My struggle with text continues

Sparkle V3 heading to v4. I understand that the amount of text is the same across all devices. Most of my clients want more text in the PC, and larger views, and less text in smartphone views. This presents a problem.
I must design text blocks independently for smartphone for PC, using the “don’t show of this device options”.
I’m a little surprised that Sparkle hasn’t addressed this one, and perhaps I’m the only one who needs it.
In wider and ultra wide variants wouldn’t people want more text?
The Spqrjle site is exceptionalky well done for larger viewing, and well done for smartphone viewing as the blocks are longer. If the text is same for all device sizes the page must be much longer.

The concept that visiting a site with a smartphone would show less text or different text than the desktop site is maddening. It seems the clients in question prioritize aesthetics over accessibility. The purpose of responsive design is that the site “responds” to the visiting device, altering just enough to make the same content optimized for it.

Just think of a search engine finding text in a page and perhaps showing an excerpt, but then the the text is nowhere on the page because the visitor came with the “wrong” device?

We don’t plan on addressing this, the text is in the HTML and is semantically “content”. You can of course hack your way through this and find ways to break the web for some visitors. I’d advise against it.

Thanks Duncan. Actually it’s accessibility over aesthetics. As an example I’ve got a site for a museum that I’m replicating in Sparkle v4. In a wider device you click on the picture, and up pops the convoluted story and history of the building. Fine on a pc or tablet, not so good on a smartphone. One (the client) has to understand the viewing nature of a postcard size smartphone. I’m not even convinced that slideshows are good on smartphones. Great discussion. Smartphones are the thorn in my paw; but I’m old.

1 Like

Hello.

I agree with Duncan. Everyone should get to see the same thing no matter what device they use.

But if you want it bad enough, you could rape your layout with a mallet. Make a blank line in the text block where you want to shorten it in the smartphone layout. Then shrink the box so that the text is cut off at the bottom.

You will get the warning with the yellow triangle that something doesn’t fit. Doesn’t matter. After the upload you don’t see that and the text is shortened.

You then don’t have to show or hide the box per device and the whole text can easily be restored.

But this is extremely ugly and surely has side effects.

Mr. F.

Thank you. I think show or hide is the best option. Can’t please every viewer.