Outage 2024-05-22

[Andrew Slater]

The forum will be offline from 10pm BST on Wednesday 22nd May, for a software upgrade. The outage will be kept as short as possible, but from recent experience, I won't venture a guess as to the timing.

[Andrew Slater]

I thought I'd bump this up to the top in case anyone had missed it and the forum notice.

[Andrew Slater]

The upgrade is complete.

The main new visible feature of version 6.0.4 is that if you haven't chosen an avatar you will be allocated a coloured square containing the first initial of your name.

If you notice any anomalies please post here or on the anomalies thread.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks, Andrew, for undertaking the change so speedily.

[Petrushka]

The big letter in the coloured box is way too prominent. The old grey face that featured for those without an avatar was suitably anonymous and a good deal easier on the eye.

[pastoralguy]

Hmm

[french frank]

Another day, other upgrade ... Many thanks to Andrew and Mark who work with maximum efficiency by now. I got tied up in another tiresome online 'upgrade' so missed all the fun.

I always thought the avatars, whether personalised or standard, were too big on the POSTS view which is why I permanently use LATEST ACTIVITY. Since there are over 60 Ps, the initial seems anonymous enough (especially if you use a pseudonym); the background colours seem to be allocated randomly.

[oddoneout]

The big letter in the coloured box is way too prominent. The old grey face that featured for those without an avatar was suitably anonymous and a good deal easier on the eye.

That's my view as well. I find I can't see at a glance who has posted as my eye has to fight past the Big Letter whereas I don't find the avatars dominate, and in any case are more easily remembered so reading the poster's name isn't as necessary. Odd perception thing as of course the box is the same size, but the letter version just seems so much bigger. I haven't looked in enough detail yet but do those who share an initial get different shades of pink or whatever? (And can I change the colour if I don't like the one allocated?) The underlying feeling of machine generated "we know best what you want, so put up with it" niggles every time I encounter it, in this not so wonderful digital world.
However, the most important thing is that the Forum is still there and so I extend my thanks to those who make that possible. Whatever the niggles they are still, to me, worth tolerating for the community and its ability to inform, entertain and support.

[Andrew Slater]

The big letter in the coloured box is way too prominent. The old grey face that featured for those without an avatar was suitably anonymous and a good deal easier on the eye.

If you would like to use the old avatar I have uploaded a copy to the FoR3 website. Just navigate to 'My Profile' and edit your avatar, linking to this:

https://www.for3.org/default_avatar_medium.png

[LMcD]

If you would like to use the old avatar I have uploaded a copy to the FoR3 website. Just navigate to 'My Profile' and edit your avatar, linking to this:

https://www.for3.org/default_avatar_medium.png

The choice of colours for the 4th avatar from the left in the current list of current users online makes it VERY difficult to read.

[Serial_Apologist]

The big letter in the coloured box is way too prominent. The old grey face that featured for those without an avatar was suitably anonymous and a good deal easier on the eye.

At least you can't get fined for illegal parking, Pet!

[Petrushka]

The boxed letter may not seem too dominant on a PC/laptop but it certainly is on my phone!

[LMcD]

The boxed letter may not seem too dominant on a PC/laptop but it certainly is on my phone!

Certainly dominant on my desktop!

[Pulcinella]

Certainly dominant on my desktop!

More like the subdominant on my iPad!