Background colors make it hard to read new message text

[froglips]

I'm opening this on behalf of Joe Lyddon.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showpost.php?p=242299&postcount=28

Joe, chime in if I'm not understanding the issue.

I beleive he is reporting the help text for the Buttons you see in the Message window are not all showing.

i.e. if you hold your cursor over the "B", it pops up help text "Bold".

For me, using FF 3.5 on Linux, I see all the help text on all the buttons, so I'm probably able to see whats missing.

Jim

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I'm opening this on behalf of Joe Lyddon.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showpost.php?p=242299&postcount=28

Joe, chime in if I'm not understanding the issue.

I beleive he is reporting the help text for the Buttons you see in the Message window are not all showing.

i.e. if you hold your cursor over the "B", it pops up help text "Bold".

For me, using FF 3.5 on Linux, I see all the help text on all the buttons, so I'm probably able to see whats missing.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Basically, what I am saying does not just pertain to the POPUP window upgrade, but to the whole website.

There are places where Text wants to be displayed to denote Primary (unread, important) information, but Secondary (read, not as important) information. What I am describing is the Secondary display... The shade of color is SO Lightly Gray that it is hard (for my 73 old eyes) to see and read the text that is almost NOT THERE.

Yes, I know that I can increase the size of the font, highlight/select, make things BOLDER, etc. so I can read it... In the past (& now) I have been doing just that... BUT, I'm getting tired of doing that.
(Popular Woodworking was doing the same thing in their email & blog entries... until I brought it to their attention). In this last case, I clicked the POPUP icon, while trying Quick Reply, got the popup window & my pics... I clicked a pic... saw nothing happen... I clicked another one... NOTHING (that I saw)...

edit: I tried it again later, as a plain "Reply" instead of "Quick Reply" and the text color WAS BLACK and easy to read... Very light gray in the Quick Reply window.

Later, after I had made the posting, I noticed, after looking real hard, that there were entries made in the Reply window that I missed because I couldn't see it.

All I am proposing, is to darken the light gray font so there is a little more contrast to the white background; right now, the very light gray, to me, is almost not even there.

For an Example solution: If the regular Primary text is Blue, make the Secondary text unbolded Black... something different, but readable by experienced eyes. :gar-Bi

Like right now, the text that I'm typing is easy to read, unbolded, Black... This shade of text would work out just fine in the other Secondary Text locations on the website.

I hope I have made it clear now.

For me, using FF 3.5 on Linux, I see all the help text on all the buttons, so I'm probably able to see whats missing.
I'm using the Opera browser... I like it better than FF & MSIE... There is something different in the coding of the New Mouseover POPUP Icon Help Text and the Other Icons... It is the only one that works for me. Most of them, I know; some of them, I don't know what they are.

Thank you for listening.

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Re: Help text for message buttons

Jim,

What happened to the Post I made?

NOW it's there!!
It was NOT there before... Am I going NUTS or something?!

 

[froglips]

Re: Help text for message buttons

Its the magic of the internet!

I think I'm starting to follow, we'll see what other staffers think.

Jim

Jim,

What happened to the Post I made?

NOW it's there!!
It was NOT there before... Am I going NUTS or something?!

 

[SteveColes]

Re: Help text for message buttons

Its the magic of the internet!

I think I'm starting to follow, we'll see what other staffers think.

Jim

I don't understand where Joe is talking about. Can someone lead me through the issue

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I don't understand where Joe is talking about. Can someone lead me through the issue

Steve, That is NOT the main issue... just a system/mind fluke...

Here is the Main issue:

Basically, what I am saying does not just pertain to the POPUP window upgrade, but to the whole website.

There are places where Text wants to be displayed to denote Primary (unread, important) information, but Secondary (read, not as important) information. What I am describing is the Secondary display... The shade of color is SO Lightly Gray that it is hard (for my 73 old eyes) to see and read the text that is almost NOT THERE.

Yes, I know that I can increase the size of the font, highlight/select, make things BOLDER, etc. so I can read it... In the past (& now) I have been doing just that... BUT, I'm getting tired of doing that.
(Popular Woodworking was doing the same thing in their email & blog entries... until I brought it to their attention). In this last case, I clicked the POPUP icon, while trying Quick Reply, got the popup window & my pics... I clicked a pic... saw nothing happen... I clicked another one... NOTHING (that I saw)...

edit: I tried it again later, as a plain "Reply" instead of "Quick Reply" and the text color WAS BLACK and easy to read... Very light gray in the Quick Reply window.

