After having had to read (and post to) blogs under the strict limitations of a PDA, I’ve finally realised how important it is to make blogs PDA-friendly. “Finally” because I’ve actually read (quite a number of) articles promoting usability for handhelds (and you probably have as well), but never found the drive to conquer sheer laziness - especially given the variety of means available to handheld-users to get their favourite joints rendered right on their tiny screens.

Using those tools myself, however, was truly enlightening. They’re never perfect, and more often that not, you get sites with quirky layouts (including this blog…). The optimal solution? Bloggers themselves optimise their blogs for handhelds. Here are a few ways this can be done:

1. Install the WordPress Mobile Edition Plugin
   This is a tiny plugin for WordPress (WP) users by Alex King that does everything you need for you. After a ~5k download, some FTP uploading, and plugin activation, handheld users will automagically be redirected to a handheld-friendly version of your blog (which displays your latest post, last 10 posts and your monthly archives in a simple interface). But blogs running custom templates may have to do some plugin editing to get everything working right. For example, the plugin doesn’t seem to display blogHelper’s latest post out-of-the-box.
2. Prepare an Alternative Stylesheet
   CSS/xHTML-savvy (or non-WP) users might want to do the manual labour themselves. There are detailed resources on getting this done at A List Apart and bioneural.net. But unlike using the WP Mobile Edition plugin, you might have to make changes to WordPress (or whatever blogging software/platform you are using) yourself if you want to provide the same functionality (i.e. latest post, latest 10 posts, and archives separated and formatted nicely).
3. Hope that Dave Winer Likes Reading Your Blog
   

Ever since Dave Winer started using his Blackberry seriously, he’s created PDA-friendly versions of not only his blog, but also others that he likes to read. For example, Steve Rubel’s Micro Persuasion recently got PDA-lized.

My first choice would be the very first approach - the WP Mobile Edition plugin - but if it doesn’t work for you, you might want to try creating an alternative stylesheet for handhelds.

Don’t be lazy (please? I might want to read your blog on my handheld…)! With wireless access, handheld uptake, and the moblogging fad gaining ground daily, it’s only a matter of time before your blog needs to be read by those on handhelds. Might as well give them the best experience possible, especially since it’ll only take you about two minutes for the first approach.

P.S.: Anything I missed, especially automated solutions for non-WP blogging platforms (e.g. Movable Type, Drupal)?

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