I am suggesting here to get rid of the size tag or limit it's use to certain numbers only. There are a few cases of people using it to hide something that changes the meaning of their post completely, and then they have to post again to justify the meaning of their post because most (if not all) people didn't see this hidden text.
Most recent example I can think of: http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=144522#144522
This is only a suggestion, an opinion. I don't care if it's going to change or not, but I think it'd be best if the size tage was limited to numbers higher than or equal to 9 (the current "small") value.
What do you guys think?
(Please don't stab me, I'm only expressing an opinion here) And by the way, this text is in size 9and this text is in size 7 (tiny)
I agree. The vast majority of cases where the size tag has been used, it has been extremely annoying. Either it has been abused to print overly big text (for absolutely no good reason), or conversely it has been used to print ridiculously small text which is extremely hard to read. (They may be easy to read in the poster's computer, but that size probably depends on browser settings and such, and in some people's computers, such as mine, they can get so ridiculously small that they are impossible to read without making the font bigger or copypasting it somewhere else.)
The size tag has no useful purpose IMHO, only annoying ones.
Would the same go for the color tag, which can be used to hide text as well as creating annoying emphasis?
How about ?
How about [quote]?
It is also used annoyingly sometimes.
These are social problems, not technical problems.
Valid uses for these tags exist, for example [size] is useful when making structured posts (resembling articles).
I think it should be addressed socially, not technically.
I think it should be addressed socially, not technically.
How about limiting its use to sizes 9 and up? That would be a technical solution to a social misconduct :)
The size tag should never be used with absolute numbers; only with %-relative numbers.
The meaning of the absolute numbers depends on the system it is being browsed on.
I agree too.
If it's relative, then don't permit things under 75% which is still readable by the vast majority of browser.
And are color in hexadecimal ? Would it be hard to remove a range of color, which are the alternate background of the post ?
Would the same go for the color tag, which can be used to hide text as well as creating annoying emphasis?
No comment. Never seen an annoying abuse.
How about ?
That's much more useful. No need to remove it.
How about [quote]?
It is also used annoyingly sometimes.
Definitely extremely useful, and in fact quite indispensable in a forum like this. I don't remember any annoying abuse of it.
The question is: Is being able to change the text size so useful that it deserves being supported? Abusing it is relatively common.
The question is not "can it be abused?" The question is "is it being actively abused, and does it have any useful purpose?"
I agree with Bisqwit in this matter,
1) Who cares if someone makes text really small or invisible? There are several extremely simple ways to remove formatting from a piece of text.
2) It serves a useful purpose to keep around. Even the small ones. Perhaps you don't use them, but some people do.
3) If you don't like reading small text, or think it's annoying, it's tiny, you can easily ignore it. If you're so OCD that you have to read every single bit of text posted on these forums you need another hobby.
Build a man a fire, warm him for a day,
Set a man on fire, warm him for the rest of his life.
I bet you all hate this
...
I've only seen one person abusing tags. I see no reason to remove it, but the again my browser has a built in "size of text cannot go under this" limit, and most of the instances I see it used are to just hide afterthoughts or other useless additions that are not normally part of the post content itself, kind of like a small easter egg.
Also, insert inside joke about just bonking text over the head with the chibikko-hammer here
The question is not "can it be abused?" The question is "is it being actively abused, and does it have any useful purpose?"
I agree with Bisqwit in this matter,
1) Who cares if someone makes text really small or invisible? There are several extremely simple ways to remove formatting from a piece of text.
2) It serves a useful purpose to keep around. Even the small ones. Perhaps you don't use them, but some people do.
3) If you don't like reading small text, or think it's annoying, it's tiny, you can easily ignore it. If you're so OCD that you have to read every single bit of text posted on these forums you need another hobby.
Thirding this opinion.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Also, it's kinda stupid that is permitted. And don't tell me there is a point to use it.
Small text might be useful but I do remember several times that small text that is clearly unreadable being abused. So a limit is needed.
Bisqwit wrote:
The size tag should never be used with absolute numbers; only with %-relative numbers.
That's what your forum is using by default, tiny, small, normal, large and huge.
Ex. Tiny is
Also, it's kinda stupid that is permitted. And don't tell me there is a point to use it.
Small text might be useful but I do remember several times that small text that is clearly unreadable being abused. So a limit is needed.
It's not like Bisqwit doesn't mod the board and remove abuses of the the size tag. Why impose an artificial limit? We all have brains, why not trust the members of this board to use them?
Phil wrote:
That's what your forum is using by default, tiny, small, normal, large and huge.
Ex. Tiny is
That's a phpBB default. It's easy to mod, I'm just guessing that Bisqwit hasn't gotten around to it because there's really no reason to. We all have gray matter in between our ears. It's not that difficult to use it and figure it out.
Build a man a fire, warm him for a day,
Set a man on fire, warm him for the rest of his life.
2) It serves a useful purpose to keep around. Even the small ones. Perhaps you don't use them, but some people do.
Could you provide a link to a post where ridiculously large or unreadably small text has been used for something useful?
I respond to a loaded question with a loaded question.
Can you provide a link to a post where ridiculously large or unreadably small text has been enough of a bother to warrant putting artificial limitations on the ability of users to post small or large text?
You are the one arguing for change, the onus is on you to provide a reason to hack up the board. Until that time, grow up. Small text and large text doesn't hurt you. The most it'll do is make a section of text unreadable until you hit the quote button, or copy and paste it into a text editor, or configure your browser to disallow large and small text. Boohoo, I can't read something for a whole two seconds. If you believe that is seriously a reason to ban or limit a useful tool, you need to rethink your priorities.
BB tags are tools. Tools have a useful purpose. Just because some nitwit stabbed himself in the face with a screwdriver doesn't mean that screwdrivers are bad or dangerous. Just because some klutz cut off his hand with a bandsaw doesn't mean that bandsaws should be banned. It means that we need to take a step back and think before using the tools that are given to us.
PS. This text is small because it is inflammatory, and tangential to the discussion, but I still need to say it. Warp, you are far to judgmental for your own good. Go and die in a fire.
Build a man a fire, warm him for a day,
Set a man on fire, warm him for the rest of his life.
Graphical smileys have been turned off (they are standard bbCode, right?) because the board administrator doesn't like them. A similar argument could be made, that those are social problems, not technical problems, and should be addressed socially, not technically.
In this case the board admin seems to like the technical gadget (and himself put tiny text at the end of his posts) so this discussion is probably going nowhere.
>Warp, you are far to judgmental for your own good. Go and die in a fire.
One should not fence in rubber boats.
Boohoo, I can't read something for a whole two seconds. If you believe that is seriously a reason to ban or limit a useful tool, you need to rethink your priorities.
No, I will not rethink my priorities just because you told me to! This is a serious boohoo we're dealing with here!
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Firefox has it in Tools->Options->content->advanced.
W00t! Thanks! If we ever meet in real life, I'll buy you a beer.
I guess I remove my vote for getting rid of the size tag. My new opinion is: Use the minimal font size in Firefox if you think some text is too small.
