I got worried that the keyword density wasn't going to be taken into consideration. My "spam" alert went off. This is all in good hands. I'm sure it'll get sorted.


Those would be page titles, wouldn't they?
Not sure and that's why I raised the issue.

[Andres Kello]

Hi pilot, this won't be an issue because the only place where all the sections titles will appear is the homepage which contains a lot of other content that will dilute them.

[pilot]

Hi pilot, this won't be an issue because the only place where all the sections titles will appear is the homepage which contains a lot of other content that will dilute them.


:coo2l: That makes sense. Like I said... it's in good hands.

[Andres Kello]

Any other ideas, folks?

Here's the current list:




Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming

Have we missed anything?

[Scandiman]

Andres, will this be a change over time or one big reorganization? My concern with a big transition is a bunch of empty forums. Is there some targeted RSS feeds that can be used for specific sections?

[Andres Kello]

Andres, will this be a change over time or one big reorganization? My concern with a big transition is a bunch of empty forums. Is there some targeted RSS feeds that can be used for specific sections?The idea is to do this as smoothly as possible. The final "section list" won't be so long as we'll be refining the list above in Step 2. Where applicable, we'll move things around to fit the new structure, so we'll make use of current/old sub-forums and threads/sticky's to fill the new sections. For example, the current Mobile Web Design sub-forum threads would be divided amongst the new Mobile Web Design section sub-forums (in a way that makes sense, obviously, not just randomly). This is going to take a bit of work cherry-picking the right content but it will avoid having empty forums.

Using the RSS Feed (at least temporarily) to fill otherwise empty new sub-forums is a great idea, although not one I wish to rely on in the long-term obviously. I also plan on inviting people relevant to each new section to post a sticky to help get things started. If all else fails, I'll create relevant sticky's in each section to spark things up.

I have no desire to have the homepage flooded with empty forums as that will make us look bad, but I also don't want to wait too long to reorganize Mobility as I think it's long overdue. Things have gotten a bit stale lately and we need to breathe new life into the forum by making it more attractive and relevant to a wider mobile audience.

Anyway, this is all something to think about when we start the refinement process.

[kiwi]

Add to the "possible" list
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Barcoding

[Andres Kello]

Add to the "possible" list
Mobile Scanners
Mobile BarcodingExcellent suggestions, kiwi, thanks! :thumbsup:

Here's the updated list:




Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Scanners

Keep 'em coming!

[coast]

Mobile Microblogging

[dentalpro]

Great idea!

super list of topics... would suggest podcasts unless thats in social

mobile is the future and the present...



.

[acc]

mobile future / mobile ideas - What would people LIKE to do with their mobiles if they could - get ideas - e.g., monitoring, other future functions yet to be determined use of handhelds not covered under "controls" section

mobile safety - device use concerns - phishing, antivirus, loss of data, loss of phone, repetitive thumb injuries, brain cancer debate, accidents caused by distraction using devices while driving or walking

[Mobidomainer]

Hello,

I would advice also a dot-TEL place, and everything related to it
(I mean : how to use, the many applications we don't know yet enough about, the evolution, the importance about the extension, sellingplace, etc..you name it).
It's quite obvious that this extention and it's uses will have to grow
still. But we can't ignore the fact that .TEL will be used on
MOBILE-PHONES.

Instead of a SEPERATE FORUM for dottel, I would suggest to INTEGRATE this in
the MOBILITY-FORUM.
We could also CONTACT the DOTTEL-registry for giving advice like is done with the
dotmobiregistry (also to suggest applications, or to discuss distinction between
dotmobi and dotTEL ) : becoming a forum of specialised advisors to them.

[Andres Kello]

Mobile Microblogging

Great idea!

super list of topics... would suggest podcasts unless thats in social

mobile is the future and the present...

mobile future / mobile ideas - What would people LIKE to do with their mobiles if they could - get ideas - e.g., monitoring, other future functions yet to be determined use of handhelds not covered under "controls" section

mobile safety - device use concerns - phishing, antivirus, loss of data, loss of phone, repetitive thumb injuries, brain cancer debate, accidents caused by distraction using devices while driving or walkingGreat stuff, folks, I've added:

Mobile Blogging
Microblogging
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Future
Mobile Ideas
Mobile Safety

Here's the current list:




Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Blogging
Microblogging
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Future
Mobile Ideas
Mobile Safety

Keep 'em coming! :thumbsup:


Hello,

I would advice also a dot-TEL place, and everything related to it
(I mean : how to use, the many applications we don't know yet enough about, the evolution, the importance about the extension, sellingplace, etc..you name it).
It's quite obvious that this extention and it's uses will have to grow
still. But we can't ignore the fact that .TEL will be used on
MOBILE-PHONES.

