# One Theme To Rule Them All **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [June 24, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639 "2020-06-24T03:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [June 25, 2020, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/41 "2020-06-25T12:15:56Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > FWIW, the science is quite clear on the effect of line length on readability. And as someone with progressive glasses, I actually hate really wide text. That’s why it took me a while to find that slider everyone was talking about – my window was too narrow to support it, because I had made the window a “comfortable” width for me. I’m really surprised to learn that so many people have their window covering the whole screen. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/42 "2020-06-25T14:17:16Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > better delineation of the posts (box around each post or a clearly visible horizontal bar separating them) Everybody seems to be complaining about this. I find the link, “…” and reply buttons quite sufficient to separate posts. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/43 "2020-06-25T14:24:02Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’m really surprised to learn that so many people have their window covering the whole screen. I’m visually oriented, and I find the distraction of the desktop to be very annoying. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/44 "2020-06-25T14:45:49Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > I’m really surprised to learn that so many people have their window covering the whole screen. > > I’m visually oriented, and I find the distraction of the desktop to be very annoying. I am also visually oriented. I think the difference is that I like clutter. I find it welcoming and friendly. I mean, I want to be able to find my stuff, but “the big cohesive rectangle in front” is visually distinctive to me. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/45 "2020-06-25T15:16:35Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > – Kimera757, I have screenshots of the old forum; plus, believe it or not, a window with several tabs still open in it (though that’s bound to get closed eventually, at which point it’ll disappear.) Total horizontal margins on that are less than an inch; just a narrow white strip on each side. Length of text lines adjusts with window width. I accidentally switched to the new theme on Reddit, and that has the same huge gaps that this forum (or theme) has. The issue isn’t a “waste of space”. (I’m reading this on a desktop screen, so it’s pretty big.) However it’s not a good aesthetic, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/46 "2020-06-25T16:03:31Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Oooh, as of this evening, mouseover works in Discourse Classic. 😃 > > Good! They’re getting more of the best goodies in more of the themes. > > My Most-Preferred Goodies, that I hope they will get into ALL the themes, are still: > (a) Threads List page shows OP and latest posters’ names in plain-text, along with time-stamp (as in Sam’s Theme). > (b) Mouse-over previews (as in SD themes and now, Discourse) > (c ) The SD version of the SDMB banner. > (d) Time stamps, wherever they appear, to show actual date and time. > > And, of course: better delineation of the posts (box around each post or a clearly visible horizontal bar separating them), and less white space. > > These still seem to be among the Most Preferred Goodies that a LOT of people are mentioning here, and I hope ALL the themes can get them. > > > [@Omniscient](#): > > > > I think the problem is that the OP chose a entertaining but ultimately misleading title here. > > > > People are making a lot of comments that are about missing or funky features, which is important to sort out but not actually part of the “theme”. > > > > I don’t think anyone really wants to collapse down to only having a single theme available. One theme probably can’t serve everyone’s needs. But things like mouseover and last edited date need to work uniformly across all the themes. > > Yes, this. > [@Senegoid](#): > > My Most-Preferred Goodies, that I hope they will get into ALL the themes, are still: > (a) Threads List page shows OP and latest posters’ names in plain-text, along with time-stamp (as in Sam’s Theme). > (b) Mouse-over previews (as in SD themes and now, Discourse) > (c ) The SD version of the SDMB banner. > (d) Time stamps, wherever they appear, to show actual date and time. > > And, of course: better delineation of the posts (box around each post or a clearly visible horizontal bar separating them), and less white space. > > These still seem to be among the Most Preferred Goodies that a LOT of people are mentioning here, and I hope ALL the themes can get them. Hear, hear! ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/47 "2020-06-25T16:59:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And as someone with progressive glasses, I actually hate really wide text. That’s why it took me a while to find that slider everyone was talking about – my window was too narrow to support it, because I had made the window a “comfortable” width for me. I’m really surprised to learn that so many people have their window covering the whole screen. I never saw t his slider. I still don’t. I would like such a slider, if possible, as I’d like it to be wider. (Right now I’m seeing the right scroll bar, but there’s too much “white space” around it.) ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/48 "2020-06-25T18:13:38Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > I never saw t his slider. I still don’t. I would like such a slider, if possible, as I’d like it to be wider. (Right now I’m seeing the right scroll bar, but there’s too much “white space” around it.) Is there a box at the bottom-right of your screen that says 48/48 or something similar? Click on it to get your slider. (How it looks varies from device to device.) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/49 "2020-06-25T18:16:24Z")
How are themes switched? I have looked but I can’t find anything. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/50 "2020-06-25T18:20:41Z")
Click on your avatar in the upper-right. Click on the bell. Choose Preferences from the top bar (or change the first box to that), choose Interface from the side bar (or change the second box to that). Don’t forget to Save Changes. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/51 "2020-06-25T18:54:26Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Is there a box at the bottom-right of your screen that says 48/48 or something similar? Click on it to get your slider. (How it looks varies from device to device.) I don’t see anything like that, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/52 "2020-06-25T18:56:11Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > I don’t see anything like that, sorry. What device and OS are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/53 "2020-06-25T18:57:44Z")
Windows 10 desktop. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/54 "2020-06-25T18:57:52Z")
You only get that on mobile. On desktop the slider is always there, on the right side of the page. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/55 "2020-06-25T19:02:16Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > Windows 10 desktop.  > [@Manduck](#): > > You only get that on mobile. On desktop the slider is always there, on the right side of the page.  Yeah, the slider should be there. Maybe try changing your theme. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/56 "2020-06-25T19:03:46Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Yeah, the slider should be there. Maybe try changing your theme. We might not be talking about the same thing. I see a slider on the right of the page (currently 54/55), but that lets me scroll up and down. It doesn’t make the page wider. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/57 "2020-06-25T19:05:20Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > We might not be talking about the same thing. I see a slider on the right of the page (currently 54/55), but that lets me scroll up and down. It doesn’t make the page wider.  Yep, that’d be the problem. I don’t know of one that lets you make the page wider unless it’s a setting in your browser or something. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/58 "2020-06-25T19:52:48Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > And as someone with progressive glasses, I actually hate really wide text. That’s why it took me a while to find that slider everyone was talking about – my window was too narrow to support it, because I had made the window a “comfortable” width for me. I’m really surprised to learn that so many people have their window covering the whole screen. > > I never saw t his slider. I still don’t. I would like such a slider, if possible, as I’d like it to be wider. (Right now I’m seeing the right scroll bar, but there’s too much “white space” around it.) I was referring to the slider that navigates up and down in the thread. Or “scroll bar”. I didn’t see it at first, because I had my window narrow enough that Discourse hid it to give more room to the text. I change the width of my window in the usual way, grabbing a corner of it with a mouse (or touch pad, actually.) I don’t LIKE really wide windows. So I was confused that everyone was complaining about white space and talking about this awesome slider that promptly navigated to where-ever you wanted to be in the thread. When I dragged my window wider, I found the slider. When I made it crazy-wide I saw the white space that bothers so many. Sorry for any confusion. As you might gather from my story, Discourse actually wants to use a little more horizontal space than I want to give it. I have no problem with horizontal white space. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/59 "2020-06-25T19:55:18Z")
Also, I just set my text preference to “smaller” and see more on the screen this way. I think I’ll stick with “smaller” ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-theme-to-rule-them-all/912639/60 "2020-06-25T19:58:40Z")
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