I chose subsilver because it was the layout that provided what Dear wanted for the forum. Ultimately we're going to add plugins, portals and suchlike which would create a look that she wants. I think we're likely to keep it as a forced single skin although ultimatly that's down to Dear. Having variable skins does cause problems though. If one person is using a light skin and someone posts with colours and chooses light colours ( say bright yellows ) because they have a dark skin then it can't be seen. Sticking to a single skin stops this problem.

I have considered that many people read forums at work, so my goal is to have an appearance that is safe for work. We might possibly try to implement your suggestion, Bella, but first we need to get general plug-ins for a portal, YouTube videos, and all that sort of stuff. In order words, we need a strong foundation before adding bells and whistles.

Absolutely understood, of course. But I also suspect the membership rate will only slowly trickle in until it looks a little more pulled together too, so I wouldn't exactly call the style just a "bell and whistle" at this point, but certainly, content is always more important than that being "purdy".

Personally I like 'Sub Silver' but a banner would improve things for sure

Bella, when I said bells and whistles, I was referring to the ability to select from more than one or two options as the skin/style of these forums. Improving the appearance so that it's not so plain is part of laying the foundation, and I agree that membership will be low until we get the site a bit more polished.

The banner will reflect the love most Goreans have for nature. I have narrowed the themes down to these three:

http://www.phpbb.com/styles/demo/3.0/in ... tyle_id=57

http://www.phpbb.com/styles/demo/3.0/in ... yle_id=355

http://www.phpbb.com/styles/demo/3.0/in ... tyle_id=42