Instead of a SEPERATE FORUM for dottel, I would suggest to INTEGRATE this in
the MOBILITY-FORUM.
We could also CONTACT the DOTTEL-registry for giving advice like is done with the
dotmobiregistry (also to suggest applications, or to discuss distinction between
dotmobi and dotTEL ) : becoming a forum of specialised advisors to them.The problem with .tel is that it's not specific to mobiles, so I don't know if it's really "mobile" relevant, particularly since they can't be developed in the traditional sense. How do others feels about this?


Also, I'm closing this list on Friday, so let's start wrapping this up before we move on to Step 2.

[coast]

I'd like to see the Mobile Events section go live sooner than later. Mobile Brain Bank is a great program (currently in Finland but I will be working on it in San Diego soon) and there's not really a good place to publish it on the forum right now (news, I guess). Thanks!

[gogo]

The problem with .tel is that it's not specific to mobiles, so I don't know if it's really "mobile" relevant, particularly since they can't be developed in the traditional sense. How do others feels about this?


To me it's a maybe. I mean I'm not much interested in .tel but if there is a space or subspace somewhere for it why not give it a try? Because I'm not sure there is another venue to discuss it, and imo if it succeeds it probably is relevant to people on phones searching for phone numbers. It's also an interesting area to see if people monetise .tel names or not.

If it ends up being a waste of space it can be dropped. What do others think?

[coast]

How about a section in advertising where we can buy/sell ad space and banners on one another's sites?

[gogo]

mobile + banking, search, monetization, voting, polls, surveys, lottery, health / medicine, networks, providers, discounts, tarifs, contracts, education, finance, insurance, ticketing etc etc

Just some suggestions that may fit under other categories.

[Andres Kello]

To me it's a maybe. I mean I'm not much interested in .tel but if there is a space or subspace somewhere for it why not give it a try? Because I'm not sure there is another venue to discuss it, and imo if it succeeds it probably is relevant to people on phones searching for phone numbers. It's also an interesting area to see if people monetise .tel names or not.

If it ends up being a waste of space it can be dropped. What do others think?Fair enough, I suppose .tel could complement the other sections and it doesn't hurt to have it if there's demand for it, and they are compatible with mobile phones after all, so why not?

I've added it to the list.


How about a section in advertising where we can buy/sell ad space and banners on one another's sites? Great idea, but I think this would fall under "Mobile Advertising" (e.g. as a sub-forum of that section), what do you think?


mobile + banking, search, monetization, voting, polls, surveys, lottery, health / medicine, networks, providers, discounts, tarifs, contracts, education, finance, insurance, ticketing etc etc

Just some suggestions that may fit under other categories.Great stuff, I've added:

Mobile Banking
Mobile Search
Mobile Monetization
Mobile Voting
Mobile Polls
Mobile Surveys
Mobile Lottery
Mobile Health
Mobile Medicine
Mobile Networks
Mobile Providers
Mobile Discounts
Mobile Tariffs
Mobile Contracts
Mobile Education
Mobile Finance
Mobile Insurance
Mobile Ticketing

(We can decide in the next step which one of those to keep, make into sub-forums, etc.)


Also, how could we forget: Mobile Affiliate Programs

So here's the current list:



Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Blogging
Microblogging
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Future
Mobile Ideas
Mobile Safety
.tel
Mobile Banking
Mobile Search
Mobile Monetization
Mobile Voting
Mobile Polls
Mobile Surveys
Mobile Lottery
Mobile Health
Mobile Medicine
Mobile Networks
Mobile Providers
Mobile Discounts
Mobile Tariffs
Mobile Contracts
Mobile Education
Mobile Finance
Mobile Insurance
Mobile Ticketing
Mobile Affiliate Programs


Any more you can think of, folks? Let's continue brainstorming.

The list closes in 2 days, so get your ideas in quick!

