# Major bugs in SDMB re-skin fixed. What do you think?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 6, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663 "2017-09-06T18:32:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/41 "2017-09-06T21:30:08Z")

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I dug out the $15 membership dues from my cash transfer slot on the side of my computer and re-inserted it … the site still lists me a guest so that feature still isn’t working …

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**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/42 "2017-09-06T21:39:10Z")

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I woke up this morning, checked the SDMB, and spent the next ten minutes wondering what the hell my cat had done to my browser. I’m just glad to know it’s not on my end.

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**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/43 "2017-09-06T21:48:45Z")

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[QUOTE=Fenris]  
Perhaps when you eat dinner tonight, rather than eat food, you could (for a change) eat your own poo.

What, you don’t like that idea? Why? Are you resistant to change?  
[/QUOTE]

You italicized the quote that you quoted in your post. This counts as changing the quote. DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN.  
Just a note…_this time_.

Just kidding.

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**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/44 "2017-09-06T21:54:41Z")

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> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> This is the thing that has been bothering me the most. Since quoted material is no longer in an obviously visible box, I’ve been mistaking (at least momentarily) what someone has quoted from an earlier post for what they’re actually saying themselves.

The box is still there, just in the absolutely lightest shade of grey possible.  
**Bone** touched on this but didn’t explicitly state:

> [@Wow, I hate this new format](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-hate-this-new-format/795610/141):
>
> On mobile, portrait mode - I see thread title & post count. I cannot scroll L/R.  
> On mobile, landscape mode - I see threat title, post count, & views. I cannot scroll L/R.  
> On desktop - I see thread title, last post (date/time & by \<username hyperlink\> post count, view. No need to scroll.
> 
> IOW, there is info missing from the mobile version…on two separate browsers.

Finally, one other thing I just noticed; not a big deal, but…At the top right of the page it says" **Welcome, Spiderman.**" Yesterday it was “ **Welcome, Spiderman.** ” so the font color of the hyperlink changed from blue to black. Not a big deal, but it’s the only place that I’ve seen where a hyperlink isn’t blue.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/45 "2017-09-06T21:58:43Z")

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Somebody sure has a Hard-On to sell me _Moby Dick._

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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/46 "2017-09-06T22:01:36Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Is there no way you could simply issue mobile versions of pages to mobile devices like countless other websites do? This is a significantly worse experience on desktop.

Agree completely. Or, as people have noted in the other thread, give people the option of which theme they want to use - the old one, or the new one.

The massive, intrusive blue bars between posts are incredibly annoying.

Edit:

Also, get rid of the text next to the Quote buttons on each post. Why have buttons AND text?

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**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/47 "2017-09-06T22:06:50Z")

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Another echo here for **Bone** ’s comments.

Additional bug-like issues that may have already been mentioned (haven’t had a chance to read the hundreds of posts!) –

- “Last post” info absent on iPhone/Safari on forum display page.

- On iPad/Safari, the superfluous whitespace + small default font requires zooming in, but when zooming in the last post / number of replies / etc. info on the right goes off screen making it impossible to scan down the thread titles while seeing the right-hand-side info.

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**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/48 "2017-09-06T22:09:35Z")

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> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Agree completely. Or, as people have noted in the other thread, give people the option of which theme they want to use - the old one, or the new one.
> 
> The massive, intrusive blue bars between posts are incredibly annoying.
> 
> Edit:
> 
> Also, get rid of the text next to the Quote buttons on each post. Why have buttons AND text?

What massive blue bars?

I’m suing firefox 48.0.2 when comes to color it not much different from old one. No massive blue bars I see.

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**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/49 "2017-09-06T22:36:06Z")

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I have a bug on iPad that nobody else has mentioned- in the list that results from clicking “New Posts”, the Thread/Thread starter column is huge and contains nothing but the little envelope icon that it always had. So there’s an acre of blank space on that screen.

I really like the floating links to forums at the bottom of the page, and the “scroll to top” arrow

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**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/50 "2017-09-06T22:40:18Z")

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> [@sweat209](#):
>
> What massive blue bars?
> 
> I’m suing firefox 48.0.2 when comes to color it not much different from old one. No massive blue bars I see.

You can see the bar in the pic linked to in post 38. Thanks for that, by the way, as I am not experiencing the green highlighting and had no idea what people were talking about.

I can’t remember what used to be between the posts of a thread. Was it just a thinner line?

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/51 "2017-09-06T22:48:43Z")

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I’m really disliking the lack of **bold** when you quote someone. You can try to bold something, and the bolded looks almost identical to the rest of the quote. ETA: Forget quotes. Bold looks identical in the regular post!

How can you freaking miss those massive blue bars? The show up with IE, Chrome and Firefox. That is going to drive more people away than anything else. Way to kill the brand, guys.

