Lemmings Forums

Site Boards => Site Discussion => Topic started by: Clam on May 26, 2009, 10:55:32 AM

Title: Links are invisible
Post by: Clam on May 26, 2009, 10:55:32 AM
This really bugged me on the old forums, and it looks like it hasn't got any better. Hyperlinked text blends too much in with regular text, which means its easy to miss unless it's made obvious in the post. I missed some links because of this, and only found them later when the thread was bumped again. You've probably noticed that I underline my links :)

Does anyone else find this annoying?

Can you please do something about this? Maybe make links in posts underline automatically?
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Dullstar on May 26, 2009, 11:15:31 PM
That would be great.  I'm trying to start underlining my links.  I mainly got it from my own website, where the theme made the link text the EXACT SAME COLOR!

Please.  Do it like this for example!

Code: [Select]
Whatever (http://www.whatever.whatever)
Meh.  Can't get it to appear bigger.  It doesn't matter whether the underline command (the u) is outside or inside the link text area.

Anyways, if you did it right, your link should look like this (although with a different web address).  For example, remember how Mr. K had tLSb as an affiliate on the old site?

Well for example, a link there should look something like this!
tLSb
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Adam on May 26, 2009, 11:34:00 PM
Oh no! Underlined text is one of my biggest pet hates! Normally, I do something like this or this. Underlined text looks so messy.. it's alright for handwritten stuff, but bold / italic text is far better on a PC.

Just my opinion, of course!
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Dullstar on May 27, 2009, 12:01:20 AM
That works too, but I find underlining your links is just fine!
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Adam on May 27, 2009, 12:07:26 AM
I think that underlined text looks ugly compared to bold text or italicised text. I only use underlined text as a last resort! I just think there are better ways to highlight a link.. maybe change the colour instead!
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Mr. K on May 27, 2009, 12:09:25 AM
Personally, the links don't look like they blend in all that much.  But that's just my view.

I'll see if I can climb through the jungle of a CSS sheet that goes with the board theme and possibly bold the links or something.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Clam on May 28, 2009, 04:58:03 AM
Quote from: Adam on 2009-05-26 18:07:26
I think that underlined text looks ugly compared to bold text

My view is the opposite. I'm used to seeing underlined links, and bold ones wouldn't make sense to me.

The blue background isn't helping either. And changing the links to red won't be any good because then it'll look like the "page does not exist" :P
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Dullstar on May 28, 2009, 05:45:18 AM
No red links.  Underlined is the best, because it's most common, and bold ones are weird  Remember the links need an underline!
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Mindless on May 28, 2009, 07:42:55 AM
Maybe the zebra stripes can be a lighter shade of blue instead of changing the appearance of the links?
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: The Doctor on May 29, 2009, 04:18:23 AM
I don't know how flexible this forum software is, but there could be a choice. Perhaps a duplicate of the current theme with the underlined text, with the default as normal text.

I find having underlined text in the middle of a paragraph an accessibility concern. We did a big huge study on web usability at university, and underlines and strikethroughs make things look cluttered at the standard line spacing used on most web pages. Besides which, many modern browsers don't underline links unless they're hovered over. No point trying to go against the grain.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Dullstar on May 29, 2009, 05:27:39 AM
Eh?  Then how do you see links if they are colored just like the other text?  UNDERLINE THOSE LINKS.

For example, this is what a link to my website should look like:

Leafwing Studios Website

NOTICE THAT IT IS UNDERLINED.  WE ALL LIKE THAT.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Clam on May 29, 2009, 06:07:26 AM
What about changing the blue post backgrounds to green? That would better suit a Lemmings forum anyway.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: The Doctor on May 29, 2009, 09:59:31 AM
The colour scheme from the previous forums would be nice, the default green one. I used the default grey one myself.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Clam on May 29, 2009, 10:21:58 AM
Did your "web usability study" look into the effects of terrible animated avatars?

:P
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: The Doctor on May 29, 2009, 10:48:17 AM
That was a test :P

I just haven't bothered to change it back yet, lol.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Dullstar on May 30, 2009, 03:01:18 AM
I still vote to underline your links.
Title: Re: Links are invisible
Post by: Minim on October 11, 2009, 11:07:07 AM
Quote from: Clam Spammer on 2009-05-29 00:07:26
What about changing the blue post backgrounds to green? That would better suit a Lemmings forum anyway.

Now that the spoiler codes were up, we won't bother to change them anyway, and I like the blue background.

Anyway. I'm similar to Adam in terms of what links I like. I like bold links and italic links, but not underlined links (especially the black line). I have also seen broken links as well.