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.
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?
Who would have ever thought that would be said about the SDMB?!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You could try downloading twilight/flux or just dimming the screen.
Thank you for all the heads up. Better viewing from a laptop than a mobile.
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.
Done.
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.
Threaded mode? Thread subscription with email notification?
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 (JUST the colors, people, not the font or text size etc etc).
This is an example of a blue theme that I think works (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.
Don’t you know – EVERYTHING affects the board’s character! 
Yeah, and what about the damn date stamps for the edits! Not to speak of the smell.
+1 on the color analysis. I did work on info visualization way back when when stuff like that had to be pointed out.
…What do you mean “we,” white man?