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/52 "2017-09-06T22:52:50Z")

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> [@silenus](#):
>
> I’m really disliking the lack of **bold** when you quote someone. You can try to bold something, and the bolded looks almost identical to the rest of the quote. ETA: Forget quotes. Bold looks identical in the regular post!
> 
> How can you freaking miss those massive blue bars? The show up with IE, Chrome and Firefox. That is going to drive more people away than anything else. Way to kill the brand, guys.

I’m seeing bold here. Desktop Firefox.

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**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/53 "2017-09-06T22:53:04Z")

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the huge font is annoying me … I like how it was the same size as you typed it in the reply box …

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**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/54 "2017-09-06T23:09:47Z")

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> [@Ed\_Zotti](#):
>
> I’m starting a new thread because many of the problems reported in earlier threads reflected formatting problems we believe we have now resolved. Take a look and let us know what you think.
> 
> Be aware that this is a simply a re-skinning of the existing board. The purpose was to make the SDMB easier to read on mobile devices. We didn’t upgrade the underlying board software, and basic board operation should remain substantially the same. If you think something is broken, please let us know.
> 
> Some of the complaints seem to be primarily aesthetic. While we’re not opposed to tweaking, the major concern right now is to make sure everything is working OK.

You should have done some testing first.

Anyway, this, like most modern upgrades ( say Ars and the AV Club for examples ) is pretty bad.

> [@](#):
>
> If your major objection is that things look different, give it some time. The new design may grow on you. We appreciate your patience.

No — just no. Telling people they to embrace unwelcome change and just go with what they are given is a condescending cop-out.

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**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/55 "2017-09-06T23:20:21Z")

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> [@Morgyn](#):
>
> I understand you did this to improve readability on mobile devices, but it’s buggered up reading it on a laptop or desktop. Most web sites can detect which device you’re using to read them with and adjust the formatting accordingly. Why couldn’t you do that instead of forcing us all to this? Yuck.

Even if everything had to have the same formatting, why change it up to favor mobile? Maybe I’m way off, but I’d bet that the majority of people visiting here do so on desktop rather than mobile. Would be interesting to know. Personally I’d say that a good 95% of my time here is spent on desktop, and for that other 5% I access on my phone, I just use the regular desktop view anyways so it’s not much of an improvement on mobile.

At least the topic review underneath the reply box looks nice. Right now I feel like that’ll be the best way to view the forum. Click reply and then start reading the thread backwards from the bottom. Because it might be backwards but at least the fonts and spacing and colored bars and everything aren’t laughably shit.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/56 "2017-09-06T23:24:05Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> I’m seeing bold here. Desktop Firefox.

Nope. Looks good in the Reply box, but once posted it all mooshes together. I think it’s the font that’s doing it.

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**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/57 "2017-09-06T23:31:02Z")

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> [@Morgyn](#):
>
> I’m using the latest Firefox on Windows 10 to view the SDMB.
> 
> For me, some of the user names are breaking across two lines. So far I’ve noticed it with **Budget Player Cadet** ’s name, but haven’t been looking closely for others.
> 
> Also, on the forum page (not the list of forums, but the list of threads in a forum), the Forum Tools and Search this Forum options on a completely separate bar from everything else instead of in the Threads in Forum bar, and the Forum Tools is all the way on the left of the page and the Search this Forum is all the way on the right.
> 
> I’m also not happy with the blue shading for each post to a thread. It’s a little harder to read than the plain black on white we used to have.
> 
> I understand you did this to improve readability on mobile devices, but it’s buggered up reading it on a laptop or desktop. Most web sites can detect which device you’re using to read them with and adjust the formatting accordingly. Why couldn’t you do that instead of forcing us all to this? Yuck.

I have the same browser and OS and I don’t have any of the problems you are having.

And if the fonts are too big for some of you, why not just reduce the size? It’s easy!

Gee, I thought I was picky. No, I don’t LOVE the icky green colors and the big blue bars. So what? The site works. I can’t even imagine complaining that the view unread post button is too bright a red!

ETA: The last two paragraphs are not directed at **Morgyn** , of course.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/58 "2017-09-06T23:32:25Z")

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> [@Giraffe](#):
>
> I’d like to suggest changing the color of the blue bar at the top of each post to something with a more subtle contrast, perhaps the blue-grey color that surrounds the Quick Reply box?

This. The dark blue bars have way too much visual weight to them. They should be as light and unobtrusive as you can make them, since their only purpose is to provide a visual cue that a new message is starting. With the new colors, they overwhelm everything and break up the flow of the conversation.

As the great Edward Tufte said, every pixel lit up on the screen that does not contribute to the understanding of the information detracts from it. Lighter and less obtrusive is always better when it comes to boilerplate markup, dividers, and the like.

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**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/59 "2017-09-06T23:44:08Z")

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You’re doing fine Ed.

It’s different but I don’t come here for the décor.

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**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bugs-in-sdmb-re-skin-fixed-what-do-you-think/795663/60 "2017-09-06T23:56:08Z")

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Gotta agree about the blue bars. They need to be toned down IMHO. The post count, location etc not showing in portrait view is also a minor issue.

Other than that so far it looks much better over all on my Samsung S8.

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