# Board has become aggressive about Sultantheme **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 21, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302 "2020-02-21T14:59:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/1 "2020-02-21T14:59:22Z")
I hate the Sultantheme’s theme with the fire of a thousand suns. I don’t think it should be the default theme. I’d prefer it didn’t exist at all. It’s horrible on a desktop, and it’s even more unreadable on a phone. So why, oh why, does the board now insist on switching me to Sultantheme’s almost every time I click on a link unless I’m logged in? I almost spend more time switching back to what should be the default theme than I do reading threads. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/2 "2020-02-21T15:28:35Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I hate the Sultantheme’s theme with the fire of a thousand suns. I don’t think it should be the default theme. I’d prefer it didn’t exist at all. It’s horrible on a desktop, and it’s even more unreadable on a phone. So why, oh why, does the board now insist on switching me to Sultantheme’s almost every time I click on a link unless I’m logged in? I almost spend more time switching back to what should be the default theme than I do reading threads. The explanation was that Sultantheme yields better Google Search scores. Perhaps there’s a way to make Sultan the default for search engines, but use the more reasonable lay-out for humans? P.S.: I would hate Sultantheme much less if they installed the bug-fixes that **BigT** has already provided them. Mangling CODE blocks is particular inexcusable. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/3 "2020-02-21T15:47:21Z")
Is there a reason you don’t want to stay logged in? That would mostly solve your problem. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/4 "2020-02-21T16:10:32Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I hate the Sultantheme’s theme with the fire of a thousand suns. I don’t think it should be the default theme. I’d prefer it didn’t exist at all. It’s horrible on a desktop, and it’s even more unreadable on a phone. So why, oh why, does the board now insist on switching me to Sultantheme’s almost every time I click on a link unless I’m logged in? I almost spend more time switching back to what should be the default theme than I do reading threads. _Everything_ is default when you’re not logged in. It’s the whole point of default. Until you log in, it doesn’t know who you are. If the theme gets saved in your cookies (and it may be/probably is) that could be the problem since it seems like you have a cookie issue (or you’d always be logged in). My WAG, you’re either using private/incognito mode or your browser is set up to not save cookies. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/5 "2020-02-21T16:58:03Z")
Interesting. They look so similar to me, I can barely notice a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/6 "2020-02-21T22:18:37Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > _Everything_ is default when you’re not logged in. It’s the whole point of default. Until you log in, it doesn’t know who you are. > If the theme gets saved in your cookies (and it may be/probably is) that could be the problem since it seems like you have a cookie issue (or you’d always be logged in). > > My WAG, you’re either using private/incognito mode or your browser is set up to not save cookies. I’m not logged in because I choose to only log in when I’m posting. I don’t use incognito mode and I don’t reject cookies. I’m aware that it’s going to the default when I’m not logged in. I just think that Straight Dope v3.7.3 should be the default theme. But if that’s not gonna happen, at least the board should remember my choice of theme until I close the browser, and not switch back to Sultan every time I open a different thread. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/7 "2020-02-21T22:50:15Z")
I just tried it here. I pulled up the boards with IE, which I’ve never viewed the boards on. It was set to sultantheme, I changed it to SD V3.73 and it stayed that way, even closing the browser and opening it back up. I wasn’t logged in while I did this, but that’s as far as I tested it. I didn’t try clearing out old cookies or logging out/closing firefox. I did, however, notice that sultantheme is responsive. That could be why it’s the default (or why they ‘aggressively’ try to get you to use it). Responsive themes are designed to work better on different types of devices and sizes of displays. As more and more people use tablets and phones instead of desktops and laptops, you’re going to see more and more responsive themes. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/8 "2020-02-22T12:22:35Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I just think that Straight Dope v3.7.3 should be the default theme. Google is a bit vague about much of their “algorithm” (how they rank different sites and pages). One thing that they are very clear about though is that if your site is not mobile friendly, they will intentionally rank you significantly lower. As much as many folks hate Sultantheme, it does pass Google’s requirements for being a mobile friendly theme. Making the Straight Dope v3.7.3 theme the default would drop us significantly in Google’s rankings. > [@Doug\_K](#): > > But if that’s not gonna happen, at least the board should remember my choice of theme until I close the browser, and not switch back to Sultan every time I open a different thread. That’s not practical either. If you aren’t logged in, the SDMB can’t differentiate between you or someone else using the same computer, or even someone who is just coming in from the same IP (a private network going through a NAT server, for example). So the board software uses cookies based on you being logged in. Theoretically you could have the board set cookies based on your current session, but you are basically asking for someone to re-write how some of the board software works, which isn’t going to happen. I don’t know why you choose to only log in while posting, but as others have pointed out, this is the easiest solution to your problem. If you don’t want others to know you are online, there are some privacy options you can set in your user control panel (UserCP on the upper left). Specifically, you can go to Edit Options and check Use Invisible Mode, and you will only appear to be online to yourself. You will not show up in the active user list. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/9 "2020-04-23T23:09:05Z")
