Forum Text Readability

[furtopia02]

I am not opposed to all colours of text being used on the forum but its literally headache inducing seeing that bright blue text on black background - its almost unreadable and I usually have to highlight it. I'm sure I'm not alone in being very annoyed by it. It's especially annoying when someone does ALL of their posts in a bad colour combo like this.

This is just flat out painful to read, pointless, and inconsiderate.

This is just as ridiculous.

BLACK?.. REALLY?..

Another hard one to see.

Since we have spoiler tags now, it's not needed to use these font colours. Especially the black font. I know there are other forum styles to use but nothing should be allowed to clash so badly or make a post nearly unreadable.

The super small font sizes are just as pointless now that we have spoiler tags. This is just annoying when you have to copy paste this junk into notepad just to read someone's full post. Really it shouldn't be allowed. Why is this even allowed on our forum? Or is it actually not allowed already and just needs to be enforced? Either way I don't think it's good to allow it, and if it could be removed entirely (the choice of those particular colours at least) it wouldn't even be an issue. With the black text option removed the size 1 font deal is less of an issue but still annoying.

So.. ban use of illegible or hard to read font colours and tiny, unreadable text?



God forbid they change the font colour too! I could say absolutely anything I want here. As foul as I want, as rude, as demeaning, as attacking, or snide or just plain spam. Who is honestly going to go through every thread highlighting it looking for these things (other than this one of course)

[Kobuk]

Banning or removing certain colors or font sizes is nice........in theory, but not practical I don't think. There are currently no rules to what colors or font sizes a member can use except for the color black which is banned from use on the forums.
I will agree with you though that dark colors and small fonts do make things hard to read, particuarly when the staff have to check posts. But allowing members to post in different colors, fonts, and/or other effects gives members a bit of freedom and creativeity. We generally ask out of "common courtesy" that a member make their text/post legible to others.
Banning colors would be pointless. There's not just dozens of colors, but rather hundreds or thousands of shades and hues, etc.

[Kobuk]

P.S. - Have you tried switching forum themes? Maybe that might help to see various text?

Profile -> Look & Layout -> Current Theme

[furtopia02]

Thousands to use here? No there isn't. There are 15. If Black is on the list, then why can't the other 3 nearly unreadable ones be, as well as using super small size 1 font (it serves no purpose that spoiler tags don't and spoiler tags are easier to check).

I have in fact seen the other themes but don't find them nearly as easy to see or navigate as the default. Having unreadable font colours allowed on the default theme still doesn't make any sense to me. It is only as impractical a change as adding a few lines of text to the rules where it says Black is currently not allowed.

Current:

13. Banned Subjects – It's very rare that a subject will need to be banned on the forums. However, the following items are currently banned.
a) The subject of hypnosis is banned on Furtopia. Anyone who wishes for further clarification regarding this ban is welcome to PM a mod or admin for details.
b) No posting in black colored text on the forums. Please use the spoiler tag instead which is described here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,39242.0.html
c) In regards to trolls and/or any other troll/hate websites, it should be said that discussing trolls only invites them. So the discussion of trolls and troll/hate websites is banned on the forums.
d) Items that are not necessarily banned, but are highly moderated are: Leet Speak, and Posting in foreign languages. If a member posts in leet speak or a foreign language, they MUST provide a translation.

Revised:

13. Banned Subjects – It's very rare that a subject will need to be banned on the forums. However, the following items are currently banned.
a) The subject of hypnosis is banned on Furtopia. Anyone who wishes for further clarification regarding this ban is welcome to PM a mod or admin for details.
b) No posting in "Black", "Blue", "Navy", or "Maroon" colored text or Size 1 font on the forums. Please use the spoiler tag instead which is described here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,39242.0.html
c) In regards to trolls and/or any other troll/hate websites, it should be said that discussing trolls only invites them. So the discussion of trolls and troll/hate websites is banned on the forums.
d) Items that are not necessarily banned, but are highly moderated are: Leet Speak, and Posting in foreign languages. If a member posts in leet speak or a foreign language, they MUST provide a translation.

That's all it would take, and I just did it.

[Alsek]

Brent,  you can post in exactly 16,777,216 different colors on the forums using hexadecimal values.  I use them quite frequently;  including my current text.

[furtopia02]

Brent,  you can post in exactly 16,777,216 different colors on the forums using hexadecimal values.  I use them quite frequently;  including my current text.

So this is perfectly acceptable since it isn't black (000000)? I'm referring to the drop down menu of colours that is easily selectable on the forum tools.

[Kobuk]

Alsek does have a point. Even if Furtopia banned the dark colors that you are complaining about, Brent, There are still 16 million+ more colors to choose from. And a LOT of those would have to be banned as well.

