Jump to content

Should I drop the pink?


Rathnard

Should Rathnard keep posting everything in pink?  

45 members have voted

You do not have permission to vote in this poll, or see the poll results. Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Recommended Posts

It's been brought to my attention that some people find the the pink I tend to post in is difficult to read, specifically with the forum's light theme whilst using some of the backgrounds. Since I've always used the dark theme I haven't had a problem reading my own text. But after looking over it myself, yes, the pink is indeed harder to read with the light theme.

 

Quote

That said, I've also noticed that standard quoted text (like this) is also harder to read with the light theme, depending on the background you've chosen. So it leaves me to wonder if the pink is really such an issue by comparison?

 

Regardless, I'm wondering if I should finally abandon my pink text and use the automatic colour like everyone else. I'll admit I enjoy posting in pink. I've been doing it for probably almost 6 years and it's become a habit. Hell, I even memorised the text code and insist on inputting it whenever I post on my phone. Personally I'd like to keep posting in my colour of choice, but not if it's proving to be a major problem to alot of people. 

 

The alternative is to post in another colour. The standard choices aren't any better though (depending on what theme you're reading this in). So unless I find some happy medium via the forum code (not so easy with the new forum software), my usual pink might be the better option. 

 

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Is it finally time I abandoned the pink? Should I adjust the colour to something more readable across both forum themes or should I just stick with the standard colour?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I'm logged in, I have the Dark Background, so it's not a big deal.

If I'm not logged in (so the site is showing the default light color scheme), I skip your posts 100% of the time, it's just too much trouble to try and squint to read it.

This one...
So unless I find some happy medium via the forum code
... is very easy to read in the Light color scheme, and only mildly annoying in the dark scheme, so may be your best bet.   (maybe)

But either way, it doesn't bother me what you decide, if I can read it, I will, if I can't, I won't.  :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...but I think your question / answers may need to be reworded.

Currently they are...
Should Rathnard keep posting everything in pink?
Yes, change it.
No, keep posting in pink.

Shouldn't they be...
Should Rathnard keep posting everything in pink?
Yes, keep posting in pink.
No, change it.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I exclusively use the light theme, and I have never had an issue with reading your post.

I don't even think I normally have to click-and-drag to highlight the text in blue&white to make it easier (Although that does, I suppose).

Clearly if you're trying to pander to other people, dropping it is the right idea.  (Or if you are wanting to be considerate, if you want to call it that).

If it makes you happy, and that is important to you, or you enjoy the identity of it here?  Have at it, people saying they have a hard time don't strictly matter.  If they can't be bothered to read text because it inconveniences them, who is it hurting?

I doubt there is a party that is both dying to read your text and comments, while also claiming inability and feeling alienated.  If people are bothered enough to skip because the text is pink, I feel like they are crying about a tummy ache more than wanting to be connected to a person who's comments they find interesting and worthwhile.

 

Moral of the story, if you like it, I doubt the people who complain are being hurt enough to validate you stopping something you enjoy.  If you just do it for no reason and it doesn't matter to you?  Then yeah, it makes sense to stop, because I can see the ease it could provide by not using pink text.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firstly I definitely think you should prioritize clarity over gimmick when you are posting as a moderator.

When it comes to normal posts I'll mostly select the text to read it, so you'd be saving me a wave of the mouse if you used the default colour. :P 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Tawg said:

I doubt there is a party that is both dying to read your text and comments, while also claiming inability and feeling alienated.  If people are bothered enough to skip because the text is pink, I feel like they are crying about a tummy ache more than wanting to be connected to a person who's comments they find interesting and worthwhile.

What do you base this on? I think that Rathnard has a lot of interesting things to say. Heck, he is interesting enough to have his own article series in the chronicles. I would actually love him to post more (I feel that his posting has gotten a bit more seldom lately). And his theme crews, though a bit hit and miss, are interesting and when they hit they hit hard (the Gremlin McMourning was absolutely amazing).

Also, it doesn't reflect nicely on your opinion of me to think that I'm just randomly trying to start a ruckus. Not very nice and I'm not sure what I have done to earn your ire.

 

Oh, and I do agree that reading quoted text on light theme is annoying. Luckily I tend to read every post even in long threads so quotes don't include new information so aren't all that crucial to read in detail. But if someone could look into the theme contrast bit more, I would be delighted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as I can tell the issue is setting a custom text color without setting a custom (opaque) background color for the text.  I know it can be done because constantly have to scrub formatting off pasted text and occasionally the pasted text has had both a text and background color; but I don't know how to convince the current forum software to do it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/20/2016 at 2:57 PM, Bengt said:

Firstly I definitely think you should prioritize clarity over gimmick when you are posting as a moderator.

Oh don't worry, I always post in standard bold when I put on the modhat. If nothing else it's an easy way to differentiate the normal posts from Mod Posts

 

On 2/20/2016 at 5:16 PM, Myyrä said:

The choices for the vote are very confusing.

Ha! Yeah, my bad. :) I really should have been more careful about how I worded those choices! 

