Wait... is that a picture of Criticker on a mobile phone? And it doesn't look totally messed-up? What's going on?!
Responsive Criticker
We've finally introduced changes that will make Criticker usable on devices of any screen width. It's something we should have done awhile ago (fine: years ago), but finally, Criticker will now work on smart phones tablets and desktops.
We've taken care to make sure that the good-old desktop version of Criticker hasn't changed (much). We haven't fundamentally altered the behavior or layout of the site, unless it was necessary. There's nothing we hate more than a website that decides to be "mobile-friendly", and suddenly the desktop version becomes ugly and unusable.
At the same time, all the features available in the big version of Criticker are also there in the mobile site. We've obviously had to condense and rearrange things, but it's all there.
You might notice a lot of confidence in the previous paragraphs. Sentences like "Criticker will work", and "Criticker hasn't changed". You might be thinking to yourself, that confidence is probably unwarranted. And you're right! In truth, we're not confident at all. These changes have touched every aspect of the site, from the stylesheets, to the javascript, to the backend database structure.
Criticker has grown beyond our capabilities to thoroughly test. The best we can do is throw new clothes on our chubby, sloppy toddler... then grab him before he runs out the door to make sure the grime is off his face, that his hair is mostly combed, and that he's got his shoes on the right feet. "Fine, you look alright, Criticker. Go out and play." As for any other problems regarding his new look, we'll have to wait for offended friends and neighbors to point them out.
(If it wasn't clear, you are the offended friends and neighbors in this analogy.)
We know that there are going to be problems. We did as much testing as we could, but at some point, it just becomes easier to release the changes and see what the community discovers. We're eager and nervous to hear your input, and we fully expect there to be major issues. But we think, once the dust settles, this will be a great new phase in Criticker's life. Already, a majority of our traffic comes from mobile devices -- and that was without a website that works properly on phones. We're excited about the future.
So let us know what you think! Please don't hesitate to point out problems, or suggest changes. The next few weeks are going to be busy, but we're confident that Criticker will soon be better than ever.
