Link colors

[soycharliente]

Anyone else find the text links in the threads to be hard to distinguish because of the dark color? Even with display brightness all the way up it's a little difficult. Maybe it's just me.

[salathe]

It can be difficult to spot the links sometimes especially if you're not expecting a link. Some underlines wouldn't go amiss.

[soycharliente]

Most of the time I only link to the manual when I list a specific function or something. Not everyone says something like, "Which can be found HERE," when they link. But just wanted to offer some feedback about the forum.

[nrg_alpha]

I agree that links don't stand out easily at times (wonders out loud if they were coloured either orange like the username or perhaps a slightly brighter blue or something would look better). As for undelrines, I personally don't care much for them tbh, but that's just my .013 ¢ (2 cents adjusted for poor economic conditions).

[.josh]

maybe if people actually made use of the links (like to the rules, or the manual), this might be worth looking into

[soycharliente]

if they were coloured

 

As for undelrines, I personally don't care much for them

I agree that another color would help. A lighter blue? No need to go all orange. Maybe just a lighter shade. Same shade as what's behind the post and preview buttons? I don't know. I do development, not design.

Me either. They aren't there now, why add them.

 

maybe if people actually made use of the links

Did you catch my link in my last reply? lol I use them, especially when referencing a function or an idea.

[.josh]

yes, I saw it.  I'm not disagreeing with the notion that the links could stand out a bit more.  My point was nobody bothers to follow important links anyways, regardless of how we mark it up, so why bother.

[soycharliente]

Don't we cater to the people that follow the rules, enjoy being here, and appreciate the help? Why "punish" the people that use them because a larger percentage doesn't? Especially if the people that actually use them think they can be improved.

 

Why post the TOS or posting guidelines if most people don't bother reading it? (I'm just playing devil's advocate on the idea that we should or shouldn't do something based on how many do/use something. But I digress so I don't create a red herring.)

 

I totally get your point that most people don't use them so why bother, but I think that in this case the fix is for the people that want to RTM or learn or follow advice more in depth. AFAIK it's as simply as one CSS rule. Three or six tiny little hex values. Heh heh.

[soycharliente]

And I'm sure we all have other people to help, so I'll stop posting my opinion since it's clear how I feel and let the admins/mods ultimately decide. Again, just providing feedback. I don't plan on leaving because the links are too dark

[Daniel0]

yes, I saw it.  I'm not disagreeing with the notion that the links could stand out a bit more.  My point was nobody bothers to follow important links anyways, regardless of how we mark it up, so why bother.

 

"People don't follow links, therefore we shouldn't make it easy to notice links." How does that make sense? The easier the links are to notice, the higher the chance of someone actually following them.

[cags]

yes, I saw it.  I'm not disagreeing with the notion that the links could stand out a bit more.  My point was nobody bothers to follow important links anyways, regardless of how we mark it up, so why bother.

 

"People don't follow links, therefore we shouldn't make it easy to notice links." How does that make sense? The easier the links are to notice, the higher the chance of someone actually following them.

Personally I think any link that contains php.net should automatically be Bold, Underlined, Italic, 36pt and Bright red. If you could make it flash that would be extra dandy.

[nrg_alpha]

Scratch my opinion on orange or brighter blue links.. my vote is for darker-neon pink!

 

[.josh]

yes, I saw it.  I'm not disagreeing with the notion that the links could stand out a bit more.  My point was nobody bothers to follow important links anyways, regardless of how we mark it up, so why bother.

 

"People don't follow links, therefore we shouldn't make it easy to notice links." How does that make sense? The easier the links are to notice, the higher the chance of someone actually following them.

 

I see that, and raise you with:

 

"People must not be buying our stuff because we aren't advertising enough or making our ads big and bright enough or maybe we should keep calling them over and over again because maybe they didn't answer the phone because we missed them."

 

My point being that (IMO) most people don't follow links because they don't want to, not because they can't find them.

[Daniel0]

Well, I still don't see why that should prevent us from helping people who do want to follow the links.

[.josh]

Well, I still don't see why that should prevent us from helping people who do want to follow the links.

 

Well you're the button pusher, you tell me, lol. If it's not a hard thing for you to do, then uh...go forth and push buttons.  Yeah. 

[Daniel0]

True. I don't know what would be a good styling though. I don't know how to make things look pretty. I only know how to make them work

[soycharliente]

My vote is just a lighter version of the same color.

 

Use an online schemer to generate some values for you.

 

From my research, the current color is: #346

These are lighter versions: #7086B3 #8192B3

 

EDIT: And if you're going to go to another color, I'd consider the orange (found in /Themes/default/images/theme/menu_gfx.png) behind the active menu items at the top. DigitalColor Meter tells me it is: #FD9604

 

[nrg_alpha]

A quick mockup in Photoshop:

 

EDIT: I cropped your image.. cuz its width was annoyingly large.

 

I pasted sample text on both contemporary backgrounds we're using in the forums..(so to be clear, same sentences / colours on both sides.. just using both to see how the colours look on both backgrounds)  and numbered the colours and provided their hex values. From this list of suggestions, my preferences would be #1, 2, 4 or 6.

 

A usual, if someone else has other suggestions, go for it (I just hammered these one off). We don't have to go with any of these.

 

[ot]Note: I am using a laptop with a lower contrast ratio screen, so as the expression goes; "Results may vary."[/ot]

 

[Zane]

I like #6...and #5 is decent too.  Also, if orange is the new blue.... I'd go for the first color (#1)

 

I would say that #4 looks good but for some reason it looks more like "colored/highlighted text" rather than a link.  I got a feeling that people would see that and think of it as the new bold or something.

 

But I'm all for changing the link color, I was bothered by it for awhile now and am glad someone else noticed it too, because I had forgot to even mention what I thought about it.

 

 

@Norm.. why would you put Dan's "mini-profile" on the image as well.. Now the picture is too wide and most will have to scroll over.. 

I've fixed it for you.

[Daniel0]

I'm partial to #2.

[.josh]

#3 is my first choice. #2 is my 2nd choice

[cags]

My vote would be #2 or #6, I like some of the other colours but as Zanus said I don't think they would be associated with links.

[Zane]

I believe we'll need a poll for this type of thing.

[soycharliente]

I believe we'll need a poll for this type of thing.

It should display (an image of each color || some styled text) next to each choice.

[Zane]

It should display (an image of each color || some styled text) next to each choice.

 

I got it.

 

 

2 votes a piece.. and the poll expires Friday.

Though it looks horrible once you vote (just a warning)