# Banned for colors and fonts??? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 28, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954 "2012-08-28T18:51:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/21 "2012-08-28T20:28:24Z")
First they came for the nuts, Then they came for the crazies, then there wasn’t any of us left to ban, so the mods finally got a day off. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/22 "2012-08-28T20:31:33Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > If anyone’s interested, I have a Greasemonkey script that lets you assign colours, fonts and sizes to different posters. I can think of several posters I’d like shrink, so sign me up! And it would be fun to make certain posters a different color, too! ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/23 "2012-08-28T21:02:28Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > And yet you haven’t banned **Stoid**? Dumb banning. To \*\*\*\*Stoid’s \*\*\*\*credit, she hasn’t pulled that shit in a while. Matta fact, I haven’t noticed \*\*\*\*Stoid \*\*\*\*posting at all in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/24 "2012-08-28T21:34:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I can think of several posters I’d like shrink, so sign me up! I had a different thought. Can I use it on myself? ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/25 "2012-08-28T21:36:39Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I had a different thought. Can I use it on myself? Sure, go right ahead and ruin my experience of the board. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/26 "2012-08-28T22:17:43Z")
The warnings weren’t very strong, but they were clearly being ignored intentionally. It’s no big deal, the guy was in self destruct mode. What would be the point of a series of stronger warnings? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/27 "2012-08-28T22:47:55Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Would you like it if I, a stranger walking down the street, kicked in the door of your house and waltzed in wearing plaid pants and a zebra-striped shirt? And a rusty deep-sea diving helmet covered with orange suction-cup darts? And threw a bunch of sand on the floor and began tap dancing, and for my big finish let out a loud pistol-crack fart? Because that’s just what it was like. Not all the time, but just the once? Yes. Especially if he shouted, “WHERE’S YOUR GOD NOW?!” right before he slammed the door, disappearing from my life forever. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/28 "2012-08-29T00:10:21Z")
The guy had all the signs of a one-trick pony kook, not just here, but [all over the Internet](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Brad+Watson%2C+Miami%22). Surprised it took as long as it did to see him banned, regardless of any _Stoid_\*\*-style\*\* **text** formatting. Marley made the right choice. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/29 "2012-08-29T00:18:15Z")
Just to be clear, I have no problem with banning this guy. As I said in the OP, I can think of several good reasons for doing so. But they idea of warning someone because you don’t like the font they use or a few colors here and there? Sheesh, why don’t we just get rid of that option then if we have to worry about using them “too much” or in the wrong way, whatever that is. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/30 "2012-08-29T00:23:58Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > [COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Really? [Link.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15432698&postcount=23) > > I can think of lots of reasons for banning this guy, but colors and fonts? Are people so precious here that they are offended or annoyed by colors and fonts? Those colors and fonts? Personally, I saw nothing wrong with them and they sort of went with the colorful personality of the poster. > > I’m posting this as much for input from other posters as from mods. This post has been graped by the committee to bring back the grapist.[/COLOR] No, wait. That’s silly. Good use of discretion here. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/31 "2012-08-29T00:27:02Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > First they came for the nuts, > Then they came for the crazies, > then there wasn’t any of us left to ban, > so the mods finally got a day off. Nope. First they came for the Grapist. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/32 "2012-08-29T01:08:46Z")
Fine. Don’t mind me. I’m having an absolute motherfuck ass-shit of a day, and probably shouldn’t be posting at all. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/33 "2012-08-29T01:47:37Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Would you like it if I, a stranger walking down the street, kicked in the door of your house and waltzed in wearing plaid pants and a zebra-striped shirt? And a rusty deep-sea diving helmet covered with orange suction-cup darts? And threw a bunch of sand on the floor and began tap dancing, and for my big finish let out a loud pistol-crack fart? Because that’s just what it was like. Vinyl: he wasn’t spider-wall walking or sanddancing on your floor, he was expressing his words through art and was offering an idea in a new way. I don’t know about you, but I like to think I’m always open from new formatting, even from newcomers… even from old-timers. Being snotty at someone for daring to format text in a non-standard way that you don’t like isn’t what I’d call welcoming. For shame, FOR SHAME. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/34 "2012-08-29T02:26:31Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Fine. Don’t mind me. I’m having an absolute motherfuck ass-shit of a day, and probably shouldn’t be posting at all. What’s wrong. Wanna talk about it over in MPSIMS? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/35 "2012-08-29T03:31:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But they idea of warning someone because you don’t like the font they use or a few colors here and there? C’mon, John, give us a break. This wasn’t a case of using Comic Sans or a few colors for highlighting. His whole posting style was seriously deranged. > [@](#): > > Sheesh, why don’t we just get rid of that option then if we have to worry about using them “too much” or in the wrong way, whatever that is. Because different fonts and colors can be effective and fun to use to make a point or for effect. But when someone overdoes it, it becomes distracting and annoying. We don’t want to take away font and color options just because they might be abused. But if they are abused, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t ask someone to stop. We don’t have a rule against every possible annoying thing someone could do, because there are just too many possibilities. For example , we don’t have any rule against putting every word on a separate line , but if someone began to write lengthy posts in Great Debates like this , I suspect he would soon be asked to stop . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/36 "2012-08-29T03:50:43Z")
Aw, Colibri. You stole what I was going to do. ☹ But, yeah, why should it matter that the instructions were small things? The fact is that the guy _ignored them_. If you’re going to repeatedly ignore the moderator when they tell you to stop doing something so minor, what are the chances you’ll listen at more important things? I know the rule isn’t written down anywhere, but this is far from the first time the mods have given notes for overuse of fonts and text. Given that, it’s in their purview to ask this new guy to stop. And, since that is the case, it’s therefore in their purview to ban the guy if he refuses to listen. Furthermore, what do you expect them to do? You admit you wanted the guy banned. So do you expect them to do something so trivial as to go back and change the warning to be for one of the other reasons he should have been banned? You’re arguing for them to go back and change something completely unimportant when they’ve repeatedly not gone back and changed more important things, at least, once they’re brought up in ATMB. If even I can’t bring myself to support your argument that the mods did something arbitrary, what hope do you have for anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/37 "2012-08-29T04:21:41Z")
He used a large font. All the time. It wasn’t a mixture of fonts, it was the same large font. And he’d usually put one color in his post for one sentence, maybe a few times he’d use more. It was completely readable, even if the content was nonsense. I really think folks are confusing the medium with the message. And in this case the medium was not the message. This was supposedly “annoying”, and yet we have posters here whose habits have generated numerous pit threads and ATMB threads complaining about how annoying those habits are. This was a flea on the tail of the elephant. Ban the guy for craziness or spamming. He deserved it. But hounding him for font size? Petty. Anyway, I think we’re entering dead horse territory. What’s done is done, and it’s not like we lost a poster who was going to contribute anything. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/38 "2012-08-29T04:51:11Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Ban the guy for craziness or spamming. He deserved it. But hounding him for font size? Petty. They put Capone away on tax evasion. Sometimes you go with the charges that guarantee a conviction. I guess Marley could have given a few more warnings, instructed him to read the rules, and explain in detail the problems with his posts. Do you really think the outcome would have been any different? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/39 "2012-08-29T05:04:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Ban the guy for craziness or spamming. He deserved it. But hounding him for font size? Petty. How about banning him for _ **IGNORING** _ mod instructions? On several occasions, You may disagree with which straw it was that broke the back, but the fact of the matter is that he was told to change his posting style, and pretended that the mods were just a fly he could wave away. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954/40 "2012-08-29T08:05:39Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > C’mon, John, give us a break. This wasn’t a case of using Comic Sans or a few colors for highlighting. His whole posting style was seriously deranged. > > Because different fonts and colors can be effective and fun to use to make a point or for effect. But when someone overdoes it, it becomes distracting and annoying. > > We don’t want to take away font and color options just because they might be abused. But if they are abused, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t ask someone to stop. > > We don’t have a rule against every possible annoying thing someone could do, because there are just too many possibilities. > > For > example > , > we > don’t > have > any > rule > against > putting > every > word > on > a > separate > line > , > but > if > someone > began > to > write > lengthy > posts > in > Great > Debates > like > this > , > I > suspect > he > would > soon > be > asked > to > stop > . > 😃 I d o n ’ t t h i n k t h a t w a s s o b a d b u t i t w a s f o r q u o t i n g r e a l l y l o n g p o s t s ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-for-colors-and-fonts/632954.md?page=3)