# Is anyone else overwhelmed? \[SDMB colors and visual appearance\] **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 23, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381 "2014-03-23T20:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/21 "2014-03-24T00:41:00Z")
One of the reasons I frequent the SDMB is that it’s simpler and more readable than most of the alternatives. I can’t see a colored background being helpful, unless maybe it’s to go black with white text. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/22 "2014-03-24T00:45:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, are you seriously suggesting that we make the background blue to make it _easier_ to read? > [@Canadjun](#): > > Trying to figure out what the OP’s problem is. Yeah, I’m utterly confused as to what the OP actually wants. But as long as we’re complaining: is anyone else bothered by the smell in here? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/23 "2014-03-24T02:17:59Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > It’s a rather conservative group Who would have ever thought **that** would be said about the SDMB?! ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/24 "2014-03-24T02:45:01Z")
I have a six-year-old iMac. I keep the screen the dimmest possible using the keyboard brightness controls and use a free app called Shady to turn it down even more (there’s also the free Dimmer, essentially the same thing). I keep the iPad dim, too, and for browsing use iCab Mobile, which has its own brightness control, so I turn it down even more. If I had to use both on full brightness, I’d be Spock getting rid of the pancakes from hell. But not having an interior eyelid, blindness would be permanent. But that’s the case with the entire net (excluding videos), not the Dope in particular. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/25 "2014-03-24T02:51:36Z")
If you’re using Firefox, it’s ‘Tools’ \>\> ‘Options’ \>\> ‘Colors’. Change the Background color to whatever you want and uncheck the box that says ‘allow pages to choose their own colors’. Oh, and a blue background _really_ sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/26 "2014-03-24T02:53:15Z")
I don’t see why an option to let users change color palettes would affect the board’s character. And black text on dark blue is crazy, but black on soft blue I can see being easier in the eyes than black on white. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/27 "2014-03-24T03:09:55Z")
I know nothing about Windows, but there must be a relatively easy way to reverse the display so it’s white type on a black background. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/28 "2014-03-24T04:25:04Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t see why an option to let users change color palettes would affect the board’s character. > > And black text on dark blue is crazy, but black on soft blue I can see being easier in the eyes than black on white. Scarlet type on a deep black background is really bitchin’, judging by hacking sites and many, many blogs: _provided_ the font is small and thin. And margins are _right_ out. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/29 "2014-03-24T05:15:28Z")
You could try downloading twilight/flux or just dimming the screen. ---
**Author:** ![sentrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@sentrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sentrix)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/30 "2014-03-24T11:09:13Z")
Thank you for all the heads up. Better viewing from a laptop than a mobile. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/31 "2014-03-24T18:10:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Action** > > Moving thread from General Questions to About This Message Board. Mod: Could you adjust the hed a bit to make the OP clear? It would be a shame for many of the TM not to take part in this important topic because they drove right by it. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/32 "2014-03-24T18:29:34Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Mod: Could you adjust the hed a bit to make the OP clear? Done. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/33 "2014-03-24T19:01:46Z")
I find the blue on white very soothing and easy to read. I hope the board doesn’t change to some god awful garish stuff. I keep my laptop brightness turned down anyhow. cuts the glare a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/34 "2014-03-24T19:04:51Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > And I can never figure out who has replied to me. Threaded mode? Thread subscription with email notification? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/35 "2014-03-24T19:25:01Z")
He doesn’t mean primary blue, like the classic URL color, for crying out loud!\* I’m pretty sure what he’s talking about is a color scheme that has good contrast but the background being a _bit_ tinted so it’s not so bright. IF that’s what he means, I agree, but I don’t expect it to happen on this board where a lot of people flip the fuck out at any minute change. I _do_ wonder why there can’t be a few skins/themes available (like a freaking mobile version since Tapatalk can be a pain in the ass); this is literally the only vbulletin board I’ve gone to that doesn’t have any. I personally find black on a pale grey to be much easier to read than black on white because the contrast is not so stark. [This color combo is a decent example](http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/280/1/4/the_beacon_light_vbulletin_skin_by_pureonemedia-d5h14dy.jpg) (JUST the colors, people, not the font or text size etc etc). [This is an example of a blue theme that I think works](http://www.awesomestyles.com/images/ts/600x0/1008.jpg) (potentially lightening the light blue just a bit more). The blues have a bit of grey to them, so they aren’t obnoxiously vibrant. The best part, IMO, is having a dark blue background but keeping the text on lighter blue. It keeps the page from being SO damn bright, keeps the readability contrast and the colors are muted enough that the contrast isn’t jarring. - Unless he IS, in which case you’re on your own, dude. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/36 "2014-03-24T19:56:22Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t see why an option to let users change color palettes would affect the board’s character. > > And black text on dark blue is crazy, but black on soft blue I can see being easier in the eyes than black on white. Don’t you know – EVERYTHING affects the board’s character! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/37 "2014-03-24T20:13:55Z")
Yeah, and what about the damn date stamps for the edits! Not to speak of the smell. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381/38 "2014-03-24T20:17:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, are you seriously suggesting that we make the background blue to make it _easier_ to read? Black on blue is literally one of the most difficult pairings to read… +1 on the color analysis. I did work on info visualization way back when when stuff like that had to be pointed out. > [@](#): > > …We do care about making it easy on readers’ eyes-- That’s exactly why the board looks the way it does. …What do you mean “we,” white man? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-overwhelmed-sdmb-colors-and-visual-appearance/684381.md?page=1)