[Andres Kello]

A few more:

Mobile Books
Mobile Publishing
Mobile Reviews
Mobile Accessories
Mobile Guides
Mobile Manufacturers
Mobile Laws
Mobile Technology
Mobile 3G
Mobile 4G
Mobile Chat
Mobile Video
Mobile VOIP
Mobile GSM
Mobile CDMA
Mobile WAP
Mobile Open Source
Mobile Tools
Mobile Money
Mobile GPS
Mobile Geolocation
Mobile Location-Based Services
Mobile Broadband
Mobile Software
Mobile Stores
Mobile Downloads
Mobile Solutions
Mobile Websites
Mobile Shopping
Mobile Emulators
Mobile Repairs
Mobile Industry
Mobile Gadgets
Mobile Netbooks

[gogo]

mobile scams, viruses, alerts, bullying, sales
mobile homes

[kiwi]

also possibility for segments of other the sections or stand alone:

mobile videos (as opposed to tv)
mobile contests

[Andres Kello]

mobile scams, viruses, alerts, bullying, salesMore great stuff, thanks gogo! Adding:

Mobile Scams
Mobile Viruses
Mobile Alerts
Mobile Bullying
Mobile Sales



mobile homesI think we're discussing a different kind of "mobile" here! :laugh:


also possibility for segments of other the sections or stand alone:

mobile videos (as opposed to tv)
mobile contests Mobile Video was added a couple of posts up, but Mobile Contests is a good one. Added. :thumbsup:


Here's the full list so far:





Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Blogging
Microblogging
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Future
Mobile Ideas
Mobile Safety
.tel
Mobile Banking
Mobile Search
Mobile Monetization
Mobile Voting
Mobile Polls
Mobile Surveys
Mobile Lottery
Mobile Health
Mobile Medicine
Mobile Networks
Mobile Providers
Mobile Discounts
Mobile Tariffs
Mobile Contracts
Mobile Education
Mobile Finance
Mobile Insurance
Mobile Ticketing
Mobile Affiliate Programs
Mobile Books
Mobile Publishing
Mobile Reviews
Mobile Accessories
Mobile Guides
Mobile Manufacturers
Mobile Laws
Mobile Technology
Mobile 3G
Mobile 4G
Mobile Chat
Mobile Video
Mobile VOIP
Mobile GSM
Mobile CDMA
Mobile WAP
Mobile Open Source
Mobile Tools
Mobile Money
Mobile GPS
Mobile Geolocation
Mobile Location-Based Services
Mobile Broadband
Mobile Software
Mobile Stores
Mobile Downloads
Mobile Solutions
Mobile Websites
Mobile Shopping
Mobile Emulators
Mobile Repairs
Mobile Industry
Mobile Gadgets
Mobile Netbooks
Mobile Scams
Mobile Viruses
Mobile Alerts
Mobile Bullying
Mobile Sales
Mobile Contests


Keep 'em coming, folks!

[Scandiman]

I think we're discussing a different kind of "mobile" here! :laugh:

We have had people visit and ask questions about mobility scooters though :laugh:

[Andres Kello]

Last call for Mobile Sub-industries to add to the list before we wrap this up tomorrow and start refining the list into Sections.

[dakna]

I'm surprised not to see

Mobile Travel

as a common topic on this list. There are special ones like GPS, Geolocation etc. but I think this is one of the key industries in the mobile world.

[gogo]

mobile apps.

Maybe you thought I wasn't serious about mobile homes and you thought you can't live in a phone? Come on, the Japanese love miniaturisation and have limited space and our knowledge of genetics advances by the day...

http://www.celebratebig.com/roadside-attractions/cell-phone-building-telefonica-santiago-chile.jpg



Apparently that Telefonica building is the tallest building in Chile (http://www.celebratebig.com/roadside-attractions/cell-phone-building-telefonica-santiago-chile.htm)

and to make living in a phone bearable, how about this flask from Amazon:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WPxSSNe8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WPxSSNe8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E06WFC?tag=celbig-20&camp=211493&creative=379977&linkCode=op1&creativeASIN=B001E06WFC&adid=0ZP7BWWAW5ZTDAMV395B&
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WPxSSNe8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

[Andres Kello]

OK folk, I think the best way of going about this reorganization is to move in a top-down fashion:

1) List ALL the "sub-industries" currently in existence within the mobile industry.
2) Narrow #1 down to useful and relevant "sections" of the forum.
3) Put #2 in the most relevant order as should be displayed in the forum homepage.
4) Rinse and Repeat for the sub-forums of each section in #3.OK folks, we're done with Step 1, thanks for all your contributions! We have a great list to work from and it's now time to refine it.

