Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text • Hacker News Board

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#111

Post by jeroenhd » Sat, May 21, 2022, 7:40 AM UTC

TAKEMYMONEY wrote: post #104

jeroenhd wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have my phone on auto brightness and my displays on max brightness. Black on white is perfectly readable to me, even in the dark. I don't know what ultra HDR monitor you're using or what light sensitivity issue you may have, but I don't want to have to install addons in my browser because you can't find the brightness slider.

Light sensitivity issue? > I don't want to have to install addons Sounds like you don't need to, you're happy changing the setting in many places (every device), than one (a stylesheet) > because you can't find the brightness slider "Make the user fix it" was the old thinking. Now we consider a more robust set of platforms, devices and users.

> Sounds like you don't need to, you're happy changing the setting in many places (every device), than one (a stylesheet)

But now I need to change my settings or your site's stylesheet to make your text readable

> "Make the user fix it" was the old thinking. Now we consider a more robust set of platforms, devices and users.

Exactly, that's why you choose clearly contrasting text over blurry grey-on-white so that every device can display the text comfortably according to the characteristics and preferences set by the manufacturer (or the user, if the user disagrees with the manufacturer about what constitutes "too much contrast")

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#112

Post by jraph » Sat, May 21, 2022, 10:27 AM UTC

waffle_ss wrote: post #103

kingcharles wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually really appreciated the comment above. Downvote it if you don't like it. If it gets enough downvotes because the community hates it, then it'll go away.

You really appreciated a comment that effectively said "hey look I said the same thing two days ago" ...? Yikes dude. Reddit infiltration has totally ruined this place.

Come on, take it easy. I thought that could be helpful. This comment also links to a related, recent story that probably caused this one and that's probably what is most important in this comment. It has been upvoted several times and the person you respond to tells you they found it helpful too. You can't really argue with this. In the past I also linked to comments or stories I've not posted myself and I thought relevant to the context so it's not just me seeking for validation or something. I just like linking connected stuff. I can understand full well how one could find my comment a bit cringy. But please reconsider because what's actually happening is probably not what you think it is. But if you don't, it's fine, I don't really mind. I attempted something, found out that some people liked it (which encourages me to do it again), some don't (which encourages me to be careful not to send the wrong signals - thanks for your feedback), in the end that's expected.

Your comment about Reddit, in addition to be outside HN's guidelines, is however totally wrong. I don't frequently browse Reddit, I don't have any account there, that cannot be some Reddit infiltration so I suggest you to consider another analysis. Of this thread of course, but of HN in general.

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#113

Post by da39a3ee » Sat, May 21, 2022, 1:53 PM UTC

daedalus_f wrote: post #94

da39a3ee wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the trouble is that even educated humans struggle to talk intelligently about medical and psychological problems. We all worry about our health and mortality, and the idea that a psychological or medical condition threatens your life is somewhere between an existential threat, and a worrying cloud over your life. As a result, people easily become wedded to the idea that a particular condition is affecting the…

I'm from a biology/healthcare background and come to HN for the interesting tech discussions, trivia and the different perspective. I've learnt loads over the past few years and got into a few amateur programming projects in my free time and I'm grateful for that. But I've stopped going to the comments section of anything related to my actual fields of knowledge because the comments are often so wrong/borderline craz…

Ok but I didn't intend my comment to be about HN readers; it's basically educated humans in western anglophone countries I'm criticizing. People just love giving scientific-sounding diagnoses to their problems in their lives, even totally nebulous things like children behaving badly or not doing well academically.

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#114

Post by TAKEMYMONEY » Sat, May 21, 2022, 3:17 PM UTC

jeroenhd wrote: post #111

TAKEMYMONEY