 

On 2/20/2016 at 5:52 PM, Math Mathonwy said:

What do you base this on? I think that Rathnard has a lot of interesting things to say. Heck, he is interesting enough to have his own article series in the chronicles. I would actually love him to post more (I feel that his posting has gotten a bit more seldom lately). And his theme crews, though a bit hit and miss, are interesting and when they hit they hit hard (the Gremlin McMourning was absolutely amazing).

It's true that I've been posting less over the last few months. I'd like to do more but, well, life has been getting in the way. Being an at-home dad is not nearly as glamorous as it's made out to be... ;)

While I love each and every one of them, I'll gladly acknowledge that some of my theme crews are a matter of taste!  I'd love to do another one as awesome as Bayou McMourning though. Just waiting for that moment of inspiration. 

 

On 2/20/2016 at 0:03 PM, Gnomezilla said:

Bold pink (the Paint it Pink link) isn't nearly as hard to read (for me) on the standard background. Can you give us a sample sentence of that or is it just as annoying as wrapping your text in a color which is not your usual pink?

You mean like this? I suppose I could use bold as standard, and it really wouldn't be any harder than posting in pink. But (and this'll sound funny coming from me), I'd be worried it would come off as too garish. Still, it's an option I guess. 

 

Anyway, like I said above I've only ever posted in pink for my own enjoyment. I like that it's become a part of my identity but I've never done it to please anyone else. That said, if my choice of colour is ruining the experience of a sizable chunk of the forum then that's not the kind of guy I want to be. So that's why I posted this topic. 

At this stage it sounds like most people aren't too bothered so for now, the pink will stay (or go to bold? still thinking about that). Thanks for all the feedback guys - I truely appreciate it. :)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I couldn't handle the confusing poll options, sorry. :P

I find the bold pink really difficult to read - all the letters are clear but it messes with reading flow for me. The normal pink is fine, but I use Dark so I'm not the target of this question.

Highlighting any text always makes it readable, if anyone really struggles with Rathnard's posts or (my usual bugbear) copy-pasted sections of text which become unreadable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/02/2016 at 7:57 AM, Bengt said:

Firstly I definitely think you should prioritize clarity over gimmick when you are posting as a moderator.

 

I think this is they Key! when posting as a mod, everything should be clear and easy to read. However when posting as a forum user feel free to use what you like!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/20/2016 at 4:52 AM, Math Mathonwy said:

What do you base this on? I think that Rathnard has a lot of interesting things to say. Heck, he is interesting enough to have his own article series in the chronicles. I would actually love him to post more (I feel that his posting has gotten a bit more seldom lately). And his theme crews, though a bit hit and miss, are interesting and when they hit they hit hard (the Gremlin McMourning was absolutely amazing).

Also, it doesn't reflect nicely on your opinion of me to think that I'm just randomly trying to start a ruckus. Not very nice and I'm not sure what I have done to earn your ire.

 

Oh, and I do agree that reading quoted text on light theme is annoying. Luckily I tend to read every post even in long threads so quotes don't include new information so aren't all that crucial to read in detail. But if someone could look into the theme contrast bit more, I would be delighted.

Well it's a bit personal bias, since I have never had the experience of reading being such a challenge that it is worth me complaining about.  Which is why I suggest that anyone interested enough would probably not have an issue, although to be fair the two options are not really on the same spectrum nor mutually exclusive.  I was simply suggesting that anyone who was interested enough would probably be willing to overcome the obstacle of pink text to indulge their interest.  But again, I've never seen anything I felt was so difficult to read that it was not worth reading.

As for my opinion of you, my post was not directed at you, or made with any knowledge of you.  Again, it's a bit personal bias.  I seldom, if ever, complain about anything, and typically view most complaints as less than well-grounded, with the people placing them often being vocal minorities that simply like to be loud.

Maybe there is issue to be had, and if that is the case for you then, I'm sorry I can't relate.  But I did not post with any intent of opinion on any individuals.  It was more of my general mind set.  I just think most complaints aren't as founded as would provoke me to raise them.

 

I mean, I see that Rath's text is clearly not the same level of contrast (At least on light theme), I just don't think it's an issue of any nature.  Especially with click&drag to highlight text, which would remove all difficulties I could imagine, save for exclusively reading his post on a phone (Which makes it far harder to click and highlight).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Tawg said:

I mean, I see that Rath's text is clearly not the same level of contrast (At least on light theme), I just don't think it's an issue of any nature. 

It has, by an objective measure, an absolutely horrible contrast ratio (1.1 when 1 is the worst you can have and suggested level for text this size is 4.5).

3 minutes ago, Tawg said:

Especially with click&drag to highlight text, which would remove all difficulties I could imagine, save for exclusively reading his post on a phone (Which makes it far harder to click and highlight).

Phones and tablets indeed make the highlighting through clicking a lot more difficult.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will say, when I look at the bottom of the "currently online list" while browsing the forums, and I see one or two mods on, with names listed in pink, but flanked by normal black text?  I honestly can't read their names unless I highlight them.

But I don't find the issue nearly as prominent when reading a full post in pink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information