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Comment by JoshTriplett

5 years ago

Please don't. Strong contrast helps readability; grey-on-color is lower contrast than white-on-color.

Most HN threads linking to a site that has light-grey-on-dark-grey or dark-grey-on-light-grey text have at least one (off-topic) complaint about site style. Let's not make HN one of those sites.

13 comments

JoshTriplett

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teh_klev  5 years ago

For me strong contrasts, especially on dark backgrounds, give me retina burns and eyestrain. I find pastel shades more comfortable. That said the grey text on white fad that happened a few years ago was a very silly idea.

I guess everyone's mileages vary depending on their eyesight, my eye's are 53 years old now and aren't as spritely as they used to be.

  • im3w1l  5 years ago

    It's all about your monitor settings. High contrast monitor - you prefer low contrast style. Low contrast monitor - you prefer high contrast style.

    This is something I don't like about VS Code. by being low contrast it means I have to turn up monitor contrast meaning everything else burns.

    • tallgiraffe  5 years ago

      Great point. Our environmental factors are so easy to forget. I do use a very high contrast monitor and definitely prefer pastel colors at night, so my eyes dont hurt, but now I can clearly see how someone with low contrast wont' see a damn thing.

      There is a solution, but it's a bit more complicated and requires introducing additional user preferences. Supply two color options in the css, and allow user to choose high/low brightness.

      HN already has some profile filters, so adding one more might not be a problem, but I can also see how it becomes a slipper-slope of new features.

      1 reply →

    • teh_klev  5 years ago

      I have three Dell 24" panels dating from 2005/7 ( 1 x 2405FPW and 2 x 2407FPW). They're not really what you'd call "high contrast" these days given their age.

albedoa  5 years ago

> grey-on-color is lower contrast than white-on-color.

> Let's not make HN one of those sites.

The OP of the thread you are replying to is #828282 on top of #f6f6ef. That is lower contrast than black on white.

  • JoshTriplett  5 years ago

    I was responding to the comment I directly replied to, not commenting on the specific color scheme of the style.

    • albedoa  5 years ago

      You said: "Let's not make HN one of those sites."

      Either it is already one of those sites or there is room between the most extreme contrasts. Pick one.

      2 replies →