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October 29, 2007 11:20 AM

i just wanted to mention that the plain theme is looking real nice these days and to thank matt and pb for keeping it updated.

i use it at work, when i'm not, you know, working. it certainly looks professional with the white background and all, and though it lacks a giant best-of .gif and a microphone, it is overall a most pleasant interface to be goofing off at work from.

posted by quonsar to Etiquette/Policy at 11:20 AM (64 comments total)

Seconded. I've been appreciating the plain theme here at work, too.
posted by tracert at 11:31 AM on October 29, 2007

I'm looking forward to the iPhone interface for MeFi. Ahem.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:32 AM on October 29, 2007

Ditto. I've been using the plain theme since it first launched, and I've been grateful that everything works. Support for this stuff is usually the first thing web developers let fall to the wayside. Thanks, guys.
posted by Ryvar at 11:35 AM on October 29, 2007

The secret to the reasonably solid Plain Theme support is that Jess and I both use it and complain loudly via email when anything is broken.

(I don't actually like like the theme, personally, but it's definitely the better choice for my dayjob. As soon as I get home, it's wall-to-wall color on my Mefi.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:45 AM on October 29, 2007

The plain theme looks like somebody stuffed shit with vomit, wrapped it in aluminum foil, baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and then threw it as hard as they could at a Nazi flag draped over a brick wall.

I love it.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 11:51 AM on October 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

I love the plain theme. It just feels so weird and claustrophobic to switch back to the full-colour versions.
posted by maudlin at 11:52 AM on October 29, 2007

I heart the plain theme too. What are the stats on usage?
posted by sageleaf at 12:02 PM on October 29, 2007

Whoa, Mefi has a theming engine?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:03 PM on October 29, 2007

I like it too. It's just very clean and nice.
posted by sutel at 12:08 PM on October 29, 2007

I didn't even know this plain theme existed. It really does have that roasted stuffed shit with vomit pressed into nazi flag kinda look. It's fantastic.
posted by jefbla at 12:19 PM on October 29, 2007

I, too, adore the plain theme. It only took one, "What's that green website you're always looking at?" comment from a coworker to convince me to switch, and I've never looked back.
posted by vytae at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2007

What? I thought this entire thread was sarcastic until I realized there must be a new theme I wasn't aware of lol.
posted by lohmannn at 12:30 PM on October 29, 2007

Any chance of a plain plain text theme?
posted by blue_beetle at 12:45 PM on October 29, 2007

It's not as plain as it used to be! But I heart it all the same. Especially with serif fonts.
posted by bonaldi at 12:48 PM on October 29, 2007

I use and love the plain theme too, and am always delighted when Jessamyn mentions she uses it, because I know it's here to stay. 'tis indeed great.
posted by jamesonandwater at 12:48 PM on October 29, 2007

I didn't know this existed. Oh my god, I'm using it now - Molly - the love you feel inside? You take it with you!
posted by cashman at 1:01 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Wow. I switched to plain a few months back on a lark and forgot to change back. Now that I just switched back to default as an experiment I realize that it looks like dump. It actually looks like a headache projected onto the screen. Three One cheers for minimalism.
posted by creasy boy at 1:14 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

One of these days, we're going to roll out a new feature called Update Your Profile Or You Die. Then, well, we're gonna see who the real stubborn folks are.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:17 PM on October 29, 2007

Curse you quonsar. I was happy with the colors, did not know plain existed. I had to try the apple the glaring white. Hurried back to colors!
posted by Cranberry at 1:19 PM on October 29, 2007

THERE'S A MAN ON THE WING OF THIS PLAIN THEME!
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:19 PM on October 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

I object to the theming of MetaFilter. It divides the user base into coloured and non-coloured - exactly the kind of pernicious policy which made South Africa an international pariah for so long. Shame on you pb and mathowie! Never buy apples from these evil men.
posted by Abiezer at 1:23 PM on October 29, 2007

The conflict between good and evil is my favorite Mefi theme. As portrayed by fonts.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:29 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Wow, the white theme is perfect for work. Now if I can just stop fucking laughing.
posted by phaedon at 1:34 PM on October 29, 2007

Plainly, this theme is racist.
posted by chlorus at 1:35 PM on October 29, 2007

I tried it plain for work and wound up never going back. The strip at the top of the page is all the color I need. Thanks for this option.
posted by porn in the woods at 1:49 PM on October 29, 2007

Now if I can just stop fucking laughing.

