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Forum skins for visible posts?


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I have a problem that I'm hoping someone can help with and this looks like the best possible topic to post in. If I'm wrong, please move or split this where it will be more appropriate.

When creating or editing a post I can hardly see the text I'm inputting/changing. it is a dark grey on a black background. Once the post has been submitted, I can read it much better but then, sometimes, I need to go back to correct it because I couldn't see my mistakes the first time. :(

Is there any way that different skins could be made user available for those of us who are almost blind? If nothing else, could the text be made to be white on the black background? Then at least I could see it!

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I have a problem that I'm hoping someone can help with and this looks like the best possible topic to post in. If I'm wrong, please move or split this where it will be more appropriate.

 

When creating or editing a post I can hardly see the text I'm inputting/changing. it is a dark grey on a black background. Once the post has been submitted, I can read it much better but then, sometimes, I need to go back to correct it because I couldn't see my mistakes the first time. :(

 

Is there any way that different skins could be made user available for those of us who are almost blind? If nothing else, could the text be made to be white on the black background? Then at least I could see it!

There's a "Change Theme" link at the bottom of the page (between the RSS icon and "Mark Community Read"). Try that.

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Hey Spock, sorry that this skin isn't too visible for you, I know that there actually is some problems with this skin editor and that's probably what you're noticing when you're posting.

Lujate's suggestion is a good one, and I've been using that skin all day actually since he posted about it for these last two days, and it's actually faster and pretty clear.

Has it helped you any?

 

:)

 

gogo

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There's a "Change Theme" link at the bottom of the page (between the RSS icon and "Mark Community Read"). Try that.

Hey Spock, sorry that this skin isn't too visible for you, I know that there actually is some problems with this skin editor and that's probably what you're noticing when you're posting.

Lujate's suggestion is a good one, and I've been using that skin all day actually since he posted about it for these last two days, and it's actually faster and pretty clear.

Has it helped you any?

 

:)

 

gogo

THANKS!! Now I can actually see what I'm posting and the rest of the forum is easier to read as well.

 

I haven't compared the two themes yet, so have no idea if I'm going to miss anything by using one over the other. Guess I will just have to use it a while but the initial appearance has sold me so far.

 

Thanks again! :)

 

[Added]

OK, the biggest difference is that the Sacred Wiki is not visible in the IP.Board theme. Something that needs to be modified or just kept in mind?

Edited by Spock
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There's a "Change Theme" link at the bottom of the page (between the RSS icon and "Mark Community Read"). Try that.

>Hey Spock, sorry that this skin isn't too visible for you, I know that there actually is some problems with this skin editor and that's probably what you're noticing when you're posting.

Lujate's suggestion is a good one, and I've been using that skin all day actually since he posted about it for these last two days, and it's actually faster and pretty clear.

Has it helped you any?

 

:)

 

gogo

THANKS! Now I can actually see what I'm posting and the rest of the forum is easier to read as well.

 

I haven't compared the two themes yet, so have no idea if I'm going to miss anything by using one over the other. Guess I will just have to use it a while but the initial appearance has sold me so far.

 

Thanks again! :)

 

[Added]

OK, the biggest difference is that the Sacred Wiki is not visible in the IP.Board theme. Something that needs to be modified or just kept in mind?

 

 

 

Glad it works well!

Ahhh, true that skin was not something Schot had added all the links to. I'll see if I can add a more prominent link to the title bar

 

:)

 

gogo

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Glad it works well!

Ahhh, true that skin was not something Schot had added all the links to. I'll see if I can add a more prominent link to the title bar

 

:)

 

gogo

Actually, that might cause more problems than it's worth. I have mad modifications to the default theme in the past and everything goes away if/when there is an update. That can be a real pain because now you either have to make the changes all over again (if you remember what they were) or you lose all the changes.

 

Wouldn't it be better to perhaps have a "special forum" where all such extra information was prominently listed?

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The main thing I love about the white forum skin is that the width is resized dynamically. Content is narrow when you have your window narrow, but expands to take advantage of the full width of the screen when the window is maximized.

 

The dark skin has a fixed width that is very narrow. It's a penalty to users in the widescreen age to have everything so cramped.

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It's a penalty to users in the widescreen age to have everything so cramped.

Well, that's debatable. I for one am having problems finding the next line when reading large texts. That is, if the lines get too wide on my screen. So I usually keep my browser as a smaller window and I'm also quite happy with the fixed width on some websites.

 

However, I do see your point. Sometimes it actually is quite helpful to use the whole screen. So I'm back to switching window size now and then.

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It's a penalty to users in the widescreen age to have everything so cramped.

Well, that's debatable. I for one am having problems finding the next line when reading large texts. That is, if the lines get too wide on my screen. So I usually keep my browser as a smaller window and I'm also quite happy with the fixed width on some websites.

