Spoiler highlight = fugly. A suggestion.

[Otaku America]

[COLOR=Navy]Hi,

I just have a suggestion and it's about [spoiler]the spoiler tags.[/spoiler] It might only be me but I find this kinda distracting & very ugly.

Instead of using the censorship tag can you create a spoiler button? For example, when someone wants to view a spoiler he/she would have to click on the spoiler button, and from there (under the spoiler button) a box would expand and reveal the spoiler.

For example:

[Spoiler Button]

Blank

[Spoiler Button pressed]

Spoilers abound.

Do you understand the words commin' out of my mouth? If so, don't you think this could be very convient.[/COLOR]

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=SeaGreen]A believe [URL=http://www.tip.it/runescape/index.php?rs2quest_id=21]this[/URL] proves a perfect example of what you're suggesting. It's an idea to look into, I agree. However, that'd be a pain for someone who just wanted to spoiler tag a sentence or word. That's my opinion on it.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Hack Helba][FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=SeaGreen]A believe [URL=http://www.tip.it/runescape/index.php?rs2quest_id=21]this[/URL] proves a perfect example of what you're suggesting. It's an idea to look into, I agree. However, that'd be a pain for someone who just wanted to spoiler tag a sentence or word. That's my opinion on it.[/COLOR'][/FONT][/quote]

The thing about that is all it does is hide the text. It still requires it all to take up the same amount of room. If you don't want to read the spoilers you're suddenly required to scroll down a large amount of blank space. It works fine there, but I sure wouldn't like it in a forum.

I've seen others that scroll everything down to fit in the new text, but I don't know how feasible stuff like that is for a forum.

The black boxes are ugly, I agree. When I originally pushed for their inclusion here I wasn't concerned with looks, but rather the fact that people were constantly ruining things (a lot of people back then thought they'd be useless, so don't ask me lol). I'm sure there would be better ways to implement it all... but at the same time, I like how obvious they are personally.

[Dagger]

I post with some regularity at a forum that uses spoiler buttons. Speaking personally, I hate them with a passion. They interrupt the flow of the post and, as Helba mentioned, make it inconvenient to spoiler-tag things like a single word (such as a character's name) or even just part of a sentence. Because of that, I think they actually end up discouraging their own use, if that makes any sense.

In my opinion spoiler buttons do have at least one excellent use, but it's not related to spoilers. If one wants to stick large images within the body of one's post, it saves a lot of space to hide them inside a spoiler button box, making viewing them optional but not a hassle.

Pale/white spoiler blocks--as opposed to the black ones we have now--might be a little easier on the eyes, although I can't say I've ever had much of a problem with the current set-up.

@Tony: Spoiler buttons can also be set up to look like [url=http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=530388&postcount=349][u]this[/u][/url], so that the same amount of space is consumed regardless of the length of the spoiler or the size of the image posted within them.

~Dagger~

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]Why don't you just make the colour of the spoiler boxes correspond with the skin? A bluish one for Liquid and a Purplish one for Geisha. It wouldn't solve the ugliness complete, but they'd look better anyway, and would be the easiest (I think) to implement.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE=Dagger]@Tony: Spoiler buttons can also be set up to look like [url=http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=530388&postcount=349][u]this[/u][/url], so that the same amount of space is consumed regardless of the length of the spoiler or the size of the image posted within them.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I was referring to that at the end with the stretching the post out thing... In that I don't know how feasible something like that is if you wind up with a large post or whatever. Personally I don't like the effect, but that's me.

[Otaku America]

[QUOTE=Dagger]I post with some regularity at a forum that uses spoiler buttons. Speaking personally, I hate them with a passion. They interrupt the flow of the post and, as Helba mentioned, make it inconvenient to spoiler-tag things like a single word (such as a character's name) or even just part of a sentence. Because of that, I think they actually end up discouraging their own use, if that makes any sense.

In my opinion spoiler buttons do have at least one excellent use, but it's not related to spoilers. If one wants to stick large images within the body of one's post, it saves a lot of space to hide them inside a spoiler button box, making viewing them optional but not a hassle.

