Dark mode is here for Wikipedia (finally!). Dark mode has been one of the most requested features. It improves accessibility and reduces eye strain for readers and communities across Wikimedia proj…
I’ve always been kind of curious: am I weird because I prefer light mode for web pages with a lot of text to read? Or is it more of an age-gated thing, like older people who grew up reading printed texts only prefer what’s familiar to them? I’m fine with YouTube (for example) having a black background and dark theme, but I even browse Lemmy via old.lemmy.world in light mode!
Light mode is likely just your personal preference, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
I used dark themes/color schemes, long before there was a dark mode for everything. I was surprised when it finally became a thing and the new generation of dark themes was flawless (good bye unaddressed bright backgrounds which make everything unreadable!). So I can continue sitting in the Dark while not being blinded by a bright screen.
Light mode is pretty hard on the eyes in dim lighting, the same way dark mode is in full sun. Health-wise, it’s best to decrease the amount of light as bed time approaches and that includes screens beaming light into our face.
My computer defaults to light mode every morning and then I toggle dark later in the day when it becomes the more comfortable setting. So, for me it’s not really about “preference”.
Very happy to have dark mode Wikipedia for late night queries!
I hate dark mode, but it’s because I have a pretty bad astigmatism. Dark mode makes all text look like several mirror images swimming around each other, whereas light mode is fine.
^That’s my issue with it. My astigmatism is so bad that when I look at stars there are rays coming off of rays… branching, pretty much. The moon makes several copies of itself. Light mode is much easier to view.
Depends how old you consider old, maybe? Computers back in the day were pretty universally light text on a dark background. VIC-20 was an exception but then even Commodore backpedaled on that with the 64. But you might have had a different experience and are only remembering things like Mac OS or Amiga, or Windows, and maybe that has influenced your preference. 🤷♀️ To each their own, anyway.
My 80’s computer was (by default) bright yellow text over bright blue background.
It probably sounds quite bad. It was. You could change that with a few commands but you’d have to do it each time you boot the thing, and I didn’t bother, it was “normal” to me.
That didn’t prevent young me from spending hours copying lines of BASIC code from magazines, but it was tiring. Nowadays I’m just like, seriously, who thought that colour scheme was a good idea?
How old are you? I’m in my early 30s, definitely grew up with computers most of my life, and internet almost as long, but also read plenty of physical paper books. I greatly prefer darker color schemes.
That said, I’m also a software developer so I’m a bit biased and learned long ago that dark mode is much easier on the eyes when coding for hours on end, so maybe I’m just used to it.
I think dark mode for me stops me getting as many migraines as I did on light mode.
The way I think about reading text is that on dark mode you’re looking for light (white text) in darkness (the black background), whereas with light mode you’re looking for the absence of light (black text) on a background of pure light.
I don’t think you can make a universal statement of dark versus light. Some programs’ dark modes suck so I use their light mode. Some programs’ light modes suck so I use their dark mode. Hell, some programs’ high contrast modes are so good I use those despite not having any major (uncorrected) visual impairments. Take GitHub. Their high contrast mode is nice and not disgusting. IntelliJ IDEA’s dark mode is good. Eclipse’s light mode is good. It all just depends on the program.
Having read lots of books, I tend to prefer printed text a lot. Yet I still use dark mode as much as possible; it’s the glare. It’s irritating to read something on a white, glaring surface. Paper doesn’t have that.
I’ll read Wikipedia on e-ink, but on LCD I’ll use dark mode.
It depends a lot on your screen, and your lifting situation. Black on white is better in day light, white on black is much better on LED screens (as opposed to backlit LCD or CRT monitors).
There are times I prefer light mode but dark mode feels better designed.
A few days ago I switched to light mode because it was too sunny outside and switched right back after I was done. The Android UI was unbaerable for me.
Exactly, I toggle via keyboard shortcut depending on lighting conditions. Super nice to have proper dark/light mode support, especially if it can use the system setting.
