WAP versions of web sites are expected to offer less bling than desktop versions. But they should offer similar functionality. The news site www.nu.nl however, offers less news articles to its WAP visitors. Where the desktop version offers dozens of articles, the WAP version offers only the 15 newest articles per section. If you happen to be accessing their WAP site from your mobile RSS feed reader, looking for an article published last week, chances are you won't be allowed access.
Now imagine we've been on holiday for a week, and haven't been able to keep up with the news. We open our RSS feed reader, check the news, and we see that article from a week ago. The description sparks our interest, and expectingly we click the link to read the full article. Our mobile phone is handed the WAP version of the Nu.nl web site... which lacks the requested article.
It isn't there.
WAPped home page of Nu.nl (scrolled down a bit): it offers only the newest 7 articles per section
See full WAPped Home Page of Nu.nl (175KB)
From the WAPped home page we can also visit the separate sections.
WAPped Economy News Home Page of Nu.nl (real size): notice the RSS feed reader link at the top?
Scrolled down a bit: it offers more articles, but still only the newest 15
See full WAPped Economy News Home Page of Nu.nl (49KB)
So even if we'd saved a link to the older articles using our RSS feed reader, someone at Nu.nl thinks it's appropriate to deny their mobile phone readers access to those articles.
Why? This denial is limited to mobile phone readers. Desktop browser users and RSS feed readers alike, are allowed access to the older articles. Why this discrimination?
The only reason I can imagine is profit. Nu.nl makes money showing advertisements. A mobile phone reader might not see any advertisements. Excluding them from older articles, might lure them into visiting the desktop version, where advertisements will be shown. However, if those mobile phone readers react like me, they will probably move to a competitor that does allow them to read the older articles, which inevitably will lead to a loss in profit for Nu.nl.
It gets worse: the desktop version of Nu.nl urges its mobile phone readers to use the WAPped version, which allows the desktop users to read the exact same version as is forced on the luckless mobile phone readers. (Lucky for us, though, since it allowed us to make full-sized screen shots.)
Desktop home page of Nu.nl: offers a link to a dedicated site version for mobile phone readers
Therefore, they receive a failure note in the category:
"Your Money Isn't Good Enough".
It isn't there.
WAPped home page of Nu.nl (scrolled down a bit): it offers only the newest 7 articles per section
See full WAPped Home Page of Nu.nl (175KB)
From the WAPped home page we can also visit the separate sections.
WAPped Economy News Home Page of Nu.nl (real size): notice the RSS feed reader link at the top?
Scrolled down a bit: it offers more articles, but still only the newest 15
See full WAPped Economy News Home Page of Nu.nl (49KB)
So even if we'd saved a link to the older articles using our RSS feed reader, someone at Nu.nl thinks it's appropriate to deny their mobile phone readers access to those articles.
Why? This denial is limited to mobile phone readers. Desktop browser users and RSS feed readers alike, are allowed access to the older articles. Why this discrimination?
The only reason I can imagine is profit. Nu.nl makes money showing advertisements. A mobile phone reader might not see any advertisements. Excluding them from older articles, might lure them into visiting the desktop version, where advertisements will be shown. However, if those mobile phone readers react like me, they will probably move to a competitor that does allow them to read the older articles, which inevitably will lead to a loss in profit for Nu.nl.
It gets worse: the desktop version of Nu.nl urges its mobile phone readers to use the WAPped version, which allows the desktop users to read the exact same version as is forced on the luckless mobile phone readers. (Lucky for us, though, since it allowed us to make full-sized screen shots.)
Desktop home page of Nu.nl: offers a link to a dedicated site version for mobile phone readers
Therefore, they receive a failure note in the category:
"Your Money Isn't Good Enough".
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