Foggy's Progress - a record of improvements to the forum

[Foggy]

Graandview is wider. I might stick with that for a while.

I like Graandview, except for one thing - its really hard to tell which threads have new posts and which threads don't, the little tiny red flag is all you get and my poor ol' eyes can't see so well. Other than that, I really like that one. But try Hexagon and tell me what you think.

[roadscholar]

X-creamy is nice chromatically but funky stylistically.

[Foggy]

Yeah, but I can work on that. Right now, getting ready for Musical Asskicking, but will try to work on the board later today.

[Foggy]

Looking at my Admin Control Panel, there are 306 users who have standard, boring, old Prosilver.

Only 10 people are using anything else.

6 X-Creamy
3 Graand New
1 Hexagon

If nobody at all is going to use styles like Carbon or Orange BBEs, it would make life simpler to simply delete them instead of keeping track of when they need to be updated.

But try some different styles, y'all. They're kind of fun, and I'll improve them as I find the time.

[northland10]

Because of all the chatter, I tried a different one and am one of the Graand New ones. I used X-creamy in years past, I think, maybe. What tends to happen is that I end up migrating back to Pro-Silver or sometimes Pro-Silver SE. I don't know why. I just do me.

[Foggy]

Same, I switch around but I always drift back to Prosilver, and since the overwhelming majority of members use that, it's a good idea to keep an eye on it anyway. Plus, all the other styles are "based on" Prosilver, whatever that means.

I don't like the logos that come with them, but you can change those out.

[neonzx]

Do you need a really dark theme? I got one for you. Gimme a minnit.

Well, I found the X-Creamy. That's what I had before -- It's less "harsh" than the others on my poor aging eyes..

[pipistrelle]

Do you need a really dark theme? I got one for you. Gimme a minnit.

Well, I found the X-Creamy. That's what I had before -- It's less "harsh" than the others on my poor aging eyes..

Yep. I heart it.

[Foggy]

Yeah, X-Creamy is mellow. Buncha aging hippies, why I oughta make a style called TieDye Bellbottoms.

[neonzx]

Yeah, X-Creamy is mellow. Buncha aging hippies, why I oughta make a style called TieDye Bellbottoms.

The background color of X-Creamy is more like book paper in color/tone -- not that harsh white of the other stylesheets. Not hippie-esh at all. (unless only hippies still read books these days ... )

[FiveAcres]

I like X-Creamy, but thinks its logo sucks.

[pipistrelle]

I like X-Creamy, but thinks its logo sucks.

It does. Not seeing on phone though.

[Foggy]

I replaced the logo with a much smaller Fogbow logo.

If you can't see the motto - "Falsehoods unchallenged etc., etc." - in yellow with a red outline - then hit CTRL + F5 on Windows, or however you force refresh a page in Mac.

We're still talking X-Creamy only, I can only improve one style at a time.

[raison de arizona]

X-Creamy is dreamy, I switched after my prosilver reverted to some default thing this morning. The only thing I'm missing on X-Creamy is the red flag next to posts that are new in the thread view, but I can live without that.

Foggy!

[p0rtia]

Creamy has a clunky design and I'm no fan of the browns, but man is it readable. All the other need weeding, IMO.

[Foggy]

Well anyone can visit the Styles Database at phpbb.com and find one they think will work better.

I'm serious, if nobody is using one of the installed styles, that will be uninstalled shortly, which will make room for a new one chosen by you, the viewer.

Here's the link https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/styles-2/3.3

NOTE: We're using phpBB version 3.3.5, so any styles not compliant with that can't be installed. The site is fairly clear on what versions are what.

[FiveAcres]

I replaced the logo with a much smaller Fogbow logo.

If you can't see the motto - "Falsehoods unchallenged etc., etc." - in yellow with a red outline - then hit CTRL + F5 on Windows, or however you force refresh a page in Mac.

We're still talking X-Creamy only, I can only improve one style at a time.

[Frater I*I]

L

If nobody at all is going to use styles like Carbon or Orange BBEs, it would make life simpler to simply delete them instead of keeping track of when they need to be updated.

But try some different styles, y'all. They're kind of fun, and I'll improve them as I find the time.

I use it.

[Whatever4]

Well, let’s just try out some of these… nope. Nope. Ack nope. No way. Ew. Where’s my unread button?? Why would anyone… Ah, my beloved prosilver.

Enough of that nonsense.

[Danraft]

I use Carbon, but got kicked out of it again…
It’s a great dark theme— except for highlighting (deadhorse).
I’ll checkout the others…

[Foggy]

!	Message from: Foggy
	Carbon still works, in fact I updated it. When I do update a style, first I have to disable and remove the prior version. When I disable it, that kicks everybody off that particular style, which then reverts to the default, Prosilver. But after I update it, you can go right back in and change back to Carbon (or whatever you want).

[Foggy]

Well, let’s just try out some of these… nope. Nope. Ack nope. No way. Ew.

Oh, you poor dear! Did I hurt your eyebones? I know, I know, that orange one ... yoicks!

Where’s my unread button??

I believe I mentioned, I have to edit the code for each individual style in order to add that, just like I edited the code to add it to Prosilver. I have to do this one at a time, and it is like doing work or something.

Narrator: Oh, you poor dear!

You know what I could do instead, if'n I was one a them meany pants forum admins? I could choose one style, make it default AND MANDATORY, and then I would only have to check one style for updates now and then, and I wouldn't have to unravel the code in three different files just to get my own logo and the Active Topics link at the top and bottom of every page.

That's what some forum admins do, and it's a simple checkbox: Override user style. Check that, and everybody uses the orange one.


But no.

I'm the NICE TYPE of forum admin, and I am providing about 7 different styles, which is way more work for me but it makes the forum more fun and attractive, hopefully. And I will change the logo on all the styles, and add the Active Topics link, and other various improvements. So if you see one you like, tell me and I'll move it to the top of the list.

Why would anyone… Ah, my beloved prosilver.

Enough of that nonsense.

I'm glad you like Prosilver, because it is the default of the phpBB organization and probably always will be. That's the one they ALL work on, while the others are done by one or two people. But I am keeping track of the new versions, and I will update as necessary.

[Foggy]

I use Carbon, but got kicked out of it again…
It’s a great dark theme— except for highlighting (deadhorse).

I am looking at Carbon as I write this, and it's a little hard to read quotes because for whatever reason they made it white font on light gray background, which is hard to read.

And I see what you mean, anything highlighted in yellow is unreadable. White on yellow? No thank you very much. But I can't change that, the code on the Advanced BBCodes is complicated and I'm sure to break sumpin'.

But if you like dark theremes, try Hexagon, I think it's really attractive but nobody has commented on it yet.

[Foggy]

OK, now I'm using Hexagon and text highlighted in yellow is still totally unreadable.

And I can't change the default color used to highlight text.

Hmm.

Maybe I can look at the code without breaking the forum. I should ask the author.

Edit: I asked the author of Hexagon, and we'll see.

Oh jeez, you can't read text with the Edit button either.

Try the orange one, you can read everything on that.

[AndyinPA]

I have dark reader, so I'm used to not seeing anything anyone highlights in yellow. I usually go into the original post to read it by hitting the quote button.

Furthermore, I really appreciate that LM K changes to red text instead of highlighting.