Why is font color gray?

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Is there a particular reason why the font in these forums is gray instead or black? It makes the text faint and harder to read.
 

vansmith

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I can't speak to the design of the website but you can set your browser to override the default colours set by web designers. Which browser are you using?
 
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Safari or Firefox.

But I'd rather not have to make a global setting change to accommodate one website's design choice. Am I the only one that thinks gray is a poor choice for a font color?
 

RavingMac

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Safari or Firefox.

But I'd rather not have to make a global setting change to accommodate one website's design choice. Am I the only one that thinks gray is a poor choice for a font color?

Probably . . . ;)

At least you are the first to complain. FWIW the font looks fine on my monitors and iPad. Maybe you need to boost contrast or adjust brightness on your monitor?
 

cwa107


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Is there a particular reason why the font in these forums is gray instead or black? It makes the text faint and harder to read.

We're working on some changes to the overall design of the forum and I think you'll be pleased with the result.
 
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Great! The gray is fairly legible, but black will be better. It's not that I actually have a hard time reading the forums, but I think the change will help.

Wow, talk about responsive! ;D

Thanks!
 
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RavingMac

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Leave it be!

Have to agree with Harry in this. Don't know if it is because I'm old and getting averse to change, or what. But, I happen to like the way the font looks and find it soothing on the eyes.
 

cwa107


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There are indeed some changes in the works. I can't give much detail, but I think you'll all be pleased.
 
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I think reasonable people can disagree about something like this.

It would be nice as a user configurable option.

PS, which is easier to read? I just noticed that you can change the color of your own posts.
_____________________

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


_____________________

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
 

RavingMac

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Both equally easy once your eyes shift contrast. Again, I personally find the gray on light gray easier on the eyes.
 

CrimsonRequiem


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Grey. Design and studies have been done on these stuff. :D
 
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A slightly darker gray would be nice.
 

dtravis7


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Well, we could make the font Pink with a Yellow background! I bet many more would complain! :D

My eyes over the last few years have changed a bit. I can read the Gray but a bit darker would help me, but I get around it with the computer.
 

cwa107


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Personally, I like light text on a black background for a backlit display. Paper and E-Ink is a different story.

You simply can't please all of the people all of the time, so you have to aim for some of the people most of the time ;)
 

dtravis7


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Personally, I like light text on a black background for a backlit display. Paper and E-Ink is a different story.

You simply can't please all of the people all of the time, so you have to aim for some of the people most of the time ;)

VERY true. On my Atari ST I used to use White text on a Black background for ASCII BBS systems. Was very easy on my eyes. I am fine with it now but the new look will be interesting for sure.

On the Amiga when I first got it I was using JR Comm and remember some strange color combos that had when calling BBSs.
 

cwa107


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VERY true. On my Atari ST I used to use White text on a Black background for ASCII BBS systems. Was very easy on my eyes. I am fine with it now but the new look will be interesting for sure.

On the Amiga when I first got it I was using JR Comm and remember some strange color combos that had when calling BBSs.

Brings back memories. I believe the guy that wrote JR Comm upgraded it later and renamed the program "Terminus" or something to that effect. I spent many hours using that program and remember it fondly.

On another Mac-related note - we ought to put together a "Show us your Terminal.app" thread!

I have a semi-transparent black background with a green font color. Reminds me of the old WYSE dumb terminals we used to have at work.... pretty sweet.
 

dtravis7


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I have not set the colors in Lion yet but in SL and Leopard Black with White text like the old days.

I remember Terminus. Used it for sure.
 

vansmith

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A fix:

Safari
1. Open up TextEdit > Format > Make Plain Text.
2. Paste the following into the TextEdit window and save it as whatever you want with the .css extension:
Code:
/* http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5110249/wildcard-in-css */
div[id*='post_message_'] {
	color:black;
}
3. Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Style Sheet > choose the css file you just saved.
4. Restart Safari and enjoy black text in the posts.

Firefox
1. Go to Home Directory > Library > Application Support > Firefox > Profiles > [the folder here - it differs from profile to profile but should look like a bunch of random characters with .default at the end].
2. If it doesn't exist, create a folder called chrome.
3. Copy that css file you created for Safari to this chrome folder and call it userContent.css.
4. Restart Firefox and enjoy.

I tested both of those and they should work if you follow the instructions.
 

cwa107


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Ugh... here you go again, Vansmith. Where's the nice GUI front-end with the toggle, preferably in the guise of a Safari extension?

Your Jedi powers are getting weaker, old man!
 

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