Well, the Sultan theme has decided that evn though I’m staying logged in and I have my browser set to accept cookies that I most certainly do want to have Sultan’s them as my viewing option. It has made the wrong decision. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/10 "2020-04-24T00:26:24Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Well, the Sultan theme has decided that evn though I’m staying logged in and I have my browser set to accept cookies that I most certainly do want to have Sultan’s them as my viewing option. It has made the wrong decision. Make sure that your bookmark or whatever brings you here is https and not just http. Some people report that they can only get the theme they want if they go into their user control panel and force it there. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/11 "2020-04-24T00:38:16Z")
Okay, I’m going to show my techno-peasant cred yet again. What is Sultan’s Theme and why should I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/12 "2020-04-24T01:35:21Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What is Sultan’s Theme and why should I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns? 😕 Or, more generally, for those who know not and know that they know not, what is a Theme? Is it just a collection of customized CSS page(s)? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/13 "2020-04-24T14:07:30Z")
It’s [“the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.”](https://www.google.com/search?q=theme+definition&rlz=1CAEAQE_enCA896&oq=theme+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l7.5385j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) But that’s not important right now. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/14 "2020-04-24T14:28:07Z")
I’m still not convinced that Google considers Sultantheme to be mobile-friendly. Yes, Google has published some guidelines on what they consider good, and yes, Sultantheme checks off those boxes, but I can’t help but think that Google has a few other criteria like “is usable” that they just didn’t bother to mention because they’re blindingly obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/15 "2020-04-24T15:57:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m still not convinced that Google considers Sultantheme to be mobile-friendly. Yes, Google has published some guidelines on what they consider good, and yes, Sultantheme checks off those boxes, but I can’t help but think that Google has a few other criteria like “is usable” that they just didn’t bother to mention because they’re blindingly obvious. Me neither, for the simple fact that Sultantheme is anything but mobile-friendly. If anything it’s mobile-hostile. As bad as it is on desktop it’s even worse on my phone. On a semi related note, Wikipedia’s mobile version is also mobile-hostile, in large part because it breaks searching within the page. It makes each section in the article collapsed by default, and you have to scroll down and expand every section to search the entire article. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/16 "2020-04-25T02:26:39Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What is Sultan’s Theme and why should I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns? 😕 Still curious what the answer to this question is? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/17 "2020-04-25T03:05:21Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Still curious what the answer to this question is? It’s a different look for the forum pages. The SDMB still functions as you’d expect, and pretty much everything (for example the Post New Reply, and Quote buttons) are more or less where you’d expect to find them, but after so many years of the regular layout and design and colour, Sultantheme can be a little jarring, especially if you’re not expecting it. To have a look at it, go to the very bottom of this page. On the left is a drop-down menu box that shows, “Straight Dope v3.7.3.” Drop the menu, and select Sultantheme. The display will change to Sultantheme. You can return to Straight Dope v3.7.3 using that same drop-down menu. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/18 "2020-04-25T03:50:44Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Is there a reason you don’t want to stay logged in? That would mostly solve your problem. Well, I keep getting logged out by the board. Something about glitching or whatever. But… Is there a reason this board can’t find a mobile-friendly theme that actually works? Lots of sites seem to have them. I would like something with legible print on my phone, honestly, but the sultana theme didn’t allow me to copy and paste, and was just too hard to use. ---
**Author:** ![W0X0F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@W0X0F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/W0X0F)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/19 "2020-04-25T04:54:26Z")
Here is one thing you can do to effectively make “Straight Dope v3.7.3” your default without logging in or even having javascript enabled. If you’re using a bookmark or link to come to the Straight Dope, you can select a theme as part of the URL. My bookmark for the message boards is “[https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/?styleid=12](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/?styleid=12)”. That styleid=12 at the end gives me the “Straight Dope v3.7.3” theme right off the bat for my whole session. (I had to have learned that somewhere here. Apologies that I can’t give whoever I learned it from the proper credit.) ---
**Author:** ![W0X0F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@W0X0F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/W0X0F)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-has-become-aggressive-about-sultantheme/848302/21 "2020-04-25T06:31:15Z")
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