# Mods, when moderating, could you please post in black and white? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 6, 2019, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460 "2019-12-06T09:34:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/21 "2019-12-06T14:51:26Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > OP is colorblind… how did you think it would be helpful for a colorblind person to set their monitor to greyscale? Colourblindness isn’t just seeing in greyscale, Setting the colour to greyscale might offer a variant contrast than actual colourblindness provides. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/22 "2019-12-06T14:54:15Z")
Does there exist a browser plug-in for colorblind people that renders hard-to-read text easier for them to see? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/23 "2019-12-06T15:03:46Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Colourblindness isn’t just seeing in greyscale, Setting the colour to greyscale might offer a variant contrast than actual colourblindness provides. It would also eliminate any colors that they aren’t blind to, on their entire monitor. Not really a good idea. The mods should use the text cues as they did before, and put them in a colored font for whoever wants that. Add, don’t subtract. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/24 "2019-12-06T15:32:12Z")
I don’t know which mods are using the “red” to make notes, but I agree it’s really helpful. OP - would adding the “moderating” tags help or not? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/25 "2019-12-06T15:54:42Z")
Literally OP asked to add the text tags again. Mods could make everyone happy by using the same text tags they used to, AND put them in a colored font. Am I taking crazy pills? Why is everybody determined that adding color contrast definitely requires removing non-colored accessibility cues? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/26 "2019-12-06T16:05:13Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Literally OP asked to add the text tags again. > > Mods could make everyone happy by using the same text tags they used to, AND put them in a colored font. > > Am I taking crazy pills? Why is everybody determined that adding color contrast definitely requires removing non-colored accessibility cues? I read the OP as Spoons wanting the tags, but not the colored font, since he can’t see the colored font (and he asked if we ‘could go back to:’). You’re never going to make everyone happy. That’s why I asked if he could read the text if he highlights it. That way the people that wanted the red text to make it more visible still get that and the people that have a hard time reading the red text might be able to read it as well. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/27 "2019-12-06T16:25:04Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Enable HTML and use \ you cowards I see you, too, are a gentleperson of the world. Next item on our agenda : mouse cursor trails, and why we need the longest possible. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/28 "2019-12-06T16:38:24Z")
[**Many Types of Color Blindness**](http://www.colorvisiontesting.com/color2.htm) This is an interesting article on the condition of color blindness. The gist of it is that there are so many forms of the condition that there is no set color formula regarding color usage that can accommodate all who suffer from the condition. Here’s an interesting article on web sites accommodating the color blind. [\*\* Improving Web Accessibility For Color-Blind Users \*\*](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/06/improving-color-accessibility-for-color-blind-users/) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/29 "2019-12-06T16:38:57Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Enable HTML and use \ you cowards The board did use HTML tags during the first few months; HTML got disabled when it started being used for nefarious purposes. [cite](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=29214&postcount=4) ---
**Author:** ![Calavera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calavera/32/70_2.png) [@Calavera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calavera)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/30 "2019-12-06T16:42:45Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I read the OP as Spoons wanting the tags, but not the colored font, since he can’t see the colored font (and he asked if we ‘could go back to:’). > > You’re never going to make everyone happy. That’s why I asked if he could read the text if he highlights it. That way the people that wanted the red text to make it more visible still get that and the people that have a hard time reading the red text might be able to read it as well. Yeah Spoons was definitely trying to “roll back” a feature that most people prefer. He wasn’t in any way advocating for Red text+tags, he wanted black text, (tags optional). Red text+tags may be an improvement but red text, with or without tags, is definitely better than black+tags. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/31 "2019-12-06T16:58:34Z")
Folks it’s not that complicated, Posters got notes/warnings. Posters complained that they didn’t see the mod instructions. Posters suggested that mod instructions be made easier to see. ECG started to post their mod instructions in red . . . WITH STANDARD TEXT INDICATIONS THAT THEY WERE MOD INSTRUCTIONS. Colorizing mod instructions is not being adopted in lieu of standard text indicators. Spoons complained that, being colorblind, red mod instructions are hard to see. Other solutions; bolding, font changes\*, etc, of mod instructions is not a solution because they do not stand out enough when scrolling through and not reading a thread. If it isn’t colored it’s just black text on a white background. (\*My browser is set to use a default font so I wouldn’t notice a font change.) It’s exceedingly rare for anyone to post in color so colorizing mod instructions would seem to be an ideal solution. THE QUESTION SHOULD BE, ‘IF MODS COLORIZE THEIR MOD INSTRUCTIONS, WHAT IS THE BEST COLOR’! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/32 "2019-12-06T16:59:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You’re never going to make everyone happy. [Demonstrating] Actually you can, at least in this case. Look, I’m doing it right now. [/Demonstrating] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/33 "2019-12-06T17:05:12Z")
\*\*[Demonstrating] I think this would be better for a color-blind individual, otherwise they’d miss the tags as well. Then they can highlight for better contrast. [/Demonstrating]\*\* ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/34 "2019-12-06T17:34:56Z")
That’s a great suggestion. Tons of ways to approach it if we’re willing to think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/35 "2019-12-06T17:43:40Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > How many of us are actually using the red color? I know ECG does it. Is anyone else? I’ve started using it for mod instructions that apply to the thread in general. Not for thread moves or other housekeeping notes. As suggested, I guess I could start bolding the “Mod Instructions” header while leaving it in black-and-white, while just putting the text in red. That way people like the OP could just select the text to make it more visible (I hope). **HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD PEOPLE MISS MOD NOTES POSTED IN FONTS LIKE THIS** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/36 "2019-12-06T18:09:18Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > [Demonstrating] > > Actually you can, at least in this case. Look, I’m doing it right now. > > [/Demonstrating] Pretty sure that still doesn’t work for **Spoons**. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/37 "2019-12-06T18:11:42Z")
What we need is a font with a black outline and red interior, or vice versa! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/38 "2019-12-06T18:32:01Z")
One workaround for **Spoons** — _though it requires that he recognize there’s a mod note in the first place_ — is to highlight the hard-to-read text by dragging the mouse across it. White-on-blue is presumably easier to read than red-on-white. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/39 "2019-12-06T19:47:30Z")
There is simply no way to accommodate everyone, every time. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460/40 "2019-12-06T19:48:59Z")
[color=black] Ooops, accidentally double posted. Deleted [/COLOR] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-when-moderating-could-you-please-post-in-black-and-white/844460.md?page=3)