Color Coding Of Names Explained

  • Thread starter Thread starter Vanadium 50
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AI Thread Summary
The color coding of usernames on the forum indicates different user statuses: black is for regular members, orange signifies paid members, green represents mentors, and blue is for admins. Non-bold black names indicate users awaiting email confirmation, which can apply to both new members and those who have changed their email addresses without responding to activation emails. Strikethroughs on usernames denote temporary or permanent bans, account deletions, or deceased users. There is some confusion regarding the implications of non-bold black usernames, particularly for long-time members, but inactivity alone does not typically cause a name to change color. Overall, the color coding serves to clarify user roles and statuses within the community.
Vanadium 50
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Hi everyone-

Can someone explain the color coding of names?
Black is "regular"
Orange is "gold" - people who have paid.
Green are the mentors.
People with lines through their names are...um...obvious.
What about black that's not bolded?
Oh, and Greg is blue.

Any others?
 
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I think non-bold black are members who are "still awaiting email confirmation"-- either newbies, or other members who have changed their email address and not responded to the activation email.
 
Bold black is "regular". A few users are in non-bold black, same size font as everyone else. When we had feeds from sci.physics news groups the user names for messages posted to the news group by non PF members appeared as non-bold black in a smaller font and not underlined.

Edit
Cristo, thanks (post #2) (posts caught in the cross-fire)
 
Last edited:
Yes, non-bold members are those that are awaiting e-mail confirmation. Admins are blue BTW.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Hi everyone-

Can someone explain the color coding of names?
Black is "regular"
Orange is "gold" - people who have paid.
Green are the mentors.
People with lines through their names are...um...obvious.
What about black that's not bolded?
Oh, and Greg is blue.

Any others?

What are the strikethroughs?

Oops. I see it now.
 
Last edited:
cristo said:
I think non-bold black are members who are "still awaiting email confirmation"-- either newbies, or other members who have changed their email address and not responded to the activation email.

Either so, or then they are people who have not received an email confirmation request message from the physicsforums. You cannot deduce which has happened from the fact that a person has not responded with an email confirmation.
 
I think an underlined, nonbold, black font that also has a raised black line through the username (strikethrough) means the user is temporarily banned, permanently banned, deceased, or the user requested his/her account be deleted. I think a non-underlined, nonbold, black font without the strikethrough can also mean the user requested his/her account be closed but not deleted; I don't know if this font differs from the nonbold, black font mentioned in other posts, above.

I think only a black line below your username means you really exist, and are momentarily safe. :biggrin:
 
You don't get a line through your account for being deceased.
 
When I was a child, I made my Lego creations (and some of them were awesome) with absolutely no regard for the colour of the bricks I'd use. I'm not sure it ever even occurred to me to try to colour-coordinate my models.

I had never noticed that the names have colours. I just went and checked. Mine is gold.

BTW, it gets more ironic. I am an artist and I spent ten years in photo processing, where colour differentiation is essential.
 
  • #10
Does a username get a line through it if the account is inactive for a long time (but the user isn't deceased)?
 
  • #11
So what if a long time member, usually bold, goes...pale...all of a sudden? Does that mean their email on record is no longer valid?
 
  • #12
nvn said:
Does a username get a line through it if the account is inactive for a long time (but the user isn't deceased)?

I don't believe so. I haven't noticed that in old threads.
 
  • #13
lisab said:
So what if a long time member, usually bold, goes...pale...all of a sudden? Does that mean their email on record is no longer valid?

I think I know who you mean, and we don't need to go there right now.
 
  • #14
lisab said:
So what if a long time member, usually bold, goes...pale...all of a sudden? Does that mean their email on record is no longer valid?

See here:

cristo said:
I think non-bold black are members who are "still awaiting email confirmation"-- either newbies, or other members who have changed their email address and not responded to the activation email.
 
  • #15
Do we have to report ourselves to PF if we become deceased?
 
  • #16
GeorginaS said:
Do we have to report ourselves to PF if we become deceased?

In the scepticism and debunking forum.
 
  • #17
nvn said:
Does a username get a line through it if the account is inactive for a long time (but the user isn't deceased)?

Not usually.
 
  • #18
I don't know whether it's mentioned or not but I guess the 1s who have disabled private messaging also have not-bold usernames!
 
  • #19
Lisa! said:
I don't know whether it's mentioned or not but I guess the 1s who have disabled private messaging also have not-bold usernames!

I don't think so lisa.
 
  • #20
Kurdt said:
I don't think so lisa.

Sounds like you are right! But I saw cyrus's ID was non-bolded and you know he has activate his account long time ago!:biggrin:
 
  • #21
lisab said:
So what if a long time member, usually bold

You mean font, or the way the user expresses himself?
 
  • #22
Borek said:
You mean font, or the way the user expresses himself?

:smile:
 
  • #23
GeorginaS said:
Do we have to report ourselves to PF if we become deceased?

NeoDevin said:
In the scepticism and debunking forum.

:smile:


I'm pretty sure the awaiting email confirmation thing can happen even to long-time members if they do something like change their password...and if their email address on file isn't updated, that might be a problem if the confirmation is going to an old account used just for registering for the site, or that they no longer have or use. Greg can fix those issues, though, if you ask nicely and offer ring pops.
 

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