How do I disable MetaFilter's stylesheet / css permanently? April 10, 2010 9:22 AM   Subscribe

As much as I love MetaFilter, I hate its color scheme / stylesheet! (Sorry!) I find it hard to read. I want to permanently disable the css so that every time I visit the site I only see the basic html. I am using Firefox.

I know about the Firefox feature View > Page style > No page style -- but I have to do this for every page I visit. I just want to set things up so that all web pages on metafilter.com are devoid of their stylesheet. Muhahahahaha!

:0) Thanks!

P.S. This is my first MetaFilter post -- how did I do?
posted by betamercapto to Feature Requests at 9:22 AM (62 comments total)

You could switch over to the plain view in your preferences. It is just a plain white background.
posted by purephase at 9:23 AM on April 10, 2010


Have you seen the plain text theme? Click Preferences above and look for the "Pick a Theme" section. You might try that first. It's white!
posted by pb (staff) at 9:23 AM on April 10, 2010


I'm not sure how to do what you want off the top of my head, but you should try switching to the plain theme first
posted by ericost at 9:25 AM on April 10, 2010


First you should try changing your theme in preferences. There is a mostly plain white temple in there.

If that's not clean enough you should install the firefox plugin Stylish and start a custom sytlesheet for just *.metafilter.com sites.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:25 AM on April 10, 2010


Otherwise, we don't have any built-in ways to disable stylesheets. I'm guessing Stylish or Greasemonkey could help you out.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:25 AM on April 10, 2010


Doh.
posted by ericost at 9:25 AM on April 10, 2010


Metafilter: a mostly plain white temple.
posted by Rumple at 9:33 AM on April 10, 2010 [4 favorites]


As much as I love MetaFilter, I hate its color scheme / stylesheet!

Give it a while, it grows on you like a garish, yet comfy co-dependent blankie.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:35 AM on April 10, 2010 [4 favorites]


How'd you do? Well, the first thing you ever posted to MetaFilter was a complaint, so... that's fun!

Oh, but you get a -1 for the clown-nosed smilie. *shudder*
posted by heyho at 9:36 AM on April 10, 2010 [7 favorites]


Well, the first thing you ever posted to MetaFilter was a complaint, so... that's fun!

An uninformed complaint at that!
posted by grouse at 9:45 AM on April 10, 2010


I love how whenever someone has the temerity to have constructive criticism for this site, people viscerally attack the messenger as if their own self worth is based on the site. Kinda like most Apple fans. It's such an odd thing to see - on the one hand, that's some mighty fine brand loyalty; on the other hand, ...
posted by SeizeTheDay at 9:57 AM on April 10, 2010 [2 favorites]


SeizeTheDay, you're full of it.

-posted from the most magic and revolutionary device ever!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:01 AM on April 10, 2010 [6 favorites]


If you have AdBlock Plus you can just add a rule for "http://static.metafilter.com/styles/*". I just tested it out and it seems to work.
posted by wsp at 10:02 AM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


Kinda like most Apple fans.

Kinda like the Apple fans who do this, more to the point, which is a small subset of all Apple fans. I can think of maybe 2-3 people on this site who do this regularly which seems par for the course for any well-liked thing.

As mods we try to model decent "how to reply to criticism" behavior. I don't think it's so much that people are defensive as just plain old irritable, and that comes out against other people they perceive as irritable, ironically. Not pointing out anyone in this thread particularly, but the Nerd Rage phenom, it is real.

betamercapto, did these answers help you solve your problem?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:05 AM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


I predict some future questions asked on the blue, meta posts on the green, etcetc.
posted by nevercalm at 10:17 AM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


You want the Anil Dash Professional White Background.
posted by klangklangston at 10:27 AM on April 10, 2010 [6 favorites]


How'd you do? Well, the first thing you ever posted to MetaFilter was a complaint, so... that's fun!

Oh, but you get a -1 for the clown-nosed smilie. *shudder
*

Like you yourself add so much value to this site.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:29 AM on April 10, 2010


Jesus, people are cranky today. Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Y'all should go curl up with a nice cup of homeopathic tea and pet your declawed cats.
posted by rtha at 10:35 AM on April 10, 2010 [12 favorites]


It is just a plainprofessional white background.
posted by DU at 10:44 AM on April 10, 2010


An uninformed complaint at that!

Blue, with yellow epaulets!

Wait, what?
posted by djgh at 10:53 AM on April 10, 2010


Oh. I didn't mean to sound cranky, I was just addressing the last question asked since the first part was already covered. Sorry if the ribbing didn't come across as such (and it really seems it didn't -- oops). betamercapto, please don't take my previous comment as a hurtful dig; it wasn't intended to be mean at all. Sometimes when I intend to be funny, the wheels fall off the bus, it backfires, then it goes up in a puff of smoke. I'm occasionally clumsy like that.

