Author Topic: In a world free from ads, one font reigns supreme. COMIC SANS! (Read 12283 times)

app103 · « **on:** September 02, 2015, 06:47 PM »

If you visit How-to Geek with an ad blocker enabled, it now displays the site all in Comic Sans.

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2015, 06:56 PM »

i refuse to choose from those 2 poll options

wraith808 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2015, 06:58 PM »

... that's just stupid.

x16wda · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2015, 07:10 PM »

Really? The site shows up in Arial on my PC with AdGuard running.

wraith808 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2015, 09:42 PM »

i refuse to choose from those 2 poll options
-mouser (September 02, 2015, 06:56 PM)

Agreed (didn't see the poll before, so I wondered what you were talking about).

Edvard · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2015, 10:12 PM »

Comic Sans all the way. Bring it.

https://www.donation...opic=30703.msg285720

I'm Comic Sans, A**hole
...
You think I’m a malformed, pathetic excuse for a font. Well think again, nerdhole, because I’m Comic Sans, and I’m the best thing to happen to typography since Johannes f***ing Gutenberg.

P.S. I'm still looking for a monospace Comic Sans-like in bitmap font format. To code in.

eleman · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2015, 11:41 PM »

Really? The site shows up in Arial on my PC with AdGuard running.
-x16wda (September 02, 2015, 07:10 PM)

Same here with ublock origin.

"Adblock Warning Removal List" and "Anti-Adblock Killer | Reek" are selected; I guess that does the trick.

bit · « **Reply #7 on:** September 03, 2015, 12:58 AM »

quote:
Poll
Would you rather see an internet full of ads? Or Comic Sans?
ads
Comic Sans
end quote. Say what? $:-\$

Deozaan · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2015, 01:14 AM »

There's nothing wrong with Comic Sans except the fact that everybody liked it so it got used everywhere.

It's like ending your sentence with a preposition. There's really nothing wrong with it from a grammatical point of view. But grade school teachers forbade it to keep it from being overdone by young students and eventually entire generations grew up thinking it was always bad all the time.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2015, 06:36 AM »

There's nothing wrong with Comic Sans except the fact that everybody liked it so it got used everywhere.

It's like ending your sentence with a preposition. There's really nothing wrong with it from a grammatical point of view. But grade school teachers forbade it to keep it from being overdone by young students and eventually entire generations grew up thinking it was always bad all the time.
-Deozaan (September 03, 2015, 01:14 AM)

Well, Comic Sans has been the subject of ... rants... before. Last I recall some articles, it was a combo of it being in one of the Microsoft releases way back, and then a couple of quirks of history picked it up and off it went.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2015, 07:00 AM »

I say Comic Sans is a perfect fit for the outburst of Comic Book Villain laughter over the demise of the Ads!

tomos · « **Reply #11 on:** September 03, 2015, 07:19 AM »

I'm very disappointed - I've tried three browsers with adblockers and see no comic sans -

we want comic sans
we want comic sans
...
just once at least - then I'd add them to my adblocker white list.
I think it's a great fun way of getting the message across that they want us to allow them to show ads.

If I was inflexible about making an adblocker exception, I dont know how I'd feel - but I'd have to see it first, in comic sans I mean - go back to beginning of post and loop ;-)

app103 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2015, 05:41 AM »

I think they turned it off, because I am not seeing Comic Sans any more, or the extra yellow bar at the top with the cute little pro Comic Sans quips.

To be honest, I'd rather have the Comic Sans on every site, rather than the ads. I have never heard of anyone's PC becoming infected with malware and it being legitimately blamed on Comic Sans.

And a Greasemonkey script that changes all instances of Comic Sans found on any page, to Arial, would be trivial.

Of course if every site did something like this and each chose a different goofy font, it could become a bit more difficult.

There is a long running Papyrus joke at SitePoint, complete with screenshots of what the site would look like in all Papyrus, and it's a hoot...better than Comic Sans.

In a world free from ads, one font reigns supreme. COMIC SANS!

wraith808 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2015, 08:06 AM »

I think they turned it off, because I am not seeing Comic Sans any more, or the extra yellow bar at the top with the cute little pro Comic Sans quips.