Pale/white spoiler blocks--as opposed to the black ones we have now--might be a little easier on the eyes, although I can't say I've ever had much of a problem with the current set-up.

@Tony: Spoiler buttons can also be set up to look like [url=http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=530388&postcount=349][u]this[/u][/url], so that the same amount of space is consumed regardless of the length of the spoiler or the size of the image posted within them.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=Navy]
I agree and disagree. The reason I disagree is that the majority of the posts I've seen and read on this website usually contain massive amounts of spoilers, hence the half-a-page blackouts. Since this site has strict rules against spam-empty-like posts/threads, it would more convient to me to use a spoiler button.

I know I'm a new member here but I've been searchiing threads since the beginning(setting I have it on for the forums) and rarely found any posts that would just black-out a specific character's name. Since this site contains strict rules against empty threads you usually get very detailed threads/posts which contain large amounts of black-outs.

As for a character's name being blacked-out, I don't deem that to be a spoiler because if you only have a character's name, how would it be a spoiler with no other information? For example:

[spoiler]Vegeta.[/spoiler] If a person has never seen Dragonball Z and never heard about this character Vegeta, how would this spoil it for him if there are no other details that would describe this specifc character besides having the name Vegeta?

Unless you explain Vegeta into great detail which can either be a sentence(s) or a paragraph. Then if this were to happen, wouldn't it be more simple to just click the button and see the character's description opposed to highlighting a character's name? Yes, it would be weird if the spoiler button only blocked the character's name but then again, that name wouldn't be a spoiler without a description.

But I agree about highlighting a part of a sentence such as Vegeta [spoiler]turns into an ape.[/spoiler] Yeah, I guess I have no explanation for this part because there is no way around this one.

The only other thing I can think about is including both of these with their different spoiler tag codes. I really don't know what to say besides the dislike of the black-outs.

Like Dagger previously mentioned, you can at least change the highlight text into a more favorable color. Sky Blue would match the theme of the boards and would be more delightful to the eye. I get red-eye seeing black-outs. Infact, I think sky blue would be a better choice than the spoiler button. [/COLOR]

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS]I've seen spoiler-tags used that are the same colour as the site background, and it makes it very easy not to realise they're there. When I first started using OB, I had no idea how to reveal spoilers - I only found out when I accidentally highlighted a whole page. (Although obviously if I'd read the Stickies I'd have realised sooner.) The point is, if they're the same colour as the background and effectively invisible, it makes it difficult for new users that aren't used to them to realise they're there in the first place.

@Otaku America: "I hated the part where [spoiler]Vegeta[/spoiler] died". There's an example of a situation in which only a character's name might be tagged but revealing the spoiler would still be damaging.

The spoiler tags ain't broke, so let's not try and fix them. I'd rather have a page covered in fugly black boxes than accidentally find out the ending of Bleach.
[/font]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]To be honest, I think you're just being unnecessarily picky. As they are, spoiler tags are obvious and effective. It works fine. If it ain't broke don't fix it - it isn't really that much of an eyesore. Personally, I'd be repulsed by sky-blue.[/size]

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1']To be honest, I think you're just being unnecessarily picky. As they are, spoiler tags are obvious and effective. It works fine. If it ain't broke don't fix it - it isn't really that much of an eyesore. Personally, I'd be repulsed by sky-blue.[/size][/quote] [COLOR=teal]Oh, well, #### you! You ####ing ####er! You just have no taste, you know that?! T_T *Azure's sky-blue suggestion shattered*

Hey, why don't we just have both and people can pick their flavor? SPOILER tag and SPOILER2 tag? That way we don't have to look at the good and bad of either of them and just let the poster choose.[/COLOR]

[Sara]

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=teal]Oh, well, #### you! You ####ing ####er! You just have no taste, you know that?! T_T *Azure's sky-blue suggestion shattered*

Hey, why don't we just have both and people can pick their flavor? SPOILER tag and SPOILER2 tag? That way we don't have to look at the good and bad of either of them and just let the poster choose.[/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#6699cc]Something like [Spoiler2=skyblue]Vegeta!!!!112[/spoiler2] would make me grin.