Exactly. What's the point of a neutral theme when you're sat there chuckling to yourself.

Tho I think I may give it a go now anyway, after all that gushing praise...
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:52 PM on October 29, 2007

cortex and I use the plain theme, so we've been keeping on top of all the new rollouts and saying "Waaaah, what about the PLAIN theme???" I actually like the sucker, especially now that there's that little strip across the top so I don't get confused about where I am.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:55 PM on October 29, 2007

For ultrastealth I just tell Firefox to use No Style.
posted by zsazsa at 2:05 PM on October 29, 2007

I've just discovered a way around the draconian impositions on this workplace station and now can citrix (ssh?) my way onto the Internet. If I set my preferences to plain theme here will they remain that way on this terminal or will I have to re-set that every time? I have to log in every time I access MeFi from this computer if that's any help. (Makes me think the answer to that question is 'no' though.) Also, changing prefs for the layout here at work won't change anything on my home computer, right?
posted by saguaro at 2:05 PM on October 29, 2007

Also, changing prefs for the layout here at work won't change anything on my home computer, right?

Yeah, I think it will.
posted by phaedon at 2:06 PM on October 29, 2007

And yet... no search box?
posted by shakespeherian at 2:09 PM on October 29, 2007

Please sir, I would like a Pony.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:11 PM on October 29, 2007

phaedon: Yeah, I think it will.

I remain dubious, but will consider this—if it's true—an excellent legitimization of this sock.
posted by saguaro at 2:14 PM on October 29, 2007

Yay plain theme! I, too, use it both at work and at home.
posted by sveskemus at 2:44 PM on October 29, 2007

Why in gods name is "white background" considered professional? Who in their right mind wants a giant CRT glaring at them all day, or an LCD back light? Original CRTs used bright letters because they were easier on the eyes, and dark backgrounds have always been easier to read.
posted by delmoi at 2:49 PM on October 29, 2007

I'm going to finally do a theme customizer thing in a few months, where you can tweak the existing template or apply your own CSS like on virb.com. I'll have to setup filtering to prevent the IE and Firefox CSS/XSS hacks, but I think we can get it to work. Once something like that is in place, anyone can make any theme they want and I'll create some way to vote on stuff you like and show off the highest rated ones.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:50 PM on October 29, 2007

Who in their right mind wants a giant CRT glaring at them all day, or an LCD back light?
Me, if it's OK.
posted by bonaldi at 2:52 PM on October 29, 2007

i use plain at work, blue at home, they both remember, but i never log out.

Why in gods name is "white background" considered professional?

because anil dash hath pronounced it so. and he has a microphone, and you do not.
posted by quonsar at 3:07 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Don't forget the pink shirt. It's really the microphone and the pink shirt which makes him so damn authoritative.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:27 PM on October 29, 2007

Why in gods name is "white background" considered professional?

All my other windows are predominantly white - Excel, Word, AIM, gmail, and b2b websites. The plain theme makes MeFi stand out less.
posted by phaedon at 3:32 PM on October 29, 2007

The live preview box is not plain, it's still grey on Metatalk and so on. But the text for "posted by" reflects the theme. Hmm..
posted by ALongDecember at 3:47 PM on October 29, 2007

For ultrastealth I just tell Firefox to use No Style.

Cool! A built-in Mosaic emulator!
posted by hangashore at 3:48 PM on October 29, 2007

Rudy, you like zsazsa's metafilter: No Style!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:37 PM on October 29, 2007

Meh. The plain theme is for those of you who care what your boss thinks of you.

I prefer to leave the blue up, as a sign of contempt.

"Yeah, I could be working, but at the same time, I could be killing everyone in the office too. You should consider yourself lucky that I've chosen to go this route...

For today."
posted by quin at 4:52 PM on October 29, 2007

I get a kind of poor-man's plain theme at work because for some unfathomable reason the internet filters block [everything].metafilter.com except metatalk.metafilter.com so the browser can't load the stylesheets (but I can read MeTa all day). Still, it does the job (blending in with Excel, Outlook, etc).
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:55 PM on October 29, 2007

The plain theme is for those of you who care what your boss thinks of you.

