Am I the only one where "dark mode" interfaces really screw with the eyes?
Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
61–70 of 234 posts
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#62I wish HN would get a dark mode, and I don’t know why major apps like WhatsApp etc. are still dragging their asses over dark mode support while smaller apps with more complex UIs have already supported it for months.
There are plenty of user-written styles that will give you a dark HN. I'm using this one [1] right now, using Stylus[2] (Chrome extension) to apply it.
[1] https://userstyles.org/styles/22794/a-dark-hacker-news
[2] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stylus/clngdbkpkpe...
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#63As long as there's a choice between dark and light mode I'm happy. Heck I don't even really need a customizable interface color setup anymore, I've given up on that.
IMHO "Hot Dog Stand" on Windows 3.1 was the best it could ever be. Dear god don't let Hot Dog Stand be the default.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#64Can someone post some links to studies? I remember reading that your screen brightness should be close to the ambient light level, and it does help my eyes when I do that adjustment, but I don't know why. White screen = brighter screen, so dark screens at night would make a less-bright screen, and vice versa, which seems to back up the theory.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#65It seems that their data is mostly coming from their own user base (the discord data is biased as they admitted), which is mostly comprised of programmers and other techies. I don't know how far this generalizes to the rest of society. I personally like dark mode during night time, but almost always prefer light mode by default. There's just something about dark mode that is... gloomy and depressing. It feels like an…
> I've noticed that most techies do prefer dark mode, and I also recall reading that techies are disproportionately night owls - I wonder if there's a correlation there.
If I may be mildly unflattering for a moment, I think it's just a trendiness thing. Dark Mode looks more like a terminal and signals "I'm a real big-boy hackerman" or something.
If someone has real data showing it actually causes less eyestrain or something, I'm willing to change that opinion.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#66I don't know many people my age who can still handle dark mode. It was easy for me many years ago. I looked at command lines all day and no problem. Now I see blurry lines for 10 minutes all around me if I have to spend any length of time in a command line interface, or look at an article in dark mode. This is, unfortunately, an accessibility issue, not a design issue.
I'm older, my eyes are getting pretty bad, and I have to have dark mode. This is why data on this is important.
I'm the same way... 42 now and my eyes aren't the same. Definitely macular degeneration. Dark mode really helps me.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#67I wish HN would get a dark mode, and I don’t know why major apps like WhatsApp etc. are still dragging their asses over dark mode support while smaller apps with more complex UIs have already supported it for months.
Maybe because the small apps have a very targeted audience that enjoys dark mode. If you ask 10 random people on the street only 1 will probably know what “dark mode” is or would think about actively switching to it.
Dark mode is a talking point for both iOS and Android imo.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#68I think the rise of dark mode is mostly related to really good displays. Dark mode looks like shit on CRTs and even older flat panels with poor contrast.
Yeah I was going to mention that. Devs usually have Mac Books, XPS, X1 Carbons, modern screens blasting 500 nits. Most real people have sh8tty TN panels or old small monitors.
> Most real people have sh8tty TN panels or old small monitors.
And light text on dark background looks better on these too.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#69It seems that their data is mostly coming from their own user base (the discord data is biased as they admitted), which is mostly comprised of programmers and other techies. I don't know how far this generalizes to the rest of society. I personally like dark mode during night time, but almost always prefer light mode by default. There's just something about dark mode that is... gloomy and depressing. It feels like an…
If system-wide themes really worked, I'd probably be switching now and then between light and dark themes. Dark mode is kind of gloomy but it's also easier on the eyes.
System wide themes used to work, and we didn't need an explicit Dark Mode because of it. Sadly, computer interfaces have regressed significantly from 1995.
Re: Dark Mode by Default – 95% of People Prefer Dark over Light Mode
#70I heard dark mode might not actually help in terms of being easier on the eyes?