# Suggestion: alternate color schemes **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 29, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046 "2007-04-29T15:54:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/21 "2007-04-30T06:58:12Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I’m fairly sensitive to light, so it may be completely my fault. [/QUOTE] Then it might be a plan to turn down your brightness and contrast. I rarely have mine higher than half and they’re usually even lower. I promise you I’m seeing no white - everything that’s not blue or black is light grey. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/22 "2007-04-30T09:53:29Z")
At some point shortly after a board upgrade or restore from backup in the past, there was a dropdown box available for choosing the skin/theme - IIRC there were only two themes available (something like ‘SDMB’ and ‘SDMB Modified Blue’) and one of them didn’t work properly. Dunno why I bothered mentioning that. In any case, it couldn’t be _that_ hard to implement a few choices here - especially if they’re just tweaks to colours, leaving the graphical elements alone. OTOH, the colouring of this board is almost a trademark, so that might be a reason not to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/23 "2007-04-30T11:57:15Z")
[QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] The suggested color scheme would be just about impossible for me to read. [/quote] I understand. That’s why I used the plural: alternative color schemes. Not everyone is alike. > [@](#): > > I want as much contrast between text and background as possible, not just on my computer screen, but on all my reading material. Me too, but light text on a dark background would be just as contrasting. > [@](#): > > I vastly prefer black text on a white background, and in fact if I come across a site or book (generally it’s “graphic novels” that do this), then I won’t strain my eyes trying to read it unless it’s VERY interesting. The light grey against medium blue simply doesn’t provide enough contrast for me to read it. (I tried it.) Then you’re fortunate that the default color scheme suits you. I’m happy for you. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/24 "2007-04-30T11:59:42Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] OTOH, the colouring of this board is almost a trademark, so that might be a reason not to change it. [/QUOTE] Nothing would change unless you changed it for yourself. The reasons to offer a choice, however, seem self-evident. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/25 "2007-04-30T12:00:14Z")
At one point we did have some alternate schemes but they went away in an upgrade and we have not been able to reinstitute them. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/26 "2007-04-30T14:45:46Z")
Okay. Well, that’s that, I reckon. Might as well close this baby and let it sink. Thanks for listening. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046/27 "2007-04-30T22:31:24Z")
Well, I thought it was a good idea anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-alternate-color-schemes/402046.md?page=1)