First of all, as a reminder, below is the current layout of the forum. The words in BOLD are the Sections (they have a blue background on the homepage (http://mobility.mobi)), which is what we're currently working on.

Community
- Introductions
- .mobi Newbies
- .mobi Showcase
---- Member Portfolios
- .mobi of the Month™
- Lounge

General
- News & Discussion
---- Latest "dotMobi" News
---- Mobile Industry News
- Private Discussion (Members only)
---- Digg This!
---- Available .mobi's
- News
- Legal (Private)

mTLD
- mTLD

Mobile Development
- New Developed .mobi's
---- New .mobi sites Developed by Members
- Mobile Web Design
---- MobiForge
-------- MobiForge RSS
---- .mobi Compliance
---- Mobile SEO
---- CMS
---- SMS
- Mobile Advertising / Parking / Monetization
- Mobile Marketing
- Mobile Developers Wanted
---- Mobile Developers For Hire
- Development Ideas (Private)
- Beta Testing (Private)

Marketplace
- Reported Domain Sales
- .mobi's For Sale - Offers Wanted
---- Non- .mobi's
- .mobi's For Sale - Fixed Prices
---- Non- .mobi's
- Developed Mobile Websites For Sale
---- Scripts/Templates/Turnkeys
---- Non- .mobi's
- .mobi Auctions
---- Send to Sedo Auction! (Private)
---- Non- .mobi's
---- Sedo Auctions
---- eBay (Link)
- .mobi's Wanted
- .mobi Appraisals (Private)
- Premium .mobi's For Sale
- Reviews (NEW!)
---- Book Reviews
- Classifieds

Mobile Phones & Carriers (NEW!)
- Mobile Phone Discussion
- US Carrier Discussion
---- US Prepaid/MVNO Discussion
- Canadian Carrier Discussion
---- Canadian Prepaid/MVNO Discussion
- European Carrier Discussion

International
- Español
- Português
- Français
- Italiano
- Deutsch
- Nederlands

Adult (Must be over 18)
- Adult Lounge
- Adult Discussion
- Adult Marketplace

Feedback
- Suggestions / Comments / Criticisms

EXTERNAL
- Support Forums
---- mobiSiteGalore (Akmin)
---- Mobi Site TraderAnd this is the list of the current Sections:


Community
General
mTLD
Mobile Development
Marketplace
Mobile Phones & Carriers (NEW!)
International
Adult (Must be over 18)
Feedback
EXTERNAL

For the new layout of the forum, we now have to determine which elements we want to turn into Sections of Mobility from the list in Step 1:



Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile User Experience

Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce

Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices
Mobile Carriers
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile Adult
Mobile Content

Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Testing
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Events
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Gaming

Mobile Handsets

Mobile Social

Mobile Gambling

Mobile User-Generated Content

Mobile Photos

Mobile TV

Mobile Dating

Mobile Tracking

Mobile Controls (phone used to control house or vehicle)
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Blogging
Microblogging
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Future
Mobile Ideas
Mobile Safety
.tel
Mobile Banking
Mobile Search
Mobile Monetization
Mobile Voting
Mobile Polls
Mobile Surveys
Mobile Lottery
Mobile Health
Mobile Medicine
Mobile Networks
Mobile Providers
Mobile Discounts
Mobile Tariffs
Mobile Contracts
Mobile Education
Mobile Finance
Mobile Insurance
Mobile Ticketing
Mobile Affiliate Programs
Mobile Books
Mobile Publishing
Mobile Reviews
Mobile Accessories
Mobile Guides
Mobile Manufacturers
Mobile Laws
Mobile Technology
Mobile 3G
Mobile 4G
Mobile Chat
Mobile Video
Mobile VOIP
Mobile GSM
Mobile CDMA
Mobile WAP
Mobile Open Source
Mobile Tools
Mobile Money
Mobile GPS
Mobile Geolocation
Mobile Location-Based Services
Mobile Broadband
Mobile Software
Mobile Stores
Mobile Downloads
Mobile Solutions
Mobile Websites
Mobile Shopping
Mobile Emulators
Mobile Repairs
Mobile Industry
Mobile Gadgets
Mobile Netbooks
Mobile Scams
Mobile Viruses
Mobile Alerts
Mobile Bullying
Mobile Sales
Mobile Contests
Mobile Travel


I think the best way to do this is to go through the each element one-by-one and then list which ones you think should:


DEFINITELY be a Section
MAYBE be a Section
DEFINITELY NOT be a Section

If you want to give your reasons why, that's even better, but you don't have to, particularly since it's a giant list.