Anyway, I'll pass your suggestion to the staff for review this week.

[furtopia02]

Alsek does have a point. Even if Furtopia banned the dark colors that you are complaining about, Brent, There are still 16 million+ more colors to choose from. And a LOT of those would have to be banned as well.

Anyway, I'll pass your suggestion to the staff for review this week.

Thanks, Kobuk. Even if it just a note added about making sure posts are in a legible colour that is easy to read, and has contrast from the background would fix it. I often browse on my smartphone (which read websites as-is) and selecting posts over and over again and pasting them into Notes to read them (if I can even get it selected right) is very irritating when all someone wants to do is read a reply someone said to them. You are right too: people should use common courtesy not to use colours like that but they do anyway. If someone goes into IRC and chats in unreadable colours they are asked to stop it and change the colour; it should be the same way on the forum.

[Avan]

Black text was already against the rules.

[Alexandre]

I saw some of what you discussed in the IRC, Brent, and you bring up some points. We'll be discussing it as staff.

Honestly, I don't see it as a huge deal. I've rarely had a hard time reading what people post, and I don't like creating rules unless there actually is a problem.  However, if it's popping up more and more, then maybe it's time for a rule.

[furtopia02]

I saw some of what you discussed in the IRC, Brent, and you bring up some points. We'll be discussing it as staff.

Honestly, I don't see it as a huge deal. I've rarely had a hard time reading what people post, and I don't like creating rules unless there actually is a problem.  However, if it's popping up more and more, then maybe it's time for a rule.

Thank you, Alexandre. I agree, it's not a huge deal at all but it's just something I have been noticing and I know I couldn't have been the only one being annoyed by it. I brought up all possible problems though because I analyzed it and tried to make sure I didn't miss anything. I never expected this topic to actually have ignited such a fire or been met with the resistance it did.

[Alexandre]

Thank you, Alexandre. I agree, it's not a huge deal at all but it's just something I have been noticing and I know I couldn't have been the only one being annoyed by it. I brought up all possible problems though because I analyzed it and tried to make sure I didn't miss anything. I never expected this topic to actually have ignited such a fire or been met with the resistance it did.

Hmm... for now, one option when you're using mobile or darker screens is to put "?wap2" at the end of the address.  This would make it a text-only forum, and that may be easier to see if having a problem.  It loses a bit of the feel of a forum, but you'll definitely be able to read it.  Meanwhile, we'll see what happens

Also, #000001 is against the current rules as far as I'm concerned. We know when people try to get around the rules by taking things literally

[Ickyrus]

Is this my text being an issue, since I often post in blue? I didn't think it was that bad but anyway. Although I don't use 'blue,' but a hexadecimal colour that seemed a little more tolerable.

What you could do, Brent is PM the problematic poster and work together to find a more suitable blue for them to post in. Or make like a Kaloth and just ignore anyone who uses irritating colours, regardless of whether they might be interesting.
I also don't see a problem with brown or maroon, personally. I'd say it's a problem with screen brightness rather than the colour chosen in those cases.

[furtopia02]

Is this my text being an issue, since I often post in blue? I didn't think it was that bad but anyway. Although I don't use 'blue,' but a hexadecimal colour that seemed a little more tolerable.

What you could do, Brent is PM the problematic poster and work together to find a more suitable blue for them to post in. Or make like a Kaloth and just ignore anyone who uses irritating colours, regardless of whether they might be interesting.
I also don't see a problem with brown or maroon, personally. I'd say it's a problem with screen brightness rather than the colour chosen in those cases.

It all depends on the monitor. I can see it on some devices fine but on others no form of tweaking helps it much. On this computer I can see them well enough but its completely illegible from the video card and on the display on my older computer I'm normally on. Oh well.. "Oh well" is pretty much my response to any of this anymore. It's just too much effort now to even waste my time on it for something that wont make any difference in my life anyway. If everyone else but me is happy with it then it doesn't matter since I'm caring less and less about it. Just ignoring anyone doing it seems suitable to me as this place isn't very important information at all or anything I really crave or need to read compared to other things I look at online. As I said, if you guys are all content with it things the way they are, you are the ones living with most of it - I'm just a bystander here and my opinion really doesn't matter that much when compared to the people that matter. I wont tell anyone how to run their site anymore or be an unintentional pest. I'm sorry for the trouble and chaos this seemed to cause. I'll go back to lurking around as usual now.

[Kobuk]

Brent, Before you go and "give up" in defeat, How's about giving the staff a chance to work on this issue? We're still in discussions right now and we hope to have a solution later this week.