Part 2 to M1 Mobile Sotong Surf

My first initial post on this topic can be found here. This is part 2, a further analysis to M1 Mobile Sotong Surf. Quoting from M1 Press Release 7 April 2008, P. Subramaniam, M1’s Chief Marketing Officer said:

"With the launch of Mobile Surf tomorrow, M1 customers can soon have easy access to Internet websites and enjoy true web browsing even on basic WAP-enabled handsets, including those without smartphone capabilities. It is the first such mobile solution to be introduced by a mobile operator here."

Thanks, your launch timely matches my birthday! Yes you are the first, as a SINGAPORE TELCO. But Mowser and Google have long done this in less obtrusive ways, with a better mobile adaptation/transcoding system. I do not know what system you use, since your technical helpdesk either hides it from me, or they are really clueless.

"Web pages accessed via Mobile Surf will be automatically formatted to fit the screen of the customer’s mobile phone. This offers customers a more ‘mobile-friendly’ presentation of information and improves their overall mobile Internet surfing experience. Mobile Surf also supports flash animation and multilingual websites such as those in Chinese and Japanese."

Ok. I am going to find a lower end phone that supports only WML/WAP and test what you claim. But opps.. not only is lower end phone hard to find, there would be no screenshot capturing application.. Hence, I am going to use my Nokia N80 to find out the impact on high range phones first. I believe you would do a better job on mid/high range phones, since smartphone market share is at least 90% in Singapore.

I visited sgforums and sggirls purely for testing. The left screenshots are the original, and the right are from MobileSurf:

"We are the first operator in Singapore to deploy this web-to-mobile content adaptation solution to help improve our customers’ mobile experience. Everyone can now enjoy true web surfing on their mobile devices. I believe this solution will make mobile surfing user friendly and delightful for our customers."

Ok, it is good to have a belief.

"In addition to the navigation icons at the bottom of every page, familiar Internet browser features such as favorites, bookmarks and history have also been incorporated for easy navigation and access to information."

Hey, why did you not mention the additional navigation at the TOP of every page?? It is idiotically irritating as it occupies about 25-50% of my tiny screen! IMO, it is so much more obvious.. but maybe not to non-consumer like you. Even most low end phones have bookmarks and history! I believe only 0.0-0.1% of Singapore mobile users need to thank you for this.

And more importantly, why are you tracking my surfing habits?? All URLs, day and time that I surfed are stored on the M1 system! Is this even mentioned in your Terms of Service? Now, it is no more a secret that I am calling and SMS-ing with Hoiio!

"Mobile Surf is available to all M1 customers free of subscription fees, and the usual data charges apply."

Thanks for not charging us for your wonderful VAS. But can I not want your VAS? Can I even opt out as a consumer? Can I even opt out as a content provider? No!?

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M1 MobileSurf is MobileSotong

MS is a common acronym, usually reserved for the much hated M$, and now our fantastic M1 telco has come up with an innovative technology called MS. I think it is better called MobileSotong.

Why? Try surfing Internet on mobile if you are a M1 customer. You might go W.T.F., just like me. The feeling is like driving on the expressway and LTA forcefully zeng your car by attaching 2 big ugly anti-bumping cushions at the front and back. I will show you what happened from the MobileSotong technology.

Three days ago, I could make my call, send my SMS using Hoiio services perfectly well. 

Three days later, to my horror, I was shocked that every site, except the mighty M1, had extra ugly navigation at the top and bottom of every page!

They proclaimed that to serve customers better, they have transcoded web site for viewing on lower end phone! How ignorant can they be! My comments for M1:

1. If your good M1 customers are using lower end phone, their screen size will be no more than 128x160, but your extra navigation would already cover 50% of the screen! See my screenshots above! It is from high end Nokia N80 with 320x240!
2. Do you know what is 'One Web'? Do you know the best practices of mobile web? I will leave this topic for another day. In short, you don't know.
3. You transcode for EVERY website except your own. You don't even have a white/black list that can exclude content providers from participating in your revolutionary transcoding engine (as if anyone would want to participate).
4. You mentioned it is for the good of the lower end phones. But why didn't you detect the mobile first?? I have seen device detection. You need their help?
5. I have many other complains. Why are you keeping my surfing histories, tracking my daily activities, without my consent?

Anyway, here is the solution for unhappy M1 customers:

• Change your Internet Access Point AP from 'MiWorld Mobile' to 'Sunsurf Mobile'
• Call M1 hotline 1627 and tell them they don't have the rights!

"Only fools who do not understand network layerings will create solutions that will not work!" Genius. Now I believe my computing lecturer. 

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