Using the non-Mobile Site

[Bill Krieg]

Every time I try try visit JavaRanch to look at forums, it directs me to the mobile-site. When I scroll to the bottom of the page, there's a link that says "Or visit our non-mobile (full) site." When I click on the link, things work okay for maybe two or three page views, then I'm back on the mobile site. My PC has a pretty big screen and I would strongly prefer to see questions and answers and code not formatted for a smaller screen. Has JavaRanch given up support for anything but small mobile devices?

Anyway, my real question is, is there any way to set preferences so I get the non-mobile site by default? Or does the fact that I don't try to access JavaRanch with a mobile device mean I'm not welcome here?

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Hi Bill,

Welcome to JavaRanch!

The non-mobile site should indeed be the default. You may be having a problem with your session or your cookies, so I'd try, in order:

1) Log out, then log back in, and see if that works; if not, then
2) Use your browser's control panel to delete all the cookies associated with coderanch.com, and then try again.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Bill,
Welcome to CodeRanch!

In addition to what Ernest suggested, please check you are using the URL coderanch.com/forums. (as opposed to one that has mobile in the URL.) I've never had it default to mobile on my computer or iPad.

One other thing: what OS/browser are you using? I'm wondering if we are auto-sniffing it as mobile.

[Bill Krieg]

The main URL for the Ranch Office forums is http://www.coderanch.com/forums/f-10/Ranch-Office. I'm running Internet Explorer 8 under Windows XP. Unfortunately, this is at work where I'm not allowed to delete cookies or temporary Internet files. We're very restricted in what settings we can manipulate on these computers. I may have to give up trying to use JavaRanch from work.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Can you try again? I tried to forcibly delete your session on the server to see if that resets things for you. IE 8 and Windows XP is pretty standard. That wouldn't sniff as mobile.

[Bill Krieg]

I've logged out. I've logged in. Nothing fixes the problem. Oh well. Thanks anyway.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Sorry. We tried. It's not happening for others which doesn't help you but implies the site isn't completely broken.

[Eric Pascarello]

Can't delete cookies? I hope you do not do web development!

F12 open up developer toolbar
Open up script tab
Click the Multi Line Mode button on bottom right

In the textarea above the run script button paste this in.

 function createCookie(name,value,days) {
    if (days) {
        var date = new Date();
        date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
        var expires = "; expires="+date.toGMTString();
    }
    else var expires = "";
    document.cookie = name+"="+value+expires+"; path=/";
}


var cookies = document.cookie.split(";");
for (var i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++)
  createCookie(cookies[i].split("=")[0], "", -1);

click the Run Script button.

It should wipe out the cookies for this domain.

[Bear Bibeault]

Eric Pascarello wrote:Can't delete cookies? I hope you do not do web development!

Back when I (mercifully briefly) worked for the Evil Bank, they decided that web developers didn't need the web.

Yeah, that helped productivity.