 

However, I do see your point. Sometimes it actually is quite helpful to use the whole screen. So I'm back to switching window size now and then.

 

I don't think it's debatable when the option is missing. It's a penalty. Post content using the dark skin can't be made to be wider (or narrower for that matter) than about 750px. That's incredibly narrow. PM's are even worse.

 

Typing a PM to someone

makes me feel like I have

about this much space to

use and somehow a single

sentence requires me to

scroll down about 3 pages.

 

If you use the white skin you'll how much better it can be. Size it down to a tiny narrow window if you want, and you can use the rest of your screen space for something else. Or maximize the window and actually see how little space a "gigantic" post could use when taking advantage of a 1920X1200 monitor.

Edited by Flix
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Glad it works well!

Ahhh, true that skin was not something Schot had added all the links to. I'll see if I can add a more prominent link to the title bar

 

:)

 

gogo

Actually, that might cause more problems than it's worth. I have mad modifications to the default theme in the past and everything goes away if/when there is an update. That can be a real pain because now you either have to make the changes all over again (if you remember what they were) or you lose all the changes.

 

Wouldn't it be better to perhaps have a "special forum" where all such extra information was prominently listed?

the SacredWiki forum?

 

:D

 

gogo

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The main thing I love about the white forum skin is that the width is resized dynamically. Content is narrow when you have your window narrow, but expands to take advantage of the full width of the screen when the window is maximized.

 

The dark skin has a fixed width that is very narrow. It's a penalty to users in the widescreen age to have everything so cramped.

I just noticed that last night... very useful for the multiplicity of screens these days

 

:)

 

gogo

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It's a penalty to users in the widescreen age to have everything so cramped.

Well, that's debatable. I for one am having problems finding the next line when reading large texts. That is, if the lines get too wide on my screen. So I usually keep my browser as a smaller window and I'm also quite happy with the fixed width on some websites.

 

However, I do see your point. Sometimes it actually is quite helpful to use the whole screen. So I'm back to switching window size now and then.

The debate tween fixed and dynamic widths is ever infinite... I can see both sides... that some peeps want forums to be fixed widths because all/most humans are of rough same sizes, and moving our eyes across the screen while reading or consuming becomes a hassle if on too large a surface...hence the "fixed"... what I've noticed some of the more expensive forums have done over the the last two years, in light of fact that using a dynamic version of forums is far more work for coders...is that they use a fixed screen across a dynamic background... they then get that feel of the screen being filled up, but all the writing being easy to follow across a lesser width.

:)

 

gogo

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I'm really not buying into the "this an even-sided debate" thing. It doesn't even make sense. It's like arguing against installing a wheelchair ramp because you prefer to walk. You can still walk up a wheelchair ramp, but now accessibility has been expanded to more people, without you giving up anything at all. Resizing empowers everyone, narrow and wide-lovers alike.

 

I can maybe see the "it's way too hard to code" thing, because I don't know anything about forum code. But then consider the white skin uses dynamic resizing, how hard would it be to alter the white skin so it looks dark and elegant like the dark skin?

 

I have a strong opinion about this because there's more to forum posts than text. Any post I make with images (and that's a LOT), is always a huge headache because everything has to fit into the narrow horizontal space given.

Edited by Flix
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If dynamic width is an option in the software, I don't see any reason not to use it. If the forum software doesn't have that option, then a fairly narrow fixed width is the only option.

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Any post I make with images (and that's a LOT), is always a huge headache

That's another point I completely agree on with you (with you on?). I also think that images should be sized down to fit the text (or maybe just a thumbnail) and open as only the image in another tab/window on click.

 

But then again, it's my opinion that discussions should consist of text, text and text. Avatars, signatures, smilies and fancy 'post borders' only distract from the actual content anyways and should be as weak/pale/unobtrusive as possible. And while I absolutely get the point that there may be a 'too narrow', I know there is definitely a 'too wide'. All in all I'm quite happy with the fixed size here on darkmatters as it lets me keep my browser window at its usual size. However, I don't have anything against other options and it's better to have more instead of less.

 

And as far as the coding problem goes, well. It may be more difficult to do, sure. But it's only done once either way.

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Fascinating. I seem to have kicked of a real discussion. Many people have expressed their opinions on the subject.

 

I am most pleased that all opinions expressed have been dispassionate rather than argumentative. Discussion is good, argument usually just shows a lack of education.

 

Well done all, It makes me happy to have chosen DarkMatters as one of my online homes. :)

Thanks Spock, awwwwwww

We're lucky to have one of the great communities... I look at the clock, and the years are going by faster, and still fun to see old names I know checking in at bottom of screen

As you said, is a good home

:hugs:

 

gogo

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