...I must say. That sounds like it could be pretty snazzy. I'm envisioning veritable [i]rainbows[/i]. Huzzah!

Would something like that be possible?

But yeah. Personally, I don't mind the spoiler tags at all. I remember they took some tweaking to get to the point where they are now, but they've worked pretty well. The only thing that bugs me about them, aesthetically, is something like this:

[spoiler]I like pie. I also like pi :genius: I like pie and pi. Hurray for pi(e). Pi in the sky. Two are pie! I am a cutie pi. :catgirl: Pie are circular, unless you eat some. If you take a piece of pie, and measure how long it is, and then multiply it by two pi, you will have the pie's circumference. Magpi. Pumpkin pi. Pie pie pi.[/spoiler]

The gap!! The gap!! It slays me.[/color]

[Semjaza]

Well, to fix that, don't put in really ugly smilies :p

Technically, vB allows you to insert "options". Meaning you can put in things similar to what Sara is saying. It would be possible to allow colors to change the spoilers appearance. I can't remember offhand if you can limit the options for a user to put in for something like this, however... which means people could use literally any color under the sun. It would look terrible and it would ruin any sort of cohesive quality... People would wonder why the spoilers were orange here and red there. Look at the things people ask already lol. It also runs the risk of people picking colors that match the background. (Of course, if you can limit the colors to certain ones, I guess it doesn't matter and the whole spoiler2 spoiler3 thing is possible).

Back when mathguy and I originally put these in (and then Justin again with this new skin, I assume) it was just a quick and dirty method to help ease all the ruined plotpoints I'd constantly see here. Appearance wasn't a concern. It works, it's obvious and it's easy to remedy because anyone can highlight things. Either way, it's just a bunch of blocks, so I don't know. I don't think I'd feel any better if they were blue, but whatever lol.

[Sara]

[quote name='Generic NPC #3']Well, to fix that, don't put in really ugly smilies :p[/quote][color=#6699cc]It's not really my use of ugly smilies that I'm concerned about. Other people use them, too, you know. :p

I think that a [spoiler=color] option wouldn't be too bad. Obviously, there's potential for abuse, but that's the same as with the text color itself.

Anyway, it's not needed, but it could be a fun toy.[/color]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]If this was implemented I can see somebody stumbling into this forum in a few months time, saying something along the lines of "why do u have wierd spoilers they al look silly and orang and red r bad colors for spoiler tagz why do u have them like that it looks silly u should change it!"

But hey, whatever, lol.[/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I've never had any problems with the current spoiler tag, though I can see how people would regard it as a bit of an eye-sore given enough exposure. The spoiler box is an interesting solution, though personally I think the little box that would appear using Dagger's example could be just as irritating as the black box we normally use.

Having the spoiler the same colour as the background might generate some problems, such as Raiyuu's example but why not have it a colour which blends in with the current colour scheme of the site ? A darker grey like on the Reply Button for instance would blend in well but also give away that there is a spoiler. As I said I'm not really bothered about the issue, a spoiler is a spoiler and it's aesthetic quality isn't really a huge issue.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Baron Samedi][size=1]If this was implemented I can see somebody stumbling into this forum in a few months time, saying something along the lines of "why do u have wierd spoilers they al look silly and orang and red r bad colors for spoiler tagz why do u have them like that it looks silly u should change it!"

But hey, whatever, lol.[/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]I was just thinking about that actually, I can just imagine some individual complaining that his/her eyes hurt from the multitude of coloured spoilers people used in a particularly spoiler-ridded thread.[/SIZE]

[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f]Speaking of spoiler tags, I have a request unrelated to this thread. Can spoiler tags be added to the menu like the other features? So we can just wrap spoiler tags around text with a click of a button?[/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f']Speaking of spoiler tags, I have a request unrelated to this thread. Can spoiler tags be added to the menu like the other deatures? So we can just wrap spoiler tags around text with a click of a button?[/COLOR][/quote]

Yeah, they can. A button has to be made, obviously. The only problem is that adding extra buttons to the menu can easily throw off the entire design. It's another set of pixels that weren't thought of originally. They might fit here though, I don't know lol.