*** Big Changes Ahead ***

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Because of all the problems people who, for whatever reason, are still stuck using IE are having, for now I'm changing the forum's defaut theme back to the SMF default. Anyone who does not use IE and who has been enjoying the Lightning theme can go back to using it by following my instructions in reply #97 but, of course, picking the Lightning theme instead. However, I would strongly suggest that people who are still using IE give serious consideration to forgoing it in favor of Firefox. It's by far an infinitely better browser - and not just because its developers have the good sense to make it compliant with the internationally recognized/supported W3C standards - it offers many other advantages. 

For those who are stuck with IE, the good news is that I have some other themes in the works that will work better with IE. The bad news, though, is they're nowhere near ready to install. However, SMF offers several alternative themes on their Web site. I'm going to go see what I can find over there that's suitable for DS and that will work with IE, and I'm going to install one so that IE users will at least have an alternative to the SMF default for the time being until a more DS approriate theme is available. 

[Gothick]

Thanks for switching it back.  We don't have Firefox here at work, so if you return to the Lightning theme, I'll likely only be visiting here on occasional weekends.

With the lightning theme I couldn't make the site do anything or go anywhere.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I've found a theme called Mystic Night that seems to work well with IE (at least with IE6), so I've installed/changed it to the forum default. However, I don't have time to tweak it to add things like the slideshow, users online today, spoilers etc. features, so anyone using this theme will have to do without them for the foreseeable future because I have plans for tonight and all day tomorrow. But you can always go back to the SMF default theme. And firefox users can also go back to the Lightning theme. 

[Gothick]

Mystic Night is *very* copacetic with IE!  And I like the colors MUCH better than the other one.

I may have the chance to try out the Lightning theme on Sun. on a machine equipped with Firefox.

Thanks MB for working so patiently on this!  by now I'm afraid I would have thrown my hands up over all of it.

cheers, Gothick

[joe integlia]

has anybody brought up the problems the new format will cause for webtv users? i no longer use webtv so i cant test it but webtv user/friend david n says he can no longer access the board. guess its time for him to get a computer.

[loril54]

I wanted to say thanks for changing it. I love the purple, I always say a royal color. And we are the best. I have Safari as my browser and i guess it doesn't recognize the lightening  format.  I hope that I didn't get to cranky but it was really hard to post at font size 4. I saw my spelling errors.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

but webtv user/friend david n says he can no longer access the board.

David had no trouble posting using SMF's default theme, so he shouldn't have any trouble with Mystic Night - or he can always go back to using the default. 

I love the purple, I always say a royal color.

I've been working on my own purple theme on and off for a year (mostly off), but it's nothing like this and it's nowhere near ready to be used.

[EmeraldRose]

I use monitor resolution 800X600.  When I use 1024X768, the print is too small for my liking.  I like the Lightning Theme, but I can't/won't use it.  When I use Safari, even with 1024X768 resolution, the right scroll bar is missing, and I can't access the whole page.  When I use Netscape, the right scroll bar is there, but the print is too small, and it won't work properly in my preferred 800X600 resolution.  So I'm stuck...  However, I do prefer the current  Default Theme to the old one... and it works perfectly in 800X600 resolution.

----- Sally -----

[Mysterious Benefactor]

When I use Netscape, the right scroll bar is there, but the print is too small, and it won't work properly in my preferred 800X600 resolution.

That's why all browsers allow people to adjust their font sizes. 

It's interesting that you say the fonts are smaller in Netscape because I find the font sizes appear larger in Netscape than they appear in Firefox (even though the default settings in both browsers are exactly the same (size 10)).    Which version of Netscape are you using?

[EmeraldRose]

I prefer to use Safari - I'm using it now -  but the Netscape that I have on this computer is version 7.2.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

Wow...  I have almost no idea what everyone is talking about, but I do know that in Windows98 I have accessibility features that blow print up...under Control Panel.     I doubt they'd ever get rid of that.   My print is about a centimeter tall.

[Midnite]

Wow...  I have almost no idea what everyone is talking about, but I do know that in Windows98 I have accessibility features that blow print up...under Control Panel.

Well, browsers allow users to set a minimum font size; searching the individual browser's Help contents for font size will tell you how.

In Firefox, use Tools > Options.  Select Content.  In the Fonts & Colors section, click Advanced.  Specify a minimum font size in the dropdown menu (i.e. 14 to enlarge the Forum's text) and click OK.

[michael c]

i'm assuming i have IE because i have the purple theme.

i never did get to see that elusive "lightning" theme but this is much better than the default blue.

[Midnite]

i'm assuming i have IE because i have the purple theme.

The dark purple theme is the current default theme.  Regardless of whether you have IE or not, you have it until you change themes via your profile.

To identify your browser, click Help in the top menu bar on your screen, and in the dropdown menu select "About ___".   A window will identify your browser and its version.  (In the case of IE7, you may have to enable that menu toolbar if it's missing.)

i never did get to see that elusive "lightning" theme but this is much better than the default blue.

I don't see why you can't preview the lightning theme, even if you use an upgraded Explorer.  Open the Look & Layout Preferences area of your Profile, click "change" that follows Current Theme, and on the next page "preview" the 3rd theme down.  You can click Mystic Night's "use this theme" (listed 1st and 4th) to return to the dark purple.

Hope that helped. 

[Josette]

I agree with the resolution statements.  Right after I posted about not liking the size of the lightning theme, I noticed the message about the preferred resolution.  I tried changing mine, but it made everything too small, so I went back to the 800 x 600.  I'm using Netscape 8.2

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.