Automatic Bans for "Deceptive Hidden Text"

There seems to be an increase in how often people try to get away with hiding links in their posts using text which is the same, or nearly the same color as the background, AKA "hidden text".

Here are 3 good reasons why trying to use hidden text in a post or signature here is a bad idea.

1) Ozzu has two contrasting templates, a light theme and a dark theme. What stays hidden in one sticks out like a sore thumb in the other. Ozzu has multiple members, including moderators, using both themes.

2) Some people browse Ozzu with an addition to their "user.js" which looks for any text in posts or signatures that use the same or nearly the same color as the background, and makes it stick out like a sore thumb. Here's a screenshot of what I see when I look at a post with hidden text.



This isn't a simple "if the text is the same color as the background" check either. The script calculates color differences and contrast ratios to catch anything that might simply be hard to see. Anyone is welcome to ask for a copy of the script.

3) You will be banned permenantly without warning for doing it, requiring you to contact Bigwebmaster with a really good explanation if you don't believe you deserved the ban. New accounts which have obviously been made for the purpose of doing it will simply be deleted.


Obviously, not all hard to see text is meant to be deceptive. Whether action is taken will depend on a variety of factors, it's not going to mean "if your text is hard to see you're banned". In some cases you might get a PM from a moderator asking you to use a different color, or the moderator may just change it themselves if your time to edit the post has expired.

The basic rule of thumb to remember here is, if your intention is to deceive someone, you're probably going to end up banned.

Hmm,

Well I never!

Good you spot these things joebert.

S