If you're looking at the who's online list, it's because of the two tone skin color. At other times, again depending upon which skin you have chosen (so it might not be the blue/black combo) those threads you have read vs ones you have not, I think, is a deciding factor.

No, I don't think those are common denominators anymore. Neither is the level of membership, for I saw two magnate's one after another in a thread I was just reading and one was blue and one was black. Guess this is something for DocJohn to tell, as he's been "playing" with his site here lately.