Why are people so picky about themes?

[AnAccount]

Honestly, people are so picky about themes, and it's nuts. Why is it? I have always been, and still am, a firm believer that a person should feel grateful for what they have that's out there, and this includes forums. You can't please everyone. Some people will love your theme/logo whlie others will hate it. People should be lucky there are even forums at all. Think of all those countries that aren't as lucky as we are! They don't get to go on computers and they don't get to go on forums. And here everyone is complaining, "I don't like your theme" or "You need a different logo!" People should honestly get over it and realize if they don't like a person's forum, or they don't want a staff position because of an inactive forum, then don't bother replying! That's all I have to say. Sure, I have things I dislike about people's forums as well, but at least I understand that there are loads of forums on the Internet and I can always go to the next one if I don't like one forum for whatever reason.

Sorry, I had to rant, as this is driving me crazy. You can't please everyone on forums, and it seems like people just don't understand that.

 

[Nuke]

Indeed, Ashley. I generally don't care about the theme unless it like makes my hurts really hurt greatly enough to post it. I've encountered a few of those, to be honest. However...I do prefer it when the theme looks nice.

 

[Zaborg]

I'll make blank forum, no images, everything black and white.

Then what would you say?

 

[Joe 2]

Because you will see whatever theme a forum has the entire time you browse the forum. I've been a member here on FP for almost a year and I've used the same default theme the entire time. If the theme was not well executed and put together would you want to see it every time your at the forum? No. Now, most forums have no more then 4 themes and having crappy things that you don't want to see every time you browse and use the forum is a big turn off.

 

[Nuke]

Me? I'd be ok with that, actually. In fact, the first forum I was active on (3K posts now, top poster overall) originally had a complete black (#000000) theme with grey (#333333) borders on everything. I loved it. I'm making one of the two themes I'm making for UW (The dark one) a simple upgrade of it.

 

[Zaborg]

People are just different nowadays, they need something different since we have soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many forums/sites with almost identical style/theme.

 

[Nuke]

Nah...most people probably don't care about if it's custom, default, or for public use, so long as it looks nice.

 

[AnAccount]

I'll make blank forum, no images, everything black and white.

Then what would you say?

Again, it all boils down to being grateful for what you have. And I do realize, again that there are other forums I can just as easily be posting on.

Me? I'd be ok with that, actually. In fact, the first forum I was active on (3K posts now, top poster overall) originally had a complete black (#000000) theme with grey (#333333) borders on everything. I loved it. I'm making one of the two themes I'm making for UW (The dark one) a simple upgrade of it.

Likewise! I'm a member of a 3 year old forum that's still on PHPBB2, but it has a really nice Subsilver theme, which is actually my favorite theme on PHPBB2. They don't have a logo, but the community is nice and everyone gets along really well.

 

[Uphoreka]

Do you want to make your forum look unique and awesome? or crappy and scratchy?

 

[fantanoice]

The theme is the first thing people see, so it helps to make a good first impression with a forum.

That's why they're important.

 

[Nuke]

I want mine to look cool. I'm just saying I don't care about how a forum looks personally unless it hurts my eyes.

 

[David]

Goodness; I can't begin to think how irrational some of the arguments are.

How many forums are there on the Internet, and how many of them (by percentage) do you think have the same theme? Which theme is most popular? How do you know that?

Genre-wise, the default vBulletin theme is seen to be the most popular, with limited variations amongst forums (maybe width, an added sidebar, layout). It's a professionally designed theme, so why the need for change? Yet there are many webmasters who opt into that theme over others; not that there are limited themes, but more that it's a good theme to use for business, webmaster, advertising, general niche forums.

Anyway, if you've seen the use of a theme somewhere else, then you've really got to check out the other million forums before you decide that theme is overused or doesn't look right or needs change. Going on 10 forums you've seen from the FP Basic Promotion area isn't going to give you a good sample size for the World Wide Web.

 

[AnAccount]

Goodness; I can't begin to think how irrational some of the arguments are.

How many forums are there on the Internet, and how many of them (by percentage) do you think have the same theme? Which theme is most popular? How do you know that?

Genre-wise, the default vBulletin theme is seen to be the most popular, with limited variations amongst forums (maybe width, an added sidebar, layout). It's a professionally designed theme, so why the need for change? Yet there are many webmasters who opt into that theme over others; not that there are limited themes, but more that it's a good theme to use for business, webmaster, advertising, general niche forums.

Anyway, if you've seen the use of a theme somewhere else, then you've really got to check out the other million forums before you decide that theme is overused or doesn't look right or needs change. Going on 10 forums you've seen from the FP Basic Promotion area isn't going to give you a good sample size for the World Wide Web.

That sounds like a wise word to all Webmasters... basically the overall, "don't judge a book by it's cover rule" if nothing else.

 

[.Xstinct]

What about the fact that a board/forum with a one of a kind custom Theme/Skin....actually shows they put some freaking effort in it,instead of using something everybody else does?

 

[David]

What about the fact that a board/forum with a one of a kind custom Theme/Skin....actually shows they put some freaking effort in it,instead of using something everybody else does?

But who is "everybody else"? You would have to have seen a very limited amount of forums to make that judgment. Then again, it depends on the balance between content and design. Which do you focus more on? etc.

 

[agentmanningctu]

Why are we picky about themes? If the forum looks bad, people won't join.

Who cares if a theme is used a lot. That usually means it's good.

 

[.Xstinct]

But who is "everybody else"? You would have to have seen a very limited amount of forums to make that judgment. Then again, it depends on the balance between content and design. Which do you focus more on? etc.

Oh Lord , I've seen too many forums with the same old skins all over again.
And in my eyes content and design go together,but that's just probably me.

 

[AnAccount]

Why are we picky about themes? If the forum looks bad, people won't join.

Who cares if a theme is used a lot. That usually means it's good.

Exactly. If ten or more people are using, say, the Absolution theme, then that means that the theme is really popular with those 10 forums and that people really like it.

 

[David]

Oh Lord , I've seen too many forums with the same old skins all over again.
And in my eyes content and design go together,but that's just probably me.

Then if you can make that judgment, you can safely say you've seen at least 1000 different forums, to get a fair sample size?

 

[Kaynil]

I've learned that most of the time when an admin doesn't put effort in their theme, they won't really put an effort in their community either. I am not saying that is an absolute. I am sure there are cases where admins do all in their knowledge in order to have a great time together.

Even though I can be turned down by a default skin, it makes to me the difference the activity, or the desire to fight for it from the staff, or just a friendly bunch around. Sometimes all it takes for me is the admin to be around in her/his small forum and I'll join, because I like it, out of my will.

It is not just the theme, but the 'effort'. Most of the people that complains for what they interpret as a lack of effort. It doesn't always mean they aren't aware forums is a great tool and that perhaps it would be good to stop and think about the goodies in technology we have access to. It is just that precisely with some many tools to customize your forums to add a bit of yourself to it, many people doesn't even bother with it.

But each to its own. Some people will be happy with your theme, some other will not. Some will be polite and will genuinely try to help, some other will be just a bunch of jerks acting like know-it-all. I've always said it and will keep it, the code and visual is never as important as the members. The community is the people. A forum without a community may be the best software with the best looking skin and still be a failure if it has no members to bring discussion or is only populated by bullies.

Just like Ashley mentioned it, just move on if you don't like it,, but making a big deal out of it, doesn't really make us any smarter.