Forum:Trying and failing to change default skin

I've been trying to change Common.css so that Monobook will be the default skin for all users. I'm not skilled with any kind of code but I thought I could just copy the style sheet from Wikipedia's CSS catalogue into my wiki's Common.css page. It hasn't worked so far. I changed my skin so that I see Monobook when I log in, but as soon as I log out it changes to the grey-and-gold look. I just want it to look like Wikipedia or Wikia home.

That's because the new skins, either slate or smoke, are now default skins for all anonymous (=not logged in) users and you cannot change that, no matter how hard you try to alter Common.css. However, you and other users can set Monobook as their default skin on their preferences. I mean, the new skins are actually pretty nice, so there's no need for newbies to see the boring Monobook skin. :) --Jack Phoenix (Contact) 21:15, 26 May 2007 (UTC)


 * They may "look nice", but they take up an insane amount of space and get in the way of the actual content. The interface alone should not take up half the space on the most widely-used resolution, 1024x786. As far as I can tell, the new skins were designed first and foremost around adopting a particular ad size - the 300x250 box. I am disappointed by that. --GreenReaper(talk) 17:42, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

That doesn't make sense, though. I've visited other wikis that are hosted on Wikia, and several have unique styles that I can see even if I'm not logged in. Monobook or not, I want the site to look the same whether a visitor is logged in or not.


 * That won't work, because a skin is more than CSS. Other skins have different generated HTML, and different ID and classes for many of the UI objects. Some even have custom javascripting. It is virtually impossible to turn such a skin into Monobook with just css. --Splarka (talk) 06:24, 27 May 2007 (UTC)


 * There's a thread about this on inside.wikia.com. Perhaps some of the Javascript on there might help you, or at least provide a starting point for a solution to this problem. --GreenReaper(talk) 17:29, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Hi, I've been having a similar problem. I don't mind the slate skin, but I want to have a unified look to the site that matches my original site from where most of my contributors will come from initially. I have edited the monobook skin to match. I understand that I can't change the default using CSS, and I tried the Javascript that Greenreaper suggested but to no avail (the java seemed to freeze my browser). I want to contact an administrator who could possibly change the default skin. Anyone have any idea who would be best to contact? my wiki is at artheat database Robertsloon 15:36, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Or maybe even if somebody could help change the grey and white areas of the slate skin to black it would help too 41.240.101.60 17:30, 31 May 2007 (UTC)


 * As the slate/main.css file is loaded after the MediaWiki:Slate.css file (a bad design, IMHO), you have to use !important to override the body background color. fixed? --Splarka (talk) 07:21, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks so much Splarka, looks great. Robertsloon 11:16, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Suggestion: Tool to Set one Skins As Default for All Users
Hello. Why do not Wikia Make one tool to set One Skins As Default for ALl Users. Self i hate all the others Skins. Im Only Liking Monobok!


 * Well, the new skins are like in beta-testing or so, and it's encouraged to report problems and bugs in them so that they can be fixed. :)


 * Anyway, there's a good reason why Special:Preferences exists. However, I'm quite sure that the new skins might encourage new readers possibly to register an account and to contribute! Also, IMHO, it makes pretty clear that Wikia is not Wikipedia because we don't use the same skin and so on. Yes, Monobook is popular and great skin, but slate or smoke will be the default for new visitors. Registered users can set their skin from the preferences panel. --Jack Phoenix (Contact) 14:48, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

This should be Possible. But im want all of my visitors and members and all to have Monobok Skin - --62.128.243.228 14:54, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Well, it's not possible. However, think about it: the new skins might encourage newbies to contribute. Isn't it better to have a new skins and say, 20 new members rather than old skin and no new members? ;) --Jack Phoenix (Contact) 15:03, 1 June 2007 (UTC)


 * User preferences are nice, but it should be the community's choice how their site looks to visitors, not Wikia's choice. Why should we create the content if we don't have control over its presentation? It's fine to give more options and set defaults, but if they are defaults that cannot be changed by the community, then that is a big problem. Honestly, I'm just fine with the site looking similar to Wikipedia - it means users familiar with that site will have a good idea how our site works as well. Change for the sake of being different is not a good reason. As for encouraging users, I fear Wikia is trying to impose a half-baked technical solution to a social problem. There are plenty of ways to generate contributors. Very few of them need involve changing how the site looks or works; the most effective ones apply to any site. Did Wikia decide educating founders was just too hard? --GreenReaper(talk) 15:12, 1 June 2007 (UTC)