rolled back the change to looking up list filter placeholders. Seems to work fine as it was originally. Added a custom placeholder to the listview filter with headings demo page.

docs/lists/lists-search-with-dividers.html

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 	</div><!-- /header -->
 
 	<div data-role="content">
-			<ul data-role="listview" data-filter="true">
+			<ul data-role="listview" data-filter="true" data-filter-placeholder="Search people...">
 				<li data-role="list-divider">A</li>
 				<li><a href="index.html">Adam Kinkaid</a></li>
 				<li><a href="index.html">Alex Wickerham</a></li>

js/jquery.mobile.listview.filter.js

@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@ $( ":jqmData(role='listview')" ).live( "listviewcreate", function() {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	var placeholder = list.data("filter-placeholder") ? list.data("filter-placeholder") : listview.options.filterPlaceholder;
-
 	var wrapper = $( "<form>", { "class": "ui-listview-filter ui-bar-c", "role": "search" } ),
 
 		search = $( "<input>", {
-				placeholder: placeholder
+				placeholder: listview.options.filterPlaceholder
 			})
 			.attr( "data-" + $.mobile.ns + "type", "search" )
 			.jqmData( 'lastval', "" )