2. Overview

2.1 Purpose of Switch On! Guides

DotMobi Switch On! Guides are a set of guides governing certain technical protocols and services in the ".mobi" (dotMobi) domain. These guides are a combination of mandatory rules and best practices that, when applied to content and services associated with the domain, ensure a good user experience for users interacting with the domain and its services via a mobile device. The rules mentioned in Switch On! Guide documents are specifically designed to be:

• Useful
• Achievable
• Measurable

DotMobi Switch On! Guides are primarily oriented at domain registrants, since registrants are the owner of content and services hosted at any domain, but are also useful for tool vendors and solution providers whose products and services may be involved with dotMobi.

2.2 Mandatory Rules Audit, Notification & Enforcement Process

DotMobi domain name registrants agree to implement the mandatory registrant rules listed in this document whenever they publish a web site linked to a dotMobi name on the internet. It is strongly recommended that registrants also ensure that their applications also comply with Best Practices to improve the end-user experience.

mTLD will audit all dotMobi domains for compliance to the mandatory rules. mTLD will audit these domains in whatever way or frequency decided by mTLD to be practical and reasonable. When a web site using a dotMobi name is not compliant with the mandatory rules, an exception report for the dotMobi name will be created by mTLD.

DotMobi names not in compliance with mandatory rules will have 60 days to become compliant. mTLD shall send two notices to the registrant's registrar asking the registrar to contact the offending registrant with the exception report. The registrar will be required to provide a 60 day and then a 45 day notice of this non-compliance. If a name is not in compliance with 30 days left to go, then mTLD may chose to contact the registrant directly after making best efforts to make contact through their registrar. A formal statement of this policy is available on the mTLD web site.

DotMobi names that are not brought back into compliance shall be place into a hold status which will prevent their resolution on the internet. The dotMobi names shall not be deleted from the registration system, but their name will be placed on hold until they are in compliance with the mandatory rules.

2.3 Registrar's Obligations

Registrars are obliged to make registrants aware of all Switch On! Guides associated with the dotMobi domain in advance of any registration taking place. Registrars must either make a copy of these documents available to the registrant or point them to the authoritative versions on the mtld.mobi web site.

3. Introduction to Switch On! Web Developer Guide

3.1 Scope

The dotMobi domain is intended as a sign to users that web sites within the domain are especially suitable for use on mobile devices. Registrants are expected to make sure that their dotMobi web site works well with mobile devices. Following the guidelines in this document will assist them in doing this.

This document is the authoritative source of rules governing web content served from a dotMobi domain. It also acts as a guide for web site developers and solution providers whose tools and services are used in this the dotMobi domain, or to produce content for a site in this domain. These rules are designed to ensure a good user experience for users browsing these web sites from mobile devices.

3.2 Use Cases Covered

The Switch On! Web Developer Guide covers the use case of browsing a dotMobi application/web site from a mobile phone, PDA or other hand-held device. This guide specifically does not cover use cases involving desktop PCs or other device types, nor does it cover other Internet-based applications such as email or instant messaging.

3.3 Relationship to Other Standards

The best practice recommendations in this document are primarily based upon the W3C Mobile Web Best Practices [MWBP]. In addition a number of dotMobi specific rules and best practices are introduced.

Developers should also refer to the Domain Name Guidelines document that is published in the same location as this document.

3.4 Structure of the Best Practices

DotMobi-specific best practices are identified as follows:

[dotMobi] The text of a dotMobi rule or best practice

W3C-derived best practice statements are identified as follows:

[W3C EXAMPLE] The text of a W3C Best Practice

For each W3C statement a link is provided to the corresponding W3C best practice statement. Readers can follow these links for further discussion on the meaning of the statement and how to test compliance.

The rules and best practices are classified into the following sections:

• Mandatory Registrant Rules
• Best Practices

4. Registrant Rules

4.1 Mandatory Registrant Rules

4.1.1 Valid XHTML Mobile Profile

What it Means

It is not the intention to restrict the uses that dotMobi registrants put their site to. However, in order to contribute to the overall usability and premium user experience of the dotMobi domain it is important that visitors to sites have the best possible experience of them, even if their devices do not support the formats that registrants wish to support. Consequently, at a minimum, visitors to dotMobi sites must receive a message that is displayable by their browser, directing them to a portion of the site that is accessible to them, or identifying the type of device that is necessary to experience the site properly.

Some web sites will adapt their content dynamically to accommodate the type of browser and formats supported by that browser. In this case the site should generate a page formatted in valid XHTML-MP 1.0 (or later released version) if it cannot find a match for the device in question. The user in this case stands a very good chance of receiving a page that their device can display. The content of the page is at the site owner's discretion, and may be a message allowing the user to select a particular type of experience, or may be a message detailing the types of device required to access the service. Site owners are encouraged to support the widest possible range of devices.

In cases where the site infrastructure does not provide the ability to detect the browser type or formats that are acceptable there must be a page at the domain root that is delivered in XHTML-MP. This does not mean that the rest of the site has to be formatted in XHTML-MP. Sites that cater specifically for some other format may have their entry point identified by a path e.g. a site that is specifically targeted at WML devices only could have its home page at example.mobi/wml. The preferred method of redirection is by using HTTP 3XX codes (see below).

4.1.2 Second-Level Domain Site

[dotMobi] Domains that operate a site at www.example.mobi must also implement a site at example.mobi.

What it Means

Research has shown that typing in URLs on a mobile phone is a significant barrier to entry for users using mobile devices. Pointing the second-level domain (domain.mobi) at the same site as the third-level domain (www.domain.mobi) makes it easier for users to get to your site.

4.1.3 Use of Frames

[dotMobi] Do not use frames (standard or inline) unless the target client is known to support them. See also [W3C NO_FRAMES].

4.2 Best Practices

4.2.1 Overall Behaviour

Choice of User Experience

[dotMobi/W3C Choice of User Experience] Sites should allow the user to choose how they interact with the site.

What it Means

The choice of user experience as recommended in Mobile Web Initiative Best Practices section 3.6 is simplified by dotMobi names as it allows the user to immediately differentiate mobile-friendly websites from other sites. Ideally, a web site recognizes the browser and adapts to the browser capabilities. In practice, the newest browsers and very old ones are not always recognized. Assuming that unknown browsers all have only minimum capabilities provides a poor experience for advanced new browsers. In addition, mobile users typically want a convenient experience (fast access, appropriate, up-to-date but limited amount of information, limited picture size) which dotMobi sites will typically provide. However, mobile users should not be prevented from accessing the full web site if they so wish. Hence content providers should offer a link from dotMobi pages to the non-optimized internet page and vice versa. Ideally the site should record the user’s preference, thus making their choice “sticky” so the user does not have to switch to the preferred view every time they enter the site.