User-selectable default font for his/her posts

[JJR512]

I've seen some requests for a hack that lets a user select a particular font (face, color, etc.) that all their posts would be in. I'm going to write this hack, but I'm looking for some input first.

I can conceive two different ways to do this hack:

1. A post by a user will always be displayed in the font that was the user's selected default at the time the message was posted.

2. A post by a user will display in the uer's currently selected default font at the time the message is displayed.

Which would you like? Vote above! Comment below!

[Princeton]

3rd option - neither...
I think this will cause problems in the long run.

For example, colored text may look good for writer but it may not look good (unreadable) for viewer using another style.

[JJR512]

If I make like Option #2, then I can make another option in the user cp options to override a user's default font and view the message in the forum's default style. Hope that makes sense.

But I'd like to point out, though it's probably obvious already, that this problem already exists if a user can set font colors in an individual post.

Or, if you are worried about that, then you might not want to install this hack in the first place.

[Paul M]

Option 1 would be my choice of the two.

[Princeton]

Originally Posted by JJR512

If I make like Option #2, then I can make another option in the user cp options to override a user's default font and view the message in the forum's default style. Hope that makes sense.

Why bother? In the end, you will only confuse people.

Originally Posted by JJR512

But I'd like to point out, though it's probably obvious already, that this problem already exists if a user can set font colors in an individual post.

yep, just imagine if all posts had this problem

If you really want to have this option for yourself (and others) ... I recommend giving admins the ability to choose their own "global" colors. For example, if they have a black background they will not want to have black as an option.

Regarding font-family, some fonts appear smaller in some configurations and may seem unreadable -- so, I suggest using only fonts that have the same height. For example, Garamond may appear unreadable at 12px to some people.

[JJR512]

I'm sorry, after thinking about this some more, I realize it makes more sense for me to use the second choice as the way to do this.

The way I had envisioned the first choice involved inserting the default font information in the message text when the post is saved. I decided I didn't like the permanence of that. By making the post display with whatever is the poster's default font at the time the message is displayed, the message text itself is not messed with, and this allows for greater flexibility, because it's dynamic at the time of display. Additionally, it seems to me that when a user changes his default font, he'd like it to apply to all his/her existing posts as well. This also lets the default font apply to posts that were made before the hack was installed. Any font the user uses in the message when he/she types it will override the default font. I may design into the hack the ability for the user to turn off the default font for a particular post at the time he/she posts it, and/or for a moderator/administrator to turn it off later, and I will probably add an option to user options for a user to see all posts in the forum's default font, disregarding the poster's default font.

I have already begun developing this hack. I should have something ready for public beta in the next few days.

[HHU]

Actually I've Seen This On Anotehr Board.. Option To Select In The Usercp... So Is It Not Already Existant.. Or Is It A Simple Template Edit Such As Choosing Username Color Via Admin Cp?