To be honest, I'd rather have the Comic Sans on every site, rather than the ads. I have never heard of anyone's PC becoming infected with malware and it being legitimately blamed on Comic Sans.

And a Greasemonkey script that changes all instances of Comic Sans found on any page, to Arial, would be trivial.

Of course if every site did something like this and each chose a different goofy font, it could become a bit more difficult.

There is a long running Papyrus joke at SitePoint, complete with screenshots of what the site would look like in all Papyrus, and it's a hoot...better than Comic Sans.

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-app103 (September 04, 2015, 05:41 AM)

There are other, more constructive ways to do it. Like mouser said, it's not a choice between comics sans or some other stupid trick and ads. There are creative ways to monetize your site and not use ads. The comic sans bit? I just won't go to the site. It's the reason I support stuff like Google Contribute and Patreon and Kickstarter and other platforms that give the content creators a way to monetize their sites without resorting to ads or tricks.

JavaJones · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2015, 11:49 AM »

Hah! "Unearth hidden gems with our rails deep dive" somehow changes meaning completely with Papyrus font. Suddenly it evokes images of a LotR "Mines of Moria" quest or something. Amazing how much context a mere font can imply.

- Oshyan

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #15 on:** September 05, 2015, 08:03 AM »

There are other, more constructive ways to do it. Like mouser said, it's not a choice between comics sans or some other stupid trick and ads. There are creative ways to monetize your site and not use ads. The comic sans bit? I just won't go to the site.
-wraith808 (September 04, 2015, 08:06 AM)

To me that's throwing out babies with bathwater.

Depending heavily on which version of FireFox is involved (because they have mucked around with the settings about the last five versions!), at least with my Comodo IceDragon version of the settings, what about
Tools/Options/Content/Advanced font section/
And then uncheck "allow pages to choose their own fonts instead of my defaults above"?

If you can fix it with as little effort as possible, then make some site's "silliness" (in whatever random form), then you just go back to your stuff and let it go out of sight out of mind.

And even besides malware, the "either-or" said *ads*, and I want those to include the site's own increasingly obnoxious focus-stealing pop-ups!

Innuendo · « **Reply #16 on:** September 05, 2015, 09:54 AM »

I, fortunately, do not live in a country that has to deal with this, but a lot of people in the world have to ration their data with metered connections. Ad traffic can make quite a dent in someone's data bucket for the month what with all the banner ads rotating and the bloated Flash ads clogging up one's screen.

Oh, since I feel a rant coming on....if you as a company run a site, don't get on your site's forums pleading for money for memberships to help defray server and bandwidth costs (and whine about people who block ads) when you as a company spent $25 million buying that site in the first place. I'm looking directly at you Conde Nast and Ars Technica.

wraith808 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 05, 2015, 12:13 PM »

There are other, more constructive ways to do it. Like mouser said, it's not a choice between comics sans or some other stupid trick and ads. There are creative ways to monetize your site and not use ads. The comic sans bit? I just won't go to the site.
-wraith808 (September 04, 2015, 08:06 AM)

To me that's throwing out babies with bathwater.

Depending heavily on which version of FireFox is involved (because they have mucked around with the settings about the last five versions!), at least with my Comodo IceDragon version of the settings, what about
Tools/Options/Content/Advanced font section/
And then uncheck "allow pages to choose their own fonts instead of my defaults above"?

If you can fix it with as little effort as possible, then make some site's "silliness" (in whatever random form), then you just go back to your stuff and let it go out of sight out of mind.

And even besides malware, the "either-or" said *ads*, and I want those to include the site's own increasingly obnoxious focus-stealing pop-ups!

-TaoPhoenix (September 05, 2015, 08:03 AM)

You can. But I don't want to. I look at it as a direct way to annoy you in order to get you to pay. At that point, instead of going around, I just don't go. It might seem extreme, but that's my approach. I'll use adblockers- and whitelist once I see the ads are ok. That's pretty easy to do. And I'll pay if the site is worth it. But what they probably think is cute, to me is stupid. And when I see stupid, I'm not likely to go through hoops just to get around it. It's not something that I *need*. That's the reason that I don't go to a lot of sites I stopped going to when they changed to something stupid. It's not like I need their content. And apparently, it's not like they need my view. So we're both happier.

