in reply to Use a Different Default Theme When Authenticated

People are free to do that already.

So did you want us to change the theme out from under all of the existing users that use the default theme or change the non-authenticated theme to one of the themes that the smarter authenticated users are currently using to distinguish when they are logged in. (:

I'm curious if you bothered to think through how something like this might be done. The only acceptable way I can see this being done is to develop a new theme and making that the theme for unauthenticated users (which changes the look of the site for a huge number of visitors). Feel free to come up with a new conservative theme that would be suitable as the non-authenticated theme and is different enough from all of the existing themes that you don't create too much confusion for people who are already using some other theme to ensure they know when they are logged in. You'll still risk picking a theme too close to one being used by someone via CSS and forcing them to change.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")
  • Comment on (tye)Re: Use a Different Default Theme When Authenticated

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Re: (tye)Re: Use a Different Default Theme When Authenticated
by ignatz (Vicar) on Jul 22, 2002 at 15:25 UTC
    > I'm curious if you bothered to think through how
    > something like this might be done.

    As a matter of fact, yes I have. If it was me, I would have the site set someone's default theme to the red theme (or something else close but not the same) when they create a new account from now on. That way existing users don't notice any effect, and new users are clued into one of the site's features and it's easier for them to know that they are logged in.

    This suggestion is only to help prevent newer users from accidently posting as Anonymous until they get clued in to how the site works. Experienced users, of course, can do what they want. 

    ()-()
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[reply]
      I would have the site set someone's default theme to the red theme (or something else close but not the same) when they create a new account from now on.

      I never really played with my theme settings untill today, but having now seen the Red Theme in action I can safely say that if the very first thing that had happened when i registered was that everything went red -- it would have seemed very confusing, and i would have spent a lot of time trying to figure out why.

      Defaults for newusers should not be different from "visitors" so as to preserve the "element of least surprise"

      Personally: I think the lack of an XP Nodlet, the lack of voting radio buttons, and the giant "Login" Nodlet at the top right of every page is a pretty good indicator to regular users that they aren't logged in. For people who need a bigger reminder ... that's why they can customize their own theme.

[reply]
        I've just noticed a lot of people posting accidentally as Anonymouse Monk and then following it up with another post lamenting the fact that they forgot to log in. Since I use the dark theme, I never have that problem. It just seemed like a cute idea to use the sites ability to change look and feel to reenforce the state of the user with a little change in color.

        > ...red -- it would have seemed very confusing,

        Would green be better?

        > the lack of voting radio buttons,

        New users don't see the radio voting buttons since they can't vote yet.

        > preserve the "element of least surprise"

        The fact that users so easily confuse the state that they are in seems to go against that rule. Using color to reenforce state just seemed like good UI design to me. 

        ()-()
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[reply]
          Defaults for newusers should not be different from "visitors" so as to preserve the "element of least surprise"

        Mentioning that "Perl Monks' colour scheme will be green, not blue, by default when you log in" in the new-user password email from vroom may not completely eliminate the surprise (since when do users RTFM? :-), but it'll at least give us another "that's not a bug, it's a feature" to harp on about at new, confused users besides the Stumbit button. :-)

        --
        The hell with paco, vote for Erudil!
        :wq

[reply]

      Actually I much love this idea. I've been /msg'ing the tip to change their theme to monks who made such a mistake, and having it being done automatically for them seems like a good idea.

      I do agree with hossman that the red theme would be confusing. Furthermore, I think the registration confirmation page or another one tied to the registration process should explain to users that the site is going to look different now, and explain to them why.

      I think newcomers will gratefully welcome this feature. ++!

      Makeshifts last the longest.

[reply]

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