So go ahead and sort through the list with the criteria above and let me know so we can start getting an idea of the new layout of Mobility.

Also, don't worry about which should be a Sub-forum, we'll get to that later. Let's focus only on Sections of Mobility for now so we don't get side-tracked. And don't worry about the order either, we'll figure that out when we have the final list.

Lastly, just to be clear, putting something on the DEFINITELY NOT list does not mean it won't appear anywhere on Mobility, it just means you don't think it should be a Section, so it could still end up as a Sub-forum once we're done with this Step.

As a general rule of thumb, if something on the list we brainstormed in Step 1 can itself have sub-elements (e.g. sub-forums), then it makes sense to make it a Section, but if it has no sub-elements and it itself is the final element, then it probably does not belong as a Section. In other words, the more general the term, the more it belongs as a Section, and the more specific the term, the more it belongs as a Sub-forum.

Here's what I've quickly come up with:



DEFINITELY be a Section:


Mobile Community
Mobile News
Mobile Web Design
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Applications
Mobile Testing
Mobile Software
Mobile Solutions
Mobile Publishing
Mobile Domain Names (.mobi)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Advertising
Mobile Monetization
Mobile Affiliate Programs
Mobile Search
Mobile SEO
Mobile Commerce
Mobile Payments
Mobile Marketplace
Mobile Job Board
Mobile Phones
Mobile Devices (e.g. other than phones)

Mobile Carriers
Mobile Manufacturers
Mobile Plans
Mobile Services
Mobile Operating Systems
Mobile Browsers
Mobile Blogging / Microblogging
Mobile Future
Mobile Technology
Mobile Video
Mobile VOIP
Mobile Barcodes
Mobile Location-Based Services
Mobile GPS / Geolocation
Mobile Events
Mobile Content
Mobile Industry
Mobile Social
Mobile Adult
Mobile Gambling
Mobile Reviews


MABYE be a Section:


Mobile User Experience
Mobile Prepaid
Mobile Transcoding
Mobile SMS
Mobile CMS
Mobile Application Development
Mobile Handsets
Mobile User-Generated Content
Mobile TV
Mobile Tracking
Mobile Scanners
Mobile Podcasts
Mobile Ideas
.tel
Mobile Banking
Mobile Networks
Mobile Providers
Mobile Contracts
Mobile Education
Mobile Finance
Mobile Guides
Mobile Books
Mobile Laws
Mobile GSM
Mobile CDMA
Mobile WAP
Mobile Open Source
Mobile Tools
Mobile Money
Mobile Broadband
Mobile Stores
Mobile Downloads
Mobile Websites
Mobile Emulators
Mobile Gadgets
Mobile Netbooks
Mobile Sales


DEFINITELY NOT be a Section:


Mobile Insurance
Mobile Ticketing
Mobile Chat
Mobile Dating
Mobile Safety
Mobile 3G
Mobile 4G
Mobile Games
Mobile Ringtones
Mobile Themes
Mobile Wallpapers
Mobile Gaming
Mobile Scams
Mobile Viruses
Mobile Bullying
Mobile Travel
Mobile Contests
Mobile Accessories
Mobile Streaming
Mobile Controls
Mobile Repairs
Mobile Shopping
Mobile Discounts
Mobile Lottery
Mobile Voting
Mobile Polls
Mobile Photos
Mobile Surveys
Mobile Health
Mobile Medicine
Mobile Tariffs

If you don't feel like going through the entire list and making up your own list, you can just use mine as a starting point and give your opinion on which elements should perhaps be moved to a different category and why.

This Step 2 is by no means easy but it is critical as it will define the layout of the new Mobility. Remember, there are no wrong answers here, so don't be shy about stating your opinions and getting your voices heard!

I want to make sure we have the best damn mobile industry forum on the planet, so let's do it! :thumbsup:

[Tim]

I may be a mobile noob, because I see a lot of redundancy or categories that should be consolidated as subs. I like how crapfest.np has their layout in respect to categories / subs.

