Bright Theme for PGD...

[Sly]

Can you keep subSilver and add another theme? subSilver works, and it works well, so I'd like to keep it if possible. The original PGD dark blue and tan colour scheme did not work very well for me.

[WILL]

Well if we make a light PGD theme it would be to replace the subSilver theme. We could keep it around, but it would support none of the PGD specific features.

IMO it would also serve to hinder the image of the site should people start using it for publicity as it'll make PGD look like an imcomplete hack-job. Remember, PGD is more than just forums and we have to promote those just as much as the forums.

There is of course an option for a PGD Lite version which would be targeted for PDAs if it's really barebones you are looking for. I believe that for users (once logged in) we can have either the darker (default) or lighter theme used on that version of the site.

I (we actually) realize that promises to change somethign that members are already used to can sem scarry, but we really have you guys in mind with thee changes. So nothing too drastic will be taking place. In fact besides the button graphics there wouldn't be too much of a change. It would look pretty much the same with the exception of a color here or there.

[deathshadow]

Well... right now it looks like a train wreck... Of course, black text on a dark grey background is a /fail/ hard right out of the gate (remember the 75% luminance rule) - and for those of us who want to switch back to subsilver so there's enough contrast to actually READ text on the site we end up with this wierd half-and half appearance. If you are going to apply a theme, don't do it haphazard to the main index and leave the rest of the site alone...

My advice - drop phpBB as it's near total lack of skinning capabilites without nuetering your upgrade path is just ASKING to have the site raped. (Ever hear of NeverNoSanity?), much less it's raging hardon for 8px sized fonts making it night impossible to read anything without zooming in 200% or more (blessed be opera) if the user has a halfway decent development machine (like mine - 3x 21" displays at 1600x1200 each, windows large fonts/120dpi on)

Much less isolate the website itself from the forums - I've rarely ever seen 'portals' be anything more than a 'hey look, this person doesn't know how to build a website', and often leads to non-standard forum mods preventing you from upgrading to the newest versions of your forum software - leading to leaving yourself open to vulnerabilites (see the bit above about asking to get your site raped)

Upgrading software is like changing the oil in your car - and failing to do so can lead to your engine siezing up... Tie that in with phpBB, a forum software REPEATEDLY proven to have security holes big enough to cruise the USS Iowa through and you are just painting a bullseye on your backside in the showers at San Quentin.

Wow, I paint pretty pictures with words.

SMF or vBulletin offer MUCH more flexible skinning and a mod system that doesn't nueter upgradability, and it's possible to switch to them without losing the existing user accounts or posts... though since you are using a portal mod to phpBB for the main part of the site (in other words you are begging to get hacked and/or spammed to death - see midilet) that whole thing would have to be redone.

Right now - uhg. That's all I can say.

[AthenaOfDelphi]

WILL and Savage are well aware of the hack risks as the site got hacked during the competition last year, hence, they are trying to keep on top of the phpBB upgrades. They both work full time jobs and do their best to keep on top of things here (getting the competition etc. going isn't a 5 minute job), so I do think you're comments are more than a little harsh.

The half and half issue... I'm assuming you mean the fact that when you're logged in forum pages come up with your selected theme, but the main forum index comes up with the default PGD theme.... this is a bug that they are aware of.

As for a halfway decent development machine... you're lucky if you have 3 x 21" displays... I have a single 19" crt running 1600x1200 with 96dpi fonts and I can read PGD fine (and for the record, my vision close up is slightly impaired as I'm longsighted in both eyes). If you really have to zoom in to 200% to read it, I would suggest that the fault is not with PGD, but with your eyesite and I would seriously consider getting an eye test.

You also mention vBulletin... I've been running forums with vBulletin for many years and you make it sound like a bed of roses... LOL. Please... its not as easy as you make it sound. I've had my site screwed over so many times by vBulletin and its upgrades that I gave up trying to customise it and removed every single tweak. Besides that, it costs money and at times theres been three or four updates in a week because they screwed up and released a buggy version, so its not all its cracked up to be.

Constructive criticism is always a good thing, but outright negativity isn't. These guys give up their time and money to run PGD and make it a great place for Pascal game developers, they are aware of the potential hazards of running phpBB and as you can see, they are planning on implementing a lighter theme, so instead of berating their efforts with a post that is wholey negative, how about showing them a little gratitude coupled with some suggestions?

How about 'Great job guys, but could you maybe adjust the colours a little so theres increased contrast between the background and the text'. Thats a much nicer way to open a post than 'right now it looks like a train wreck'.

Just my $0.02

[deathshadow]

Harsh? Perhaps, but I call them as I see them... I'm a born and bred New Englander - as a rule, we are NOT a 'friendly people'.

Firm believer WAY too many people tone down their impressions and 'play nice'. You think something is wrong, come right out and say something is wrong - don't dance around the subject or mince words - doing so means it will NEVER get fixed.

"Train Wreck" I think is appropriate since the theme is semi-pervasive, there are rendering errors on most every page (in both Opera and FF), I'm seeing mySQL errors thrown left and right (like the avatar upload seems REALLY screwed, and I've seen a couple dance by on posting)... it looks like a piecemeal attempt at mixing forum portal mods, with none of them actually seeming to be aware of or working with each-other.

Anyone who 'found that offensive' my only advice would be 'grow a skin'... as I've seen worse, hell I dealt with worse criticism every day for twenty years in the workplace.

But then at my company we hired some tofu eating californian who was brought to tears by the end of the first day... people are getting so... soft.

[cragwolf]

Harsh? Outright negativity? You're kidding! If ever there was constructive criticism I saw it in deathshadow's post. These are opinions, intended to make this site a better one. If you don't agree with them, that's perfectly fine -- just say why you don't agree with them. This is not a tea party or an emotional support group.

Personally, I do find the font small in the links and in the edit boxes and combo boxes. And I agree with separating the main site from the forums. But I have no idea which forum software is the safest and most stable. I suppose we could find that with a little bit of research and input from the forum members.