Forum Aesthetic ✨✨

[AstralPasta]

Wotcha!

This has been on my mind. I like the utilitarian aspect of this website, the practicalness, the occult info around the site headers are really useful, it’s easy to tell what all the buttons mean, and I like the changing headers. But I feel like there isn’t a unifying aesthetic otherwise, or theme, or a vibe.

Like Aeclectic had a vibe. It was purple and mysterious and a matter of fact and practical. Occult things, mathy stuff, literature stuff, psychology, and some strong woowoo too. That’s the vibe to me. There’s also that other tarot forum, and they have a vibe for sure too.

I know there’s a setting to change the theme somewhere, but I don’t use it because I want to see what others are seeing, like a home page. I like the universality of knowing what CoT is.

It doesn’t have to be in your face, or clog up the site speed with one million custom graphics, but I feel like a color you associate with the forum, or subtle fancy interior design hacks would be nice. I think the forum as it is is mainly using the default theme for the platform, which can be a little weird if you travel around various forums that have the same platform. I’d like to feel like the CoT as a whole is a home or a place of sorts, the way forums can be.

I like the Elegance Aqua theme, but the buttons change. I’m going to give it a whirl though.

Maybe something green and mossy and foresty, like a sacred grove, or a misty/temperate rainforest/jungle? That’s what the header I see now and icon sort of remind me of, Pan in Arcadia and mysterious woods. The space one would match that too I think.

Unfortunately, I’m not great with CSS yet and my design choices tend to be...bawdy and clashing (I like it, but it hurts people’s eyes haha). I’m aesthetically challenged, but I have come to appreciate it’s role. So I can’t offer much help Except research maybe.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Hah! Or we could go cult movies with a tarot twist, rickety haunted house, young Frankenstein it up! Hahahaha, I kid, I kid.

[Diana]

I don't know the name of the theme I use but it's green and the spaces where we write are white. And the information in the boxes are sort of a gentle pink.

Yes, the purple of Aeclectic certainly did provide for a unique experience. Solandia was well inspired when she chose it. However, on the other tarot forum you speak of, I don't know what vibe you're talking about. Maybe it's the theme I use but I really don't like it. I did try some other themes but they were worse.

I actually appreciate the "starkness" of this discussion board. I find that our contributions stand out more, we're not distracted by unnecessary things. I wanted to write to Joan Marie once to ask her if we couldn't have some nicer emoticons that we could use to express better our feelings. Then I changed my mind. I thought that some people (and I am guilty of this sometimes) use and overuse emoticons and it kind of ends up like clutter.

PhPBB forums are really great. I used them with my friend Anna when we run two discussion forums on the Tarot. They're the best!

[Joan Marie]

Thanks for the feedback.

To tell you the honest truth, I get quite a lot of feedback that is just exactly the opposite.

And sometimes those heavy vibes (like the purple or the woodsy elfin worlds) get a little stale after a very short time. That is my feeling.

This platform and the style were chosen for their usability, technical stability and compatibility with plugins and capacity for growth, not just in size but in development of features over a long time.

I do have plans to expand certain parts (new parts in development) onto a wordpress site that will co-exist with the forum in a seamless sort of way. That will offer more aesthetic options and functionality.

It's a ton of work. And I'm learning as I go. And I have other tarot-related projects.

And seriously, I like this place and the way it looks right now. I think it's fun and lively and that's a vibe to me.

[Joan Marie]

I wanted to write to Joan Marie once to ask her if we couldn't have some nicer emoticons that we could use to express better our feelings. Then I changed my mind. I thought that some people (and I am guilty of this sometimes) use and overuse emoticons and it kind of ends up like clutter.

People really do overuse emoticons and I hate what that does to the overall look and feel of any forum.

BUT- I know what you mean. They are really helpful, and I do like to use them myself sometimes.
There are sites to get emoticons as needed and add them to messages. And doing it that way, people are less likely to get carried away.

Here are some links I use all the time:

https://coolsymbol.com/

https://emojipedia.org/people/

You just copy the one you want from the site and paste it into your post.

[AstralPasta]

I’m probably one to overuse emoticons. I think it’s because of my comic-minded brain. And they’re small pictures. My heart goes squee. Hahaha. I’ll try to be mindful. (I think it’s why I like the Medieval Scapini - tiny things in the backgrounds)

I understand! Oh good lord, I didn’t mean literally with the woodsy thing. (Leaves and apples indicating read posts, no no) That would be horrendous. I more meant color-wise, reminiscent of, this wine has plum notes, etc.

I hadn’t liked the theme and set-up on the other website, and I think it’s why I joined here instead, but I do appreciate that it’s got a specific feeling to it. Aeclectic was kinda medium in terms of vibe “weight” (anyone remember those fan-made websites for manga characters or celebrities? thems were heavy). I was more thinking of tweaking the setting here from spartan steel blue to something cozier.

I get if people like that though! It’s cool. And I do agree, it does make you focus more on the words when there’s less fluff. To me, it’s also an environmental thing though. Framing and stuff.

I am digging this Aqua theme I’m using now though. I might just stick with that. It’s like cream and teal and soft, but still simple and clear. The information above forums are light orange. I’m kinda a color fiend.

Also, no rush! It was just on my mind. Thanks for hearing me out

[Diana]

Off topic but I just have to say how I love the language feature on this board. There's loads of mistakes in the translations, but still it's great fun. For instance, I've just chosen the Maori language and am reading stuff in Maori ! I also tried a language that I'd been obliged to learn as a child at school (Afrikaans) to see how much I remembered. Not much but it was fun.

And now instead of pressing "submit", I press "tuku" which I assume means submit in Maori !!

[katrinka]

I'm VERY HAPPY that this place isn't contusion purple.

[Charlie Brown]

I didn't know we could change the theme. I just set my to "pycode." It's ominous like me.

[katrinka]

I didn't know we could change the theme. I just set my to "pycode." It's ominous like me.

Or at least occultish.
https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/pym/index.htm

[Joan Marie]

I’m probably one to overuse emoticons. I think it’s because of my comic-minded brain. And they’re small pictures. My heart goes squee. Hahaha. I’ll try to be mindful. (I think it’s why I like the Medieval Scapini - tiny things in the backgrounds)

I don't find you emoticon use to be excessive at all. There are people who really really go overboard. Not here, but I've seen it elsewhere to the point where I can't tell if I'm on a forum or watching cartoons.

Also, no rush! It was just on my mind. Thanks for hearing me out

I'm glad you found a theme you like. I can only offer themes that are compatible with all the plugins used here, like the info boxes on the home page for example.

I hope I didn't come across as cranky or unreceptive - I appreciate your comments and I know what you mean. A little subdued colour might be nice. I may get to figuring that out one day.

[Amoroso]

I use the pycode Night Mode, and it's made the CoT one of the more visually-pleasing forums I ever had the pleasure of participating in. I very much like the look and feel of the site.

[fire cat pickles]

I use the pycode Night Mode, and it's made the CoT one of the more visually-pleasing forums I ever had the pleasure of participating in. I very much like the look and feel of the site.

I have to second this! I really like the dark gray shade.