But you also suggested that Clara could be the Doctors mother and/or a Goddess for Timelords. So its hard to tell when you're joking and when you're actually serious. I have no idea.

The comments you made about Daleks getting tattoos etc were clearly meant as a joke but then you undermined your own argument in the same post by saying Daleks would covert hair. So you may forgive any confusion.

It's never been true that Daleks don't differentiate among themselves.

I think you're mistaking identity for role. Even if all Daleks are identical, someone has to do the co-ordination, someone has to do the research, someone has to patrol the corridors. In theory, if you lose your Scientist Dalek, another just needs a respray job in order to take over.

And even if they're all the same, repeating the same activity must improve their skills at it.
I don't think even the Daleks would object to a particular Dalek becoming good at their job, as long as there's no suggestion that it's a natural talent.

I didn't say that have never differentiated - I said that "it's always been a sore point that they should supposedly "feel the need" to use colour - of all things - to display rank or some other "individuality".

I know that they have previously used colour IN THE SHOW but as I also said, that dates back to a time when everything on TV was overly colourful cos colour TV was new (like early stereo records that used ear-murdering hard left/right panning to "show off" the effect).

I know that they HAVE had varying colours in the past - I'm questioning whether it is necessary or desirable for them to use colour in that same way now.

To my mind, having brightly coloured Daleks makes them look like toys - 1960's toys at that. It also removes the menace that comes from them being totally targeted on universal domination - they should be far too busy killing to worry about what colour lipstick to wear.

As for their functional roles - I entirely agree that each Dalek can have a role within that "army" - I merely suggest that a hi-tech, bio-mechanical transportation device would not have that rank painted onto it as kiddie-toy reds and blues.

Even humans - today - have moved away from relying entirely on visual to communicate identity and status as technology means we are no longer restricted to only dealing with people within eye and eye shot. When you read this post - can you tell what I look like - and does it actually make the slightest bit of difference to you?

Now imagine how little anyone will care about visuals by the time we reach Dalek levels of technology - with faster than light space travel and "empires" covering millions of light years of space.

I'm saying that a species that spends it's entire life inside a tank - and a tank filled to the brim with incredibly hi-tech gadgets - including comms equipment - would have far more advanced methods of telling each other apart or identifying rank - they would not rely on a paint job.

We - humans - relied entirely on visual differences when all of our communication was up close and personal. Right now - in the early 21st century - you are reading this post and yet you have absolutely no idea what I look like - and you don't care. Now imagine how much less humans will rely on simplistic visual clues by the time we reach Dalek levels of tech-evolution. What good is a nameplate or stripes on your shoulder when you're sending a message to someone a million light years away?

The main thing though...

Those pepper-pots are NOT "Daleks" - the Dalek is the creature inside, the pepperpots are just tanks. You don't paint stripes on a tank just cos a sergeant is driving it - and you definitely don't paint it pink. Any need to differentiate between Daleks would be done for the use and benefit of the Dalek - not his wheels.