Oh, since I feel a rant coming on....if you as a company run a site, don't get on your site's forums pleading for money for memberships to help defray server and bandwidth costs (and whine about people who block ads) when you as a company spent $25 million buying that site in the first place. I'm looking directly at you Conde Nast and Ars Technica.
-Innuendo (September 05, 2015, 09:54 AM)

That's why I don't go. No matter how compelling the clickbait title might be. Let's rant together!

app103 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2015, 03:47 PM »

And even besides malware, the "either-or" said *ads*, and I want those to include the site's own increasingly obnoxious focus-stealing pop-ups!
-TaoPhoenix (September 05, 2015, 08:03 AM)

Please stop french-kissing your site visitors

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #19 on:** September 06, 2015, 02:21 PM »

I look at it as a direct way to annoy you in order to get you to pay. At that point, instead of going around, I just don't go. It might seem extreme, but that's my approach.
-wraith808 (September 05, 2015, 12:13 PM)

Same here. I've got way better things to do with my time than play someone's silly game with intrusive ads. Be nice, or be gone. However I also reserve the right to hack anything pisses me off, especially if they throw an exit loop at me when I try to leave.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #20 on:** September 06, 2015, 02:41 PM »

I look at it as a direct way to annoy you in order to get you to pay. At that point, instead of going around, I just don't go. It might seem extreme, but that's my approach.
-wraith808 (September 05, 2015, 12:13 PM)

Same here. I've got way better things to do with my time than play someone's silly game with intrusive ads. Be nice, or be gone. However I also reserve the right to hack anything pisses me off, especially if they throw an exit loop at me when I try to leave.
-Stoic Joker (September 06, 2015, 02:21 PM)

I reverse the order of these two.

For over-clarity:

"I also reserve the right to hack anything pisses me off"

To me content is content, and the time lost trying to find alternate versions of the story is the key part lost in "don't go there". I'd much rather apply any of my 17 second hacks.

Especially I have an eye for a "key phrase" and if only "one copy" of the news has some key quote, then hack the ads and deal with them to get that key detail.

After all, it's the site managers that put annoying stuff on their sites. But let's just say that for once some writer mugged a Windows Manager in a stairwell and wouldn't let him go until he got a legally usable quote, go for it. Eat six ads to get that.

Win10 is still in such early phases, it's still the giant Hold'em poker game where none of us have any idea what's going on. We're BARELY getting through tactical install issues. We have NO idea what "the last Windows version ever because it's now all cloudy-y/Saas-y" ....means!

jadinolf · « **Reply #21 on:** September 06, 2015, 05:38 PM »

That's my favorite.

I could do a screen capture but I know you believe me.

x16wda · « **Reply #22 on:** September 06, 2015, 08:26 PM »

P.S. I'm still looking for a monospace Comic Sans-like in bitmap font format. To code in.
-Edvard (September 02, 2015, 10:12 PM)

In a world free from ads, one font reigns supreme. COMIC SANS!

http://www.comicbook...Constant-p/cl343.htm -- I'm sure it could be bitmap-ified!

MilesAhead · « **Reply #23 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:38 PM »

I was using FireSans in FF with minimum font size 18. This looks a bit better. The FireSans looked live video blown up on a big screen with too large pixels. Your basic golf ball effect. This is a bit easier on the eyes.

Edvard · « **Reply #24 on:** September 14, 2015, 08:40 PM »

P.S. I'm still looking for a monospace Comic Sans-like in bitmap font format. To code in.
-Edvard (September 02, 2015, 10:12 PM)

http://www.comicbook...Constant-p/cl343.htm -- I'm sure it could be bitmap-ified!

-x16wda (September 06, 2015, 08:26 PM)

Ulp!... Not for 39 bucks!!

Nice lookin' font though...

I did find one good candidate amongst some other very nice free programming fonts: PointFree
https://code.google....i3project/wiki/Fonts