My boss MADE it!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:04 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

There's a search box now in non-plain? How long has that been there? I demand parity of features for the plain users.
posted by roofus at 5:05 PM on October 29, 2007

Boss! The plain! The plain!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:10 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

I am a plain theme convert now! I always thought it was too severe, but I like it. I still don't care what my boss thinks. My boss does frown on me surfing all day, but my boss is me, so whatever, screw her! She's a lazy do-nothing anyway.
posted by typewriter at 5:54 PM on October 29, 2007

I have always and will always prefer the plain theme. Thanks gents.
posted by Divine_Wino at 6:04 PM on October 29, 2007

Yeah, I started on the plain-text after my former boss nonchalantly asked me what the blue website I was on all the time was. I'm out of that job and self-employed now, but some 4 years later, still using. I actually find the Blue and Green and Grey/Brown tough to read when I'm not logged in. Guess I'm just a simple man.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:11 PM on October 29, 2007

wow, I had (vaguely) recalled something about this existing, but never really needed to bother (don't read MeFi @ work, as a rule). But just fer grins I went and turned it on, and I have to say:

OH MY GOD MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!

roasted vomit-stuffed turd inna bun nazi flag, with a side of Instant Migraine, to be certain.

But thanks mathowie, and pb. I can definitely see the justification for it.

still, ew.
posted by lonefrontranger at 7:33 PM on October 29, 2007

I work at home and never, ever scold myself for reading MeFi during the day (the evening, the wee small hours, matins, ...), so I have absolutely no external justification for preferring to use plain. And I usually find huge white expanses of screen to be overwhelming. But after switching themes for some odd reason ages ago, I feel as if I've been thrown into a gunnysack whenever I switch back to the classic theme. It really is more readable for me this way.
posted by maudlin at 7:39 PM on October 29, 2007

Once something like that is in place, anyone can make any theme they want and I'll create some way to vote on stuff you like and show off the highest rated ones.

50 cents says my goatse theme will hit #1
posted by chrisamiller at 7:41 PM on October 29, 2007

I'm just catching up on my reading (had to watch and recover from the Red Sox win, dontchaknow) and although I have nothing to really say about the plain theme, I would like to ask the pleasant, polite gentleman that posted this:

Who are you, and what have you done with quonsar?
posted by yhbc at 7:54 PM on October 29, 2007

I'm going to finally do a theme customizer thing in a few months, where you can tweak the existing template or apply your own CSS like on virb.com.

*holds breath*

*decides holding breath might not be wise*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:01 PM on October 29, 2007

That professional white background is too stark for my eyes. I like the classic design. Of course I've been using it for 4 years or whatever so I'm pretty used to it.
posted by puke & cry at 9:36 PM on October 29, 2007

Who are you, and what have you done with quonsar?

Well, I tried putting that fucker in a shallow grave, but he dug himself out with great alacrity. I figure it had something to do with the fish, but the Science! is beyond me. All I know is that he was there one second and elsewhere the next.

I wanna be known as the lowercase 'q' here, but until I sus out how to put the quonsar underground, I suspect I will always just be 'that crazy guy who screams a lot. you know, the one with the knife... we all avoid him. I don't know, I think he invites himself... well, at least he isn't peeing on anyone this time...'

You can see why I think 'q' would be preferable. I mean, it's way more concise.
posted by quin at 10:33 PM on October 29, 2007

All my other windows are predominantly white...

You're kidding? I have coordinated all my other windows to look like MeFi/Ta/Ask.

Me no likey plain nor professional. For the record.
posted by carmina at 10:41 PM on October 29, 2007

posted by quonsar

Hope me, mama. The sky is falling and it's a pachyderm geyser.
posted by St Urbain's Horseman at 2:05 AM on October 30, 2007

Mentioned here.
posted by No Mutant Enemy at 2:38 AM on October 30, 2007

jessamyn: "The plain theme is for those of you who care what your boss thinks of you.
No, it's for those that can't arrange their monitor to not face out into the office.
posted by dg at 4:58 AM on October 30, 2007

i just wanted to mention that the plain theme is looking real nice

Who the fuck are you and where the hell have you buried quonsar?!!?
posted by dash_slot- at 1:18 PM on October 30, 2007

actually, i do have one nit to pick. if you click on the "logo" in plain theme, a new window/tab opens. it shouldn't.
posted by quonsar at 5:09 AM on November 21, 2007