Look at Answer in Progress’s video on dark mode, the initial question is a different one about design, but it goes a bit in the difference and dis- versus advantages between dark and light mode.
I prefer light mode because dark mode gives me a raging headache in under 10 minutes, not enough contrast or something, I’m not sure. It’s bad enough that if I’m pairing with someone and they use dark mode I’ve gotta frequently look away or do something like a shared follow mode where I use a light theme on my end - it sucks.
And maybe the science is old now, but in HS I did a report on eye strain and light backgrounds are typically better across the board. But who knows now.
No. Dark mode is just a new hype that’s why it gets so much traction. None of it’s alleged benefits can be scientifically proven, it’s nothing but personal taste.
It’s easier on my eyes. Which is anecdotal, but a large enough portion of the population use dark modes for the same reason. That is not coincidence, and it’s not something I’d write off as merely being hype.
There’s nothing new about dark mode either. Wikipedia is just slow in the uptake. Besides Wikipedia, dark modes have existed for more than a decade.
My whole personality? The fuck you smoking to be so hateful towards dark mode? We’re literally here talking about it. You decided to join in with a weird ass take.
I’ve always been kind of curious: am I weird because I prefer light mode for web pages with a lot of text to read? Or is it more of an age-gated thing, like older people who grew up reading printed texts only prefer what’s familiar to them? I’m fine with YouTube (for example) having a black background and dark theme, but I even browse Lemmy via old.lemmy.world in light mode!
Light mode is likely just your personal preference, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
I used dark themes/color schemes, long before there was a dark mode for everything. I was surprised when it finally became a thing and the new generation of dark themes was flawless (good bye unaddressed bright backgrounds which make everything unreadable!). So I can continue sitting in the Dark while not being blinded by a bright screen.
Light mode is pretty hard on the eyes in dim lighting, the same way dark mode is in full sun. Health-wise, it’s best to decrease the amount of light as bed time approaches and that includes screens beaming light into our face.
My computer defaults to light mode every morning and then I toggle dark later in the day when it becomes the more comfortable setting. So, for me it’s not really about “preference”.
Very happy to have dark mode Wikipedia for late night queries!
I’m an old fogey who grew up reading physical books and newspapers but I absolutely need dark mode on backlit displays. I despise light mode.
I hate dark mode, but it’s because I have a pretty bad astigmatism. Dark mode makes all text look like several mirror images swimming around each other, whereas light mode is fine.
^That’s my issue with it. My astigmatism is so bad that when I look at stars there are rays coming off of rays… branching, pretty much. The moon makes several copies of itself. Light mode is much easier to view.
Depends how old you consider old, maybe? Computers back in the day were pretty universally light text on a dark background. VIC-20 was an exception but then even Commodore backpedaled on that with the 64. But you might have had a different experience and are only remembering things like Mac OS or Amiga, or Windows, and maybe that has influenced your preference. 🤷♀️ To each their own, anyway.
My 80’s computer was (by default) bright yellow text over bright blue background.
It probably sounds quite bad. It was. You could change that with a few commands but you’d have to do it each time you boot the thing, and I didn’t bother, it was “normal” to me.
That didn’t prevent young me from spending hours copying lines of BASIC code from magazines, but it was tiring. Nowadays I’m just like, seriously, who thought that colour scheme was a good idea?
Yeah, I remember our first computer was green text on a dark screen.
Bright colour on dark background makes sense IMO.
This, however :
https://www.digitalretropark.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cpc-01-1320x990.jpg
Now get ready for red text on vibrant blue background :)
How old are you? I’m in my early 30s, definitely grew up with computers most of my life, and internet almost as long, but also read plenty of physical paper books. I greatly prefer darker color schemes.
That said, I’m also a software developer so I’m a bit biased and learned long ago that dark mode is much easier on the eyes when coding for hours on end, so maybe I’m just used to it.
I think dark mode for me stops me getting as many migraines as I did on light mode.
