Using a Smartphone

Our Website through a very small window

Our SCM website is designed to be viewed and used on all platforms. It provides good functionality on a PC, a tablet, or a smartphone. However, because of the obvious constraints, some ergonomics have to be sacrificed when using the smaller smartphone screen especially when viewing portrait rather than landscape. To make best use of the Club's website, smartphone users need an awareness of what is available and where.

To illustrate some points that may be useful to smartphone users, below are two pairs of images. In each case, the image on the left is how our website looks on a PC and a tablet. On the right is the smartphone version.

This first pair show the HOME page.

<< PC . . Phone >>

Differences to note:

• The slideshow does not appear on a smartphone.
• The full main menu is visible on a PC. To see the main menu on a smartphone you must touch .
• On a smartphone you must scroll down past the main News items to see Upcoming Events.

This second pair of images show the RACING page.

<< PC Phone >>

Differences to note:

• The full main menu is visible on a PC. To see the main menu on a smartphone you must touch .
• The side menu is visible on a PC. To see the side menu on a smartphone you must touch .

Imminent/Important Information

The 20 or so most imminent events in the Programme about two weeks' worth - are presented on the Home page as Upcoming Events; each event title offers a link to an event page which can provide further detail.

To publicise new information that is important and to highlight events that are imminent, the Communications Officer/Webmaster can send an email, add a News item to the website Home page and/or add a notice to the Club's Facebook page. For information that is for member's eyes only, the Home page is not an option and it has to be borne in mind in mind that a few non-members belong to our Facebook group.

A disadvantage of email and Facebook is that the message rapidly sinks below your horizon. A Facebook notice advertising an event 3 weeks hence will be buried by later postings, several pages down, before the event arrives. However, as a News item, the same event will still be in "the top 4" on the Home page and as an Upcoming Event, it will be near the top of the table.

Unfortunately, on a smartphone only the top News item is immediately visible and Upcoming Events can only be accessed after lots of scrolling.

Reference

The website provides access to lots of "reference" material such as Club documents, racing results, sailing instructions, and information about the Club charity and Craft Corners. Locating this is reasonably straightforward using a PC or a tablet. You make an inspired guess as to which of the main menus it will fall under then select that menu. A list of what is then available appears as a side menu. So, in the RACING Menu in the image above left it is clear that you can access Racing Rules, Sailing Instructions, and PY Numbers. To see this on a smartphone you have first to select .

Last updated 13:50 on 22 April 2024