Later, after I had made the posting, I noticed, after looking real hard, that there were entries made in the Reply window that I missed because I couldn't see it.

All I am proposing, is to darken the light gray font so there is a little more contrast to the white background; right now, the very light gray, to me, is almost not even there.

For an Example solution: If the regular Primary text is Blue, make the Secondary text unbolded Black... something different, but readable by experienced eyes. :gar-Bi

Like right now, the text that I'm typing is easy to read, unbolded, Black... This shade of text would work out just fine in the other Secondary Text locations on the website.

I hope I have made it clear now.

For me, using FF 3.5 on Linux, I see all the help text on all the buttons, so I'm probably able to see whats missing.
I'm using the Opera browser... I like it better than FF & MSIE... There is something different in the coding of the New Mouseover POPUP Icon Help Text and the Other Icons... It is the only one that works for me. Most of them, I know; some of them, I don't know what they are.

Thank you for listening.

 

[SteveColes]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I'm sorry Joe, but I really don't quite where you are talking about. For instance, you say "Secondary" and I don't now what you mean. Please give me a specific sequence of actions and then explicity show me the area where the text is too light.

I'm not doubting you, I just don't understand. Please help me, help you.

 

[McRabbet]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I'm fairly certain that Joe is referring to the listings of threads on the Home page or New Posts or Today's Posts. He is having trouble reading the entries that have been read versus the entries that are New Threads shown in Bold Taxt. Apparently, his browser has a very low contrast color selected for the threads that have been read, because he claims he cannot read them. One suggestion is for him to increase the contrast control on his monitor. The only other option I can think of is for him to select the default vBulletin template (far bottom left of Home Screen when scrolled down), but most key features (custom menues) for this site would be lost.

 

[froglips]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I now follow better.

I don't use Quick Reply, so I had to try it out. I now see what he means.

The text box you type in for a Quick Reply message is very hard to read, as he points out.

Also, if you use the "Enhanced Interface" Editor. The backgroud color of the Message window is a blue (light grey). For the other two Message Editor modes the background color is white, much easier to read.

Joe chime in if I'm wrong, we could look at changing the background colors from blue/light grey to white for Quick Reply and "Enhanced Editor" Message window.

Jim

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Re: Help text for message buttons

froglips... Yep you found what I'm talking about...

It seems that there are other instances on the website where that condition is found...

The only thing I could do now, would be to do some screen capturing and post pictures of what I'm trying to say... If you want, I will do that... but will take a little time to do.

 

[froglips]

Re: Help text for message buttons

Excellent, now I got it.

Let me speak with the Staff, just want to be sure they are ok with my idea or they would want a different solution to such a style change.

Thanks also for your patience, this stuff is always fun to work through ;-)

Jim

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Re: Help text for message buttons

OK, no rush...

Did you notice a difference in the Coding of the Icon Mouseover Descriptions, the latest ICON you added for the Picture handling WORKED (for me & Opera browser)... the other Icons don't display the Mouseover descriptions? (happens in the Normal Reply window... that I'm typing in right now)

Thank you...

 

[froglips]

Re: Help text for message buttons

I'll start a seperate HelpDesk request for this issue, I think it might be Opera specific.

We are discussing the background color issue, we didn't forget

Thanks,
Jim

OK, no rush...

Did you notice a difference in the Coding of the Icon Mouseover Descriptions, the latest ICON you added for the Picture handling WORKED (for me & Opera browser)... the other Icons don't display the Mouseover descriptions? (happens in the Normal Reply window... that I'm typing in right now)

Thank you...

 

[froglips]

Hey Joe, after much deliberation I decided to get a Papa Johns pizza.

Er, wrong forum....

I've changed both the WYSIWYG editors and the Quick Reply message text windows to white background, black text.

That makes its consistent across the site and much easier to read.

Let me know if this works for you, and I can close out this issue.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Hey froglips!

From now on, all you have to do is get a PIZZA!

It worked!!

Although, I found that I was not getting 'into' the Quick Reply properly... The new Picture Select Icon in the QR window works w/o being into the Quick Reply process... (but still in the light text)... No big deal... I was trying to do something illegal anyway!

I now know how to get INTO it and use it... However, the plain ole Post Reply is probably easier.

BUT, in other areas of the website where that lightly colored text is used should now be Black, if I understand your change properly.

I hope the PIZZA was good... it sure helped you on this one!

Thank you!