The way I think about reading text is that on dark mode you’re looking for light (white text) in darkness (the black background), whereas with light mode you’re looking for the absence of light (black text) on a background of pure light.
I don’t think you can make a universal statement of dark versus light. Some programs’ dark modes suck so I use their light mode. Some programs’ light modes suck so I use their dark mode. Hell, some programs’ high contrast modes are so good I use those despite not having any major (uncorrected) visual impairments. Take GitHub. Their high contrast mode is nice and not disgusting. IntelliJ IDEA’s dark mode is good. Eclipse’s light mode is good. It all just depends on the program.
And Solarized sucks ass. There, I said it.
Hard agree.
As a Gen Z who is the same - I really don’t think it is age-related.
Having read lots of books, I tend to prefer printed text a lot. Yet I still use dark mode as much as possible; it’s the glare. It’s irritating to read something on a white, glaring surface. Paper doesn’t have that.
I’ll read Wikipedia on e-ink, but on LCD I’ll use dark mode.
Just use what you like, you don’t have to theorize about it
Hmm… Under normal circumstances, sure. But this is an odd thing to say in a conversation specifically about the subject.
Shut up buddy you’re not special because you use dark mode
Quite the character you are, aren’t you?
It depends a lot on your screen, and your lifting situation. Black on white is better in day light, white on black is much better on LED screens (as opposed to backlit LCD or CRT monitors).
There are times I prefer light mode but dark mode feels better designed.
A few days ago I switched to light mode because it was too sunny outside and switched right back after I was done. The Android UI was unbaerable for me.
Exactly, I toggle via keyboard shortcut depending on lighting conditions. Super nice to have proper dark/light mode support, especially if it can use the system setting.
Look at Answer in Progress’s video on dark mode, the initial question is a different one about design, but it goes a bit in the difference and dis- versus advantages between dark and light mode.
Light mode:
Cons: blinds you when it’s dark, is grating on the eyes, looks terrible
Pros: can be used as a flashlight in a pinch
Dark mode:
Pros: looks cool, doesn’t blind you, doesn’t hurt your eyes, easy to read.
Cons: cannot be used as a flashlight
I prefer light mode because dark mode gives me a raging headache in under 10 minutes, not enough contrast or something, I’m not sure. It’s bad enough that if I’m pairing with someone and they use dark mode I’ve gotta frequently look away or do something like a shared follow mode where I use a light theme on my end - it sucks.
And maybe the science is old now, but in HS I did a report on eye strain and light backgrounds are typically better across the board. But who knows now.
Light mode in a well lit room, dark mode in a dim room. It solves the contrast issue in both cases. Try it :)
I toggle via keyboard shortcut depending on conditions.
I’m with you on this. I prefer a dimly lit light mode to dark mode even at night. The white text always seems fuzzy and uncomfortable for me.
Do you have astigmatism? I’m beginning to realize this might be why it’s uncomfortable for me.
Shit, I do have astigmatism in my right eye! You might be on to something.
No. Dark mode is just a new hype that’s why it gets so much traction. None of it’s alleged benefits can be scientifically proven, it’s nothing but personal taste.
With OLED screens, pure black backgrounds are amazing for reading in a pitch black environment.
Not to mention, they literally scientifically proved that dark mode extends battery life with OLED screens. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3458864.3467682
Again, just use what you like and shut up
You’re the one saying there aren’t scientific benefits when there actually are. You’re the one who literally said something factually incorrect.
It’s easier on my eyes. Which is anecdotal, but a large enough portion of the population use dark modes for the same reason. That is not coincidence, and it’s not something I’d write off as merely being hype.
There’s nothing new about dark mode either. Wikipedia is just slow in the uptake. Besides Wikipedia, dark modes have existed for more than a decade.
Ok so just use it but stop making it your whole personality
My whole personality? The fuck you smoking to be so hateful towards dark mode? We’re literally here talking about it. You decided to join in with a weird ass take.