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--something like: 1. I want white lettering/black background 2. I want black lettering/white background 3. Something else

I think that quite a few people don't go to meta and that new members may not know what it is. Moderators could frame the poll question and tablulate votes.

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3 Answers 3

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There is a voting engine on board -- we used it on CV to vote on a site name. I feel it is really a good idea to use it in this case.

Yet it must be set up by the SE team.

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Don't clutter the main site with a meta topic.

If we want to poll the users (and I'm not opposed, though I would suggest waiting another couple of days) lets ask for a notification bar on the main site, but leave the poll on meta.

Personally, I'm waiting a while to decide if I get used to it, but am currently leaning toward asking for a redesign.

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    $\begingroup$ A notification bar on the main site would be fine with me and I see nothing wrong with waiting for at least a few more days. Is there a count of how many visits the meta site has had compared to the main site? I still think that only a small percentage of members have visited meta. I am still somewhat gobsmacked by the passivity of David's answer that the site design likely can't be changed. I likely will still use the site, and I am not finding it as bad as I did at first, but is it good enough getting used to a suboptimal solution? (makes site promotion more difficult, I think.) $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 25, 2011 at 23:09
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The people in charge have often stated that poll questions are not welcome on Stack Exchange sites. So although it would be interesting to gather that information, a meta question wouldn't be the place to do it. Besides, I'm not sure how much flexibility there is to change the design now that the site has officially launched.

If you'd like to set up a poll, you could do so using an external poll site.

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    $\begingroup$ @David--Whose site is this? If there is no flexibility and the large majority of users' wishes make no difference, is the site worthwhile? Yes, the people who own/run stack house have some oversight power, but I thought this was an open blog run for the benefit of the users, not some overlords. Just because someone on Stack Exchange doesn't want poll questions on our site, why are we mandated to follow that "advice"? As for your last sentence, it is about this site. Why should I go to another site to poll, even if I knew one, which I do not? $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 25, 2011 at 19:16
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    $\begingroup$ The idea that the design can't be changed now that the site is officially launched is absurd. Clearly it can be and should be if the majority of users (or majority of users with high rep) want it to be. The users here do have some power, and an obvious way to exercise it. $\endgroup$
    – pho
    Feb 25, 2011 at 19:36
  • $\begingroup$ @Gordon: This is not an open blog (or a blog of any sort - it's a Q&A site). It is Stack Overflow Internet Services' site. They don't just have oversight power, they have complete control over all aspects of the Stack Exchange system. And they - not just "someone," but Jeff Atwood and Robert Cartaino among others - have made very clear that they do not want poll questions on Stack Exchange sites. As for your last sentence, just because it's about this site doesn't mean it belongs on this site. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Feb 26, 2011 at 1:21
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    $\begingroup$ @Jeff: just to be clear, what I meant is that the decision to change the design or not is up to the people in charge, the SE team, and I don't know whether that is something they will consider doing. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Feb 26, 2011 at 1:23
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    $\begingroup$ @David: Yes, I understand. And just to be clear, whether I and other users that have contributed to the site continue to use it is up to us and if the people in charge don't care enough about our views to change the design than I am likely to stop using the site and would encourage others to do the same. $\endgroup$
    – pho
    Feb 26, 2011 at 1:45
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    $\begingroup$ @David--Ok, now I understand a bit more about Stack Exchange, moderators, and that it is an incorporated company. I was naive about that aspect before: stack exchange I think that if enough users want a color change, the moderators could make a request of the company. If you click all of the other stack sites, it seems to be black on white. For physics and math, clarity is particularly important to follow the thread of the formulae etc. I just want the moderators to have the guts to ask them to change it if it is the will of the community. $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 26, 2011 at 2:18
  • $\begingroup$ @Jeff: agreed. I personally wouldn't stop using the site just because of a decision on the color scheme, but if that's your choice, I wouldn't fault you for it. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Feb 26, 2011 at 2:39
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    $\begingroup$ @Gordon: one more thing I want to mention is that moderators are just regular users who have been entrusted with a bit of extra responsibility, not representatives of SOIS. We don't have a special relationship with the people in charge, at least not as much as it might seem, and I don't have any special influence I can use to push them toward changing the design. All I can really do is express my opinion on the threads that have been started regarding the design choice, same as you can. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Feb 26, 2011 at 2:47
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    $\begingroup$ @Gordon, @Jeff, @David, recently there was an interesting article in the nytimes (I think) which pointed out that this setup for social-media sites such as SE is essentially a digital version of feudal farming practices. Lots of individuals create value for sites such as SE, for no compensation in return, other than the gratification of obtaining community approval. Of course, helping build a community is a contribution of sites such as this, but if you expect a real say-so in how things are run, don't hold your breath. $\endgroup$
    – Deepak Vaid
    Feb 26, 2011 at 3:00
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    $\begingroup$ @jin @david Ok, then I will direct this to jin, which seems to be the only way to communicate to stack exchange. Perhaps with the next implementation, you can try inverting the colors as Robert suggests. If you look at the upvotes for black on white and the downvotes when white on black are mentioned, I think you will get the consensus of the community. Would you rather read a page of print heavy with equations in black on white or white on black. To my mind, there is no contest. Even if the new design is different, it is harder to focus on the content. $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 26, 2011 at 3:56
  • $\begingroup$ @David @Deepak @jeff @jin I am starting to feel like the land surveyor in Franz Kafka's "The Castle" with the castle dwellers being stack exchange officials. No matter what route you take to get to the Castle, you end up where you started. $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 26, 2011 at 6:31
  • $\begingroup$ Polls can be OK on meta sites, but they're still not great. Definitely disallowed on main sites. $\endgroup$ Feb 26, 2011 at 19:35
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    $\begingroup$ @Deepak @Jeff Atwood @Robert Cartaino -Here is the reference to the social media/feudal farming practices that you mentioned, Deepak: At Media Companies, A Nation of Serfs I guess if there is enough support for a black-on-white here, we could lead a Peasant's Revolt, but need an effective Wat Tyler or John Ball. $\endgroup$
    – Gordon
    Feb 26, 2011 at 20:24

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