ZDNet forcing iPhone users to dumbed-down mobile website

MacDailyNews readers are complaining that ZDNet is forcing iPhone users onto a dumbed-down mobile version of their website (http://m.zdnet.com/).

This website will not allow iPhone users to take advantage of the full Web browsing capabilities of their Safari browser. Access to much of ZDNet’s content is not allowed. For example, reading or contributing reader comment is not permitted.

iPhone users are upset that ZDNet is forcing a limited, “baby” Web experience on iPhone users without offering a choice to access the full ZDNet site. As one McDailyNews iPhone user remarked via email, “I did not get an iPhone, so that I would be forced to endure a crippled online experience because other mobile browsers are not as capable as iPhone.” Another told us, “I would’ve gotten a Treo, if I wanted to have as crappy a Web experience as ZDNet is offering my iPhone.” Another asked, “Why, when our iPhones are perfectly capable of viewing and interacting with their Website, is ZDNet forcing us onto their &*#$%@! Website that’s meant for inferior mobile devices?”

MacDailyNews Take: ZDNet and all other websites that are automatically redirecting iPhone users to dumbed-down mobile verison fo their Websites need to follow the lead of MLB.com, the official site of Major League Baseball. MLB redirects iPhone users to their mobile version (http://wap.mlb.com/), but they also offer a link (visible to iPhone users) to their full MLB website. Sites such as ZDNet should know better than to force iPhone users — with their capacity to experience the full Internet — onto dumbed-down, crippled mobile sites that offer no means of escape.

Please contact :
ZDNet Senior Vice President Dan Farber:

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Swordmaker,” “Fred Mertz,” “Journo,” and many others for the heads up.]

48 Comments

  1. Can you spell conspiracy?

    I have a feeling CNET is trying to downgrade the experience for iPhone users with all other M$ mobile users.

    They are not tech illiterate, and they are reaally pro M$.

    Think of it this way, they will say: see the iPhone has the same experience as all other mobile phones, the iPhone is not anything special.

  2. Dan just replied to me.
    Today, we have modified our redirects on all blogs pages, so if you’re coming in via an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you’ll see our standard Web page, in all its glory.

    In early January, we’ll be doing the same thing for our front door at ZDNet as well, though I should point out that our current mobile version is a full feed of our blogs and news. The only thing missing is Flash, and as you know, you can’t currently view Flash on an iPhone in the first place.
    DF

  3. Here is what I wrote to Dan at ZDNet:

    I feel that it would be in your company’s best interest to allow
    iPhone users to decide their own web experiance. I understand that you
    want to streamline a process. In this case though it may not be the
    process to streamline. Thank you in advance for your time.

    and his reply:

    Today, we have modified our redirects on all blogs pages, so if you’re
    coming in via an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you’ll see our standard Web
    page, in all its glory.

    In early January, we’ll be doing the same thing for our front door at
    ZDNet as well, though I should point out that our current mobile version
    is a full feed of our blogs and news. The only thing missing is Flash,
    and as you know, you can’t currently view Flash on an iPhone in the
    first place.
    DF

  4. Exquisitely drafted article, if only all bloggers propounded the equal content as you, the internet would be a much more thoroughly locus. And it’s well known that It is not obligations that destroy men, it is worry. Can I recommend you a fine place where you can find original research paper. Keep the articles appearing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.