I guess it has been about 3 years ago I started working with the mobi domains. For my windshield repair business, it seemed like a natural fit. After all if you’re out on the road and you get a chip on your windshield, you could get the information you need on your cell phone.

I knew though, that there was one weakness to the mobi domain; it was a website that could be set up with a sub-page written for mobile devices. Some examples of an alternative way to create mobile content would be, ”m.example.com” or “example.com/mobile”.

As I see it, another problem was a host that would provide the program to meet mobi specs. Besides being limited at best, I was faced with either a good price and limited ability, or a high price. To solve the problem, I found an open source that cost nothing as long as I provided the storage. The storage wasn’t an issue as I have 40 gigabyte of storage through my company’s website host, not to mention several hundred gigabyte of bandwidth each month. When you consider, that by mobi specs, a page is limited to 20 kilobytes of data, using my existing host for storage wouldn’t be an issue.

As time has progressed, cell phones have gotten better and can handle a lot more data. This I believe has had an effect on mobi, because the restrictive requirements aren’t needed for the newer smart phones. As a result earlier this year, dot mobi was sold. Based on what I’ve read about the reason for the sale and all of the above issues, this showed me that storm clouds were forming.

Dot tel, another domain, also is a way to provide mobile content at a competitive price. Shortly after the dot tell domains were opened for sale to the public I purchased a dot tel for my windshield repair business and have seen my business grow due to customers using it on their cell phones.

Since the mobi sale, on several occasions I found a portion of all 3 mobi sites I have, didn’t function properly. On every occasion I had to go in and fix code that mysteriously had changed. While I know that the change of ownership of the domain had nothing to do with the code problems, it appears there are more issues.

Recently I received notice that the open source provider of the mobile program would soon be charging for the service. That in itself wouldn’t be a problem, the price being charged is. How ridiculously high? Well consider that the storage and bandwidth is a very small fraction of what I use for a conventional website. Yet the cost to keep my mobi sites up would be nearly 2 ½ times what I pay for my conventional website.

Okay, the question then becomes what should I do with WipeOutMS.mobi. Moving that material to WipeOutMS.tel was one option. Placing the material on OnCell411.tel another site I own that is dedicated to providing information while out on the road was a second choice. I had placed MS information on the mobi version of that website.

After thinking it over I decided to merge the information on WipeOutMS.mobi with OnCell411.mobi and put it on OnCell411.tel. Doing this I believe will create more awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) and help the cause. A second reason is that to get to MS events you need to travel, and this website is designed for travel.

So what becomes of the old mobi domains? Well I’ve pointed OnCell411.mobi at OnCell411.tel, so if you use OnCell411.mobi you will end up at the new website. WipeOutMS.mobi is another story, efforts to redirect that domain with the current registrar has failed. A transfer to another registrar is taking place which will give me total control of the domain. I expect that to be completed by the coming weekend. Finally when I tested the new website with ready mobi it scored a 4, which means it will still load on most cell phones.

OnCell411.tel is still under development so if you have a problem please let me know. My hope is that this project will bring more MS awareness and more support to find a cure to Wipe Out MS-like diseases like polio has been.

This last week I read a news article about a second group spending this summer bringing awareness to multiple sclerosis (MS). This post is for these 2 groups of MS fighters.

MS Run The US – This last week I learned about MS Run The US and Ashley Kumlien. Ashley is in the process of running across the United States (over 3200 miles) to bring awareness of multiple sclerosis, a disease her mother has fought for 27 years. She and her group of supporters are also asking for donations for her cause that will be donated to the National MS Society and the Montel Williams MS Foundation.

At this point she is over 1300 miles towards her goal. From her start in California she is now east of Denver. You can follow her on Twitter @MSRunTheUS.

When you look at her website (MS Run The US) make sure you check out all the photos she has uploaded from her Blackberry with the Verizon wireless network on her Flickr photo stream.

Bike The US For MS – A second group made up of of bicyclists from the United States left the coast of Virginia on June 1, and are headed to California. Bike The US For MS has made a trip across America for several years now. You can follow their progress on their website (Bike The US For MS) and their blog. Proceeds from the 2010 trip will fund a nurse practitioner position at the James Q. Miller MS Center in Charlottesville, VA.

Good luck everyone in reaching their goals and be safe.

In closing this post I would like to add a special comment to Verizon wireless. “Please hear me now”; for sometime here in Oklahoma City and most likely across America I’ve seen in print, heard on both the radio, and television how you, AT&T and Sprint each have the best data network. I’m sure millions are being spent to advertise your point. Verizon wireless you are missing a golden opportunity to prove this. Looking at the MS Run The US, Flickr page I see all these photos Ashley has uploaded using her Verizon Blackberry and the Verizon wireless network. I can’t think of a better way to prove your case of being the best than having a runner who is crossing America and uploading photos everywhere she goes.

Further Verizon I believe I can safely say that if you become a sponsor for Ashley’s cause you will be a friend to the over 400,000 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. Let’s also not forget several million family, friends and care givers to those 400,000 Americans. Keep in mind Verizon wireless multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of disability in young adults as per the National MS Society and is the third leading cause overall of disability in America according to the MS Center in Denver Colorado. Please hear me now as Ashley is helping you online with a photo stream being loaded with the Verizon wireless network and the website actively says so. What can Verizon wireless do for Ashley Kumlien and the multiple sclerosis (MS) community?

Tweet this on Twitter, contact Verizon on Twitter @Verizon or go to their website and either email them or call them; ask them to support Ashley and MS Run The US.