Crap Font Size

Nov 6, 11:31 PM - and

I was randomly clicking links to sites and I came across a site that has a 7pt font size. Now, I’m in 1280×1024 and it looks pretty damn small from where I am (especially since my eyesight ain’t what it used to be).

This is an unmodified screenshot of what it looks like to me:

If you can read that, coupled with the dark text colour then my hat’s off to you (and I’d like to ask you if you’d share your good eyesight with me).

If you think that looks good then, please c’mere a minute /smacks/. Smarten up.

Tags: css, font-size

I know what site you capped :\ Only because that is the only site that almost 100% of the time I will end up skimming through it, or trying to read what’s posted. Obviously if I can’t read it I shouldn’t visit, but once in awhile I don’t mind seeing what’s been updated with.

I just really hate when I can’t read the text to the point where I’d have to either highlight it or increase text size. I understand that it’s a preference to have a certain font and size, but the site is made for visitors, obviously. Why not cater to visitors wants and needs?

#1 Jordan Nov 7, 00:45 Permalink

I swing by it, too, sometimes just to see if she’s smartened up and tried a larger font size (I’m always disappointed to find out she’s just as stupid as ever).

Because their site isn’t for visitors, duh! It’s for them, they just choose to make it public to… share their wonderfullness with everyone else?

#2 Becky Nov 7, 01:18 Permalink

... Aren’t you glad I’m not like that anymore? You did my CSS and it’s all good?

#3 Stella Nov 7, 01:21 Permalink

Somebody link me to this almighty website! I need a good laugh once and a while.

#4 spence Nov 7, 01:22 Permalink

I can just about read it without moving closer to the screen. It’s neither effortless nor pleasant, though.

The worst text styling, I think, is tiny Arial Narrow – which a significant number of site owners seem to think is cool for some reason.

#5 Gemma Nov 7, 03:32 Permalink

Yes I can read that, and I’m about 2 feet away from the screen of my laptop.

#6 Corinne Nov 7, 06:53 Permalink

I’m also on 1280×1024, and I can barely read it as well. It’s still readable for me, with effort lol. And my eye-sight is pretty good, but still. Damn.

#7 Serph Nov 7, 08:50 Permalink

Corinne, you must have 20/20 or something. :P

#8 Jenny Nov 7, 10:02 Permalink

I can read it, and I’m on 1280×1024. I have bad eyesight, but I wear glasses. The color is awful though. But it can get worse than that. Yesterday I was browsing a website with black font on a black background. WTF?!

#9 Nika Nov 7, 11:51 Permalink

To those of you that can read it, what kind of drugs are you using?

Surely my -5.0 eye prescription isn’t helping me see any better :\

#10 Jordan Nov 7, 15:35 Permalink

hmm.. yeah i can read it, and i have bad eyesight and am not wearing my glasses and it doesnt look too appealing.. but there IS a way to view it on the browsers in bigger font by pressing ctrl and ‘+’ keys and that’s what i use when i find fonts on websites unreadable and if i have to comment on them cuz of despair.nu or something. plus i tend to have small-ish fonts on my website only because i find it fits my design better[and because at the moment my site’s going through ugliness phase – in the process of fixing that…] lol, but the colours on that one’s a torture, i didnt bother to finish reading it.

#11 Dhi Nov 8, 04:12 Permalink

I think that in IE you can’t enlarge fonts that are defined with pixels. I’m not sure though; I use FF.

#12 Nika Nov 8, 09:06 Permalink

Why should it be the visitors job to make the site accessible to them? The web site owner has an obligation to his or her long time visitors to make the website as user friendly as possible (most certainly not for legal reasons, but rather for the sake of repeat visitors [which is, ultimately, what we all strive for]). I am not the one who should be resizing on every page (and it’s not like the text resize stays from page to page, at least for me).

@ Nika, yes, you can’t resize fonts that have pixel units in Internet Explorer. That particular dinkus is using pt though, so I believe they’ll resize.

#13 Becky Nov 8, 13:17 Permalink

I could read it, but it was really hard because of the color. A lot of sites use really small fonts… Makes me wonder if my 8pt is too small??

#14 Ashley Nov 8, 16:34 Permalink

I wouldn’t want to read it (screenshot) even if the font and colours are okay =p

#15 Jennifer Nov 8, 16:34 Permalink

Heh I think I am pretty sure on which site that is. I can read it, but then again I have a 1024×768 resolution but the color is what kills me. The size is eh okay but the color makes you make your eyes go O_O to read it haha. My eyesight isn’t that bad, but I also have my contacts in so technically I am cheating haha.

#16 Naco Nov 8, 20:41 Permalink

Well, that font color is terrible to use…too damn dark in any resolution.

As for the comment about link exchanges. Link exchanging is for veterans and newbies both. Yes, you can get traffic from link exchanging, but also it is regular traffic, which even Alexa recognizes. For Google, it goes great toward Page Rank.

You can never have too many link exchanges, especially with sites that are on a peer level in the blog community.

#17 Nile Nov 8, 22:33 Permalink

I think you’ll notice that most of the heavy weights in the blogging communities don’t link exchange. Why? Because they know that they have a site that is good enough for a repeat visit and good enough for someone to say “Hey, I really like that site so I’m going to link to it!”. A link exchange is basically a last ditch effort to get some hits when it becomes apparent that a site cannot maintain a decent visitor base.

Look at some of the beter known, popular blogs: Binary Bonsai, Veerle’s Blog and Smart Bitches who Love Trashy books. You don’t see any kind of link exchange on there nor do you see them asking people to do a link exchange. Why? Because they know that they have a good site that will bring them repeat visitors (if only for the content) which will in turn generate links back.

#18 Becky Nov 8, 23:01 Permalink

Hey there. Awesome website you have here! Lovely layout :D Very organized as well. Keep up the great work! :)

#19 Krist Nov 9, 11:32 Permalink

Reminds me of all that drama over Erin of broken.nu and her small, dark font. What site is this from?

#20 Kayleigh Nov 9, 18:43 Permalink

Erin of Broken.nu :P

#21 Becky Nov 9, 19:47 Permalink

Well oh well, I still remember the whole drama about someone posting that her font was too small, and she went all mad and said that it was not, and it was her site. But that does make us wonder, if she doesn’t care about visitors’ opinions, why else would she offer visitors’ content?

#22 Melle Nov 10, 08:09 Permalink

I know how you feel! Whenever I have to comment on a Despair.nu generated website I have the keys ready to make the font larger on my browser. I have horrible eyesight including astigmatism so a well sized contrasting font is always a plus. I can hardly read that font even though I’m wearing contacts!

Strange how many people refuse to cater their websites for their users.

#23 Lil Nov 10, 12:04 Permalink

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