*** Big Changes Ahead ***

[Mysterious Benefactor]

By the way, previously there used to be a "legend" showing the symbols for items with new posts and those without.  With this purple theme, it's very hard to tell the difference and I don't see anything explaining what they are.  It seems that the purplish squares are a bit lighter in color for the categories with new posts, but it's not obvious like our previous themes.

I noticed that. Who knows why akabugeyes did it that way?      Well, I suppose akabugeyes knows - but they're probably the only one. (And BTW, if the theme is written correctly, and if you click their name at the bottom of every page in that theme, you should be able to e-mail them to ask.  )

[Midnite]

With this purple theme, it's very hard to tell the difference and I don't see anything explaining what they are.  It seems that the purplish squares are a bit lighter in color for the categories with new posts, but it's not obvious like our previous themes.

I noticed that the upgrade made the ones on the Home page clickable.  So if you're unsure whether they're indicating a new post on that board or not, you need only place your cursor over them (this is true of ALL themes).  Or ... you can click the square (or diamond) and see what happens.  Does that help?

[Josette]

I noticed that the upgrade made the ones on the Home page clickable.  So if you're unsure whether they're indicating a new post on that board or not, you need only place your cursor over them (this is true of ALL themes).  Or ... you can click the square (or diamond) and see what happens.  Does that help?

How interesting - with the cursor over it a message shows of "new posts" or "no new posts" - I never thought of trying that.  Actually, the "no new" ones are sometimes confusing, but the "new" ones definitely show up brighter.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Actually, it doesn't much matter at the moment because the Mystic Night theme is history until further notice. We recently discovered while checking the error log that since installing it, it's logged over 300 pages ( ) of errors because there's a coding mistake in one of its scripts. And until I can track down in just what script the mistake is located, the default theme for the forum has been set back to the SMF default. Sorry - but clearing out all those errors is already going to be a monumental task without letting the Mystic Night theme go on to created another hundred or more pages.  :-

[Josette]

It still amazes me that you can make these changes without taking it offline, at least for a few minutes!!  It's very strange to be reading or replying and suddenly find everything looking different, this time in reverse!!

[MagnusTrask]

Actually, it doesn't much matter at the moment because the Mystic Night theme is history until further notice.

History is always being rewritten.  Barnabas told me so.    We must I Ching ourselves silly, into our former selves from a few days ago, to save this Mystic Night thing from extinction.

[EmeraldRose]

I apologize if my posts are sometimes hard to read.  I am now using darkgreen as my color.  I used to use springgreen as my color, but you can see that it shows up as hard to read on this light color scheme.  However, when I use this color on the darker color scheme, it becomes harder to read.  Oh well... I guess once the darker color scheme is back, I'll be able to use springgreen again.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

It's all white lettering to me....

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I apologize if my posts are sometimes hard to read.  I am now using darkgreen as my color.  I used to use springgreen as my color, but you can see that it shows up as hard to read on this light color scheme. However, when I use this color on the darker color scheme, it becomes harder to read.  Oh well... I guess once the darker color scheme is back, I'll be able to use springgreen again.

Some of us are using a dark color scheme (those of us using the Lightning theme) and the text is hard to read in darkgreen:

Click for a larger image

It still amazes me that you can make these changes without taking it offline, at least for a few minutes!!

There's really no need to take the forum offline. Changing the default theme is just a matter of going into the forum's Admin Center and changing the default theme setting from one theme to another. Then once anyone using the default theme switches pages, everything changes for them. Everything needed (scripts, icons, etc.) for each installed theme is all stored in its own separate directory in the forum's Web space. 

History is always being rewritten.  Barnabas told me so.    We must I Ching ourselves silly, into our former selves from a few days ago, to save this Mystic Night thing from extinction.

   But Mystic Night isn't quite extinct - at least not yet. The error is actually a simple one:

Code: [Select]

Use of undefined constant calendar24 - assumed 'calendar24'
Meaning that in at least one place in one script, akabugeyes forgot to put the calendar24 constant between single quotes. It can easily be done - but it can also be a bitch to track down in which script it occurs. And then there's also the possibility that he did it with another constant and the system is simply finding that example first and tossing that error out. So, that means every one of his scripts has to gone over line by line - and we're talking hundreds of lines of code. Fun, fun! ... Not! But I will track everything down once I get a chance (I was so not in the mood last night) and Mystic Night will return...

But in the meantime, I'm going to see if adjusting any of the CSS style settings for the SMF default theme can make that theme darker and still usable...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

But in the meantime, I'm going to see if adjusting any of the CSS style settings for the SMF default theme can make that theme darker and still usable...

Way too much needs to be changed, so so much for that idea...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I apologize if my posts are sometimes hard to read.  I am now using darkgreen as my color.

I'm testing out the corrected Mystic Night, and the darkgreen may look even worse in it than it does in the Lightning. So, now's probably about as good a time as any to remind everyone that if you choose to use a color in your posts, please keep in mind that, even though it may look fine in the theme you're currently using, it may not work at all in a theme that other members are using. Please be sure to experiment before posting. 

But the good news for those who feel they have no other choice but to use it at this time seems to be that Mystic Night will return as the forum's temporary default theme as soon as I can change the settings...

[Josette]

A hint re the colors.  If someone posts in a color that doesn't show up for you, just run your cursor over the text - it turns to white text with a dark background - very easy to read!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yes, we've mentioned that in the past, Josette. And it works quite well.    But still, it should only be something that people have to do as a completely last resort.

I hesitated mentioning anything yesterday because I don't want to give people ideas now before things are in place, but eventually there will be a way to get around the use of colors that don't show up easily. But that's all I'm going to say for now. How's that for being cryptic? 

[MagnusTrask]

Twice today, I've gone to Capotion This, ep #200, with Burke Vicki looking up at the sky, tried to click to q

[MagnusTrask]

There's another problem... occasionally it will post without my permission, when I'm in the middle of writing it.

To finish and correct, since my typoes were left in the previous post:   I clicked to post , quoting Loril's recent caption to Ep # 299...(Burke and Vicki looking at sky)...  "Flying Velveeta".... this froze my computer.  I had to shut off and restart by hand.   I tried again.    This time, it just took clicking onto "quote" and my computer suddenly froze again.

Sorry for the problem, but that's all I know about it.   Wait there's some post number... back in a minute.