I think it would make the forum look better in two ways; first the forum would look filled as the main category would probably get a lot of attention (think crapfest/discussion); and second the forum would look expansive as you find deeper,relevant categories to explore.

That may be what is going on here, as I have admittedly not followed every post, but if it's not, that is my opinion.

[Andres Kello]

Don't all jump at once, folks! :biggrin:

Any thoughts?

I have no problem re-organizing the forum myself, but I'd obviously prefer to do it together with the community so that we get more input.

[kiwi]

I never look at which section I am in because I always go to "New Posts" and choose from there based on subject line.

Some random section ideas not in any order:


Mobile News -currect rss feeds expanded to news in all of the new sections (make news sections some viewable to members only)

Mobile Community -who's who and what's up

Any of the sections that apply to real people - the current members
and new companys -a place to be heard and to educate - listing their websites - upcoming programs, tradeshows podcasts. Companys wanting to be introduced through ads, offers, video presentations, jobs - listing of services - jobs wanted, also offer a "real time connected social aspect" for the mobile community. twitter links etc -

Mobile MarketPlace - Sale, sold,
Anything to do with actual transactions that involve money. Sales, Sold, For sale -Trades - This may overlap with community in some areas
(factual data, reviews, complaints,)

Mobile Resources

Revised mobility .mobi of today where breakdown of sections could be accessed.

[GijsZePa]

MTLD Bashing :laugh:

[Michael]

Realtime
Augmented Reality
Smartbooks

[Andres Kello]

Thanks for your replies, folks, but I think you all got stuck back in Step 1. :biggrin:

We're no longer brainstorming sections, we're now choosing which of the sections we've already brainstormed should go live on Mobility.

Have a read through this post and let me know: http://mobility.mobi/showpost.php?p=133544&postcount=52

Thanks!

[Andres Kello]

Thanks for your replies, folks, but I think you all got stuck back in Step 1. :biggrin:

We're no longer brainstorming sections, we're now choosing which of the sections we've already brainstormed should go live on Mobility.

Have a read through this post and let me know: http://mobility.mobi/showpost.php?p=133544&postcount=52

Thanks!It's Monday, folks, let's get cracking on this! :thumbsup:

This is going to be a long process so we can't afford to waste any time.

Thanks!

[gogo]

I never look at which section I am in because I always go to "New Posts" and choose from there based on subject line.

Some random section ideas not in any order:


Mobile News

Mobile Community -who's who and what's up

Mobile MarketPlace

Mobile Resources


I agree, I don't look at sections much.

I also agree with the point that you want to avoid empty looking sections.

How about a few broad headings like these, for example:

Domains

Web

SEO

Design

Scripting

Freelance ?

Tech / phones

Networks / Carriers

Community


And will it become possible for users to configure what they actually see, so we can't assume everyone is even seeing, let alone using, the same content.

If you really have a lot of different stuff some ways of highlighting /filtering make sense, even a random thread viewer. Not to mention a tag cloud?

[Andres Kello]

I agree, I don't look at sections much.

I also agree with the point that you want to avoid empty looking sections.

How about a few broad headings like these, for example:

Domains

Web

SEO

Design

Scripting

Freelance ?

Tech / phones

Networks / Carriers

Community


And will it become possible for users to configure what they actually see, so we can't assume everyone is even seeing, let alone using, the same content.

If you really have a lot of different stuff some ways of highlighting /filtering make sense, even a random thread viewer. Not to mention a tag cloud?I think sections are important to categorize the information, particularly information that itself can be categorized (e.g. via sub-forums). The mobile industry is vast and trying to fit too much in too few sections will make it look like a jungle of random sub-forums tied together only by their association with "mobile".

As for what people will see or want to keep track of via the "New Posts", I have thought of two ways of resolving this:

1) I can create a "New Posts" for each Section, so if you want to see the "New Posts" just about "Mobile Web Design", you would click on the Mobile Web Design "New Posts".

and/or

2) Make each section subscription-based just like the Adult section is now. That way, a user would only choose the Sections they were interested in and the general New Posts link we've all grown accustomed to using would automatically show only the new posts from the sections the user has subscribed to.


Don't get me wrong, I certainly do not expect to find many people interested in all the sections we cover, but I do want to offer something for everyone in the mobile industry.

We don't need to decide on 1) or 2) just yet, but I do want to have several Sections to better organize and target the discussion on Mobility.

Sections are inviting. If we have a general "Mobile Industry Discussion" section/sub-fourm, then a person wanting to discuss Mobile VOIP might not join in, especially if they don't see much discussion about it. However, if they see a specific section called "Mobile VOIP" with a specific discussion forum for it with relevant content, then they might be a lot more willing to join in that discussion.

The best analogy I can think of is that, up until now, we've been a "mobile town", where everyone knows each other, we all go to the same barber, the same coffee shop, and the same market. That's great because it provides a warm and familiar atmosphere, but small towns don't get a lot of visitors. So I envision creating a "mobile city" with different boroughs known for different activities. Within that city, the ".mobi borough" will maintain the same warm "town-like" atmosphere with the old-timers that have been there when we were just a "town", but the city as whole will be a lot more inviting and engaging to outside visitors interested in more than what the original town had to offer.

As for empty sections/sub-forums, that's inevitable at the start, but it can be mitigated by first only having one sub-forum called "discussion" under a new Section, next finding every old post on Mobility relevant to that section and moving it there, and finally by doing what Scandiman suggested earlier and making use of the RSS feed as a temporary filler. So again, with the "Mobile VOIP" example, it would start off with only a "discussion" forum, I would then search for every old post (http://mobility.mobi/search.php?searchid=3106069) on Mobility containing the term "Mobile VOIP" and move them to that new sub-forum since it's more relevant there, and then add the RSS feed to publish any news (http://news.google.com/news/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=%22mobile+voip%22&cf=all&scoring=n) containing the term "Mobile VOIP". But I wouldn't stop there, I'd go one step further and pro-actively seek out people in the Mobile VOIP industry to join the discussion there and possibly become Moderators for that specific section. Again, using the Mobile VOIP example, that might be the editor of "Mobile VOIP Review (http://www.mobilevoipreview.com/)" and/or an employee of a Mobile VOIP Company.

Then, as the sections begins to grow, natural clusters of discussion will beging to form. Again, with the Mobile VOIP sub-furm, the discussion might begin to cluster around "Skype for Mobiles" and "Mobivox", so then we could create new sub-forums within the MObile VOIP section for those two and move all the relevant posts to each of those new sub-forums which would already start out pre-filled with a lot of useful and relevant discussion. The rest of the VOIP apps would continue to be discussed in the general discussion forum that got things started until they themsevles became a "cluster" and deserved their own sub-forum. I do something similar with my AirlineComplaints.org forum which has allowed it to grow organically. I have a catch-all section called "Other Airline Complaints" (which is analogous to the single "discussion sub-forum" within each new Section I mentioned above), and when a specific airline receives a total of 10 complaints, I create a specific section for it and move the relevant threads there to get it started.

I hope this all makes sense. If any thing, I want to show you guys that there is a method to this madness, an actual plan behind all of this, the idea isn't just to expand in a disorganized fashion and end up with a jungle of empty sub-forums and sections that will be inviting to no one.

On the contrary, the idea is to let the new Sections grow organically based on what kinds of discussions occur. In order to be more inviting to a wider audience, however, we need specific Sections for new mobile topics to show everyone that we are more than just about ".mobi".

So that brings us back to Step 2 where we need to figure out (http://mobility.mobi/showpost.php?p=133544&postcount=52) which new Sections those should be. I think anything that is "hot" in the Mobile Industry right now should have its own Section as it will most likely benefit from greater interest and therefore lead to more discussion.

[coast]

Andres, this is getting too complex and confusing for me. Why not take the lead from what is already posted, and promote some of the posts with common themes to a new heading? That would be a more organic way to do this and would result in fewer empty sections.

Also the mobile phone reviews are likely to become spam magnets, just saying.

[Andres Kello]

Andres, this is getting too complex and confusing for me. Why not take the lead from what is already posted, and promote some of the posts with common themes to a new heading? That would be a more organic way to do this and would result in fewer empty sections.

Also the mobile phone reviews are likely to become spam magnets, just saying.Fair enough, coast, I'll put a draft of the new layout together and will post it here for feedback. I just wanted to include everyone in the process, but I understand that it's a bit cumbersome (and boring!) to do so, so no worries.

Give me a couple of weeks...