KokuRyu, sorry that I don't add much value to the site; I'll try harder.
posted by heyho at 10:56 AM on April 10, 2010


betamercapto, if you're new here, it might be useful to know that this section of the site (MetaTalk, with the gray background) is sometimes more cranky than the other parts of the site. So, if people are goofing around in here or being a bit rude don't take it personally - that's just the tone of things in MetaTalk.

On the Metafilter front page, with the blue background, there is goofing around but it's usually not so personal-feeling. On AskMetafilter, with the green background, there is very little goofing around - the rules for that part of the site are "no horseplay, be as straightforward and helpful as possible".

Also it might be useful to know that there have been some historical complaints about the look of the site, most famously Anil Dash's suggestion that it should have a "professional white background". So some people above are referring to that.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:01 AM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


like a garish, yet comfy co-dependent blankie.

wonders how brandonblatcher found out about the garish blue with purple borrowed-from-singapore-airlines blankie
posted by infini at 11:20 AM on April 10, 2010


Stephen Fry once wrote an column for one of the Sunday papers in which he spoke about plastic surgery. He said that the temptation to have a nosejob for him is personally very strong, but he hesitates to have one because what if he had one and discovered that it wasn't the nose that was making him ugly but some essential core of ugliness that he was hitherto unaware of.

He then extended this theme to make a point about, (if I recall) the monarchy in the UK. Some people, he said, see the royal family as a kind of carbuncle on the nose of the nation which, if removed, would make the whole place seem nicer.

But what if (he went on,) once it was removed we discovered that the carbuncle on the nose was the only thing on the face of the country that made it in any way remarkable. What if, without it, we were just a rather dull, average looking country with, now we could see it a little better, mean little eyes and a rather weak chin.

Anyway, that's what I think about when people talk about changing how Metafilter looks.
posted by Jofus at 11:29 AM on April 10, 2010 [18 favorites]


It is just a plainprofessional white background."

Tha's my joke. I own it!
posted by klangklangston at 11:52 AM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


Anal bleaching joke.
posted by longsleeves at 11:53 AM on April 10, 2010


Tha's your joke. You own it!
posted by klangklangston at 12:06 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


I want my own joke. I want the finest joke available to humanity, and I want it here, and I want it now.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:27 PM on April 10, 2010


Axshooallee, that's jimbob's joke, as he was the first person to use that phrase in this context (and, interestingly, the only person to use that phrase in the original thread at all).
posted by Kattullus at 12:32 PM on April 10, 2010


Now that I've looked into it further, klang does have some ownership claim, as he's the first to use that joke outside Anil Dash's thread, and it's clearly a joke, while jimbob's is less obviously so. Interestingly enough* "professional-looking white background" was much more prevalent at first until the pithier "professional white background" won over.

* I know I may be stretching the concept of "interesting" a bit far.
posted by Kattullus at 12:44 PM on April 10, 2010


I stand corrected.
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:47 PM on April 10, 2010


I was joking about owning the joke; I really only meant for this thread because I'd gotten there before DU had.

I am chastened by research.
posted by klangklangston at 12:50 PM on April 10, 2010


Jesus, people are cranky today. Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Y'all should go curl up with a nice cup of homeopathic tea and pet your declawed cats.

People have been edgy all week it seems, my usual dickish buffoonery has been met with a few cross remarks that I wouldn't normally receive.
posted by Think_Long at 1:04 PM on April 10, 2010


the shadow period has started though since mercury only goes retrograde on the 18th
posted by infini at 1:12 PM on April 10, 2010


Well, I hate your colour scheme!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 1:19 PM on April 10, 2010


I hate the way MetaFilter looks, MetaFilter itself, newbies, old cranks, Apple, Apple fanboys, Anil Dash, and the colors grey, blue, green, white, and black. Also, fuck Mercury.
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:22 PM on April 10, 2010 [2 favorites]


Oh dear sweet god, the possible interpretations or implications of 'Your colour scheme' sank in only after I clicked 'Post'.
NOT PREJUDICED I SWEAR

posted by Alvy Ampersand at 1:26 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


quit blinking at me dude else I'll think you're ... uh... prejudiced ;p
posted by infini at 1:39 PM on April 10, 2010


And don't forget Stephen Fry. He sucks dicks in hell. And even then—not as well as everyone thinks.
posted by fleacircus at 1:40 PM on April 10, 2010


I'm not actually that fond of Ike.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:44 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


We should have a website redesign contest. Oh, wait.

Give it a while, it grows on you like a garish, yet comfy co-dependent blankie.

Very true.
posted by ericb at 2:09 PM on April 10, 2010


Why does Alvy Ampersand hate professional looking white people?
posted by Babblesort at 2:10 PM on April 10, 2010 [3 favorites]


Let's face it, we all sort of do.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:39 PM on April 10, 2010 [9 favorites]


The plain theme is just so well-spoken.
posted by emelenjr at 3:11 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


So, if people are goofing around in here or being a bit rude don't take it personally - that's just the tone of things in MetaTalk.

Or basically, you have creative license to be a dick here because the background color is grey. I've been here a long time, but sometimes, I really ask myself if putting up with the KNOWN jackasses is worth the effort. The worst part is the fact that their known, and their behavior isn't so egregious to get banned, but bad enough to set a nasty tone.

Well, fine, since I'm having a fantastic week, Brandon, I'm going to go ahead and assume your life isn't going as well. So good luck with all that.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 3:27 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


You know what, I regret saying anything. I'm sorry, please ignore my comments. The tone here struck a nerve, and I should've just engaged in a little self-restraint.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 3:36 PM on April 10, 2010


We seem to be going through a crest of our GRAR cycle right now, but there are some indicators things are calming down.
posted by Kattullus at 4:05 PM on April 10, 2010


Oh, duh - Mercury is in retroGRAR. I should've checked my GRAR calendar, not the other one.
posted by rtha at 4:07 PM on April 10, 2010 [5 favorites]


jesus seizetheday.
posted by lazaruslong at 4:08 PM on April 10, 2010


If BB's Apple joke counts as irksome MeTa snark, then the ten-thousand-year reign of the schmoopy must be at hand.
posted by fleacircus at 4:15 PM on April 10, 2010


jesus seizetheday.

my saviour lazaruslong.
posted by gman at 4:17 PM on April 10, 2010


seizetheday, I was totally joking and messing around.

--
Sent from my Blackberry via T-Mobile
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:35 PM on April 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


I'm with Rory: Mercury, you're a bastard and I'm glad the sun will eat you first!

And I have a tagline for this thread:

chastened by research
posted by Mister_A at 6:35 PM on April 10, 2010


My official MetaFilter t-shirt turns my belly button lint an alarming bright turquoise. Is there a preference setting or Greasemonkey script that will change it back to blue-gray?
posted by steef at 6:53 AM on April 11, 2010


I've mentioned this a few times in other venues, so I'm beginning to feel like I am pimping my own work

You might want to put a link to it on your profile and make sure it's on whatever wiki page is dedicated to that sort of thing. I should do a passthrough and make sure that the bulk of the user scripts and other add-ons are all concentrated somewhere.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:21 AM on April 11, 2010


My official MetaFilter t-shirt turns my belly button lint an alarming bright turquoise.

And this was the sign I needed to tell me to finish that T-shirt thing I started a month ago. Thanks Internet.
posted by The Whelk at 9:00 AM on April 11, 2010


If you have AdBlock Plus you can just add a rule for "http://static.metafilter.com/styles/*". I just tested it out and it seems to work.
posted by wsp at 1:02 PM on April 10 [+] [!]


big thanks, wsp! I am trying to stay logged out (see how well that's working) so I can get some work done, but I hate getting busted with the "that can't be anything but teh interwebs" blue/green/grey background.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:33 PM on April 11, 2010


You're drunk.

The police, Miss Blennerhassit.
posted by flabdablet at 12:05 AM on April 12, 2010


jessamyn: I should do a passthrough and make sure that the bulk of the user scripts and other add-ons are all concentrated somewhere.

There's a page for Greasemonkey scripts, but not for user styles or other add-ons. I think adding much to that page might be a pain.
posted by Pronoiac at 2:02 PM on April 13, 2010


Anal bleaching? That's a stylesheet name?
posted by stormpooper at 12:00 PM on April 15, 2010


Oh man, that was easy! Sorry I posted such a simple question! Thanks all.
posted by betamercapto at 4:00 PM on April 29, 2010


Oh hey, betamercapto, where've you been? We thought you weren't ever coming back. I'm sorry, I seem to finished the last of the punch. I believe there's a bag of Bugles left somewhere that you can have and I think there's a little bit of Carlo Rossi left somewhere. You can have the Carlo Rossi, but I wouldn't mind a Bugle or two if you wouldn't mind sharing. I especially like filling the inside with spicy mayonnaise and then throwing them at windows... they make a lovely splash pattern... uh, not that I'd ever do that... but I'm saying, I wouldn't mind some Bugles if you felt like sharing.
posted by Kattullus at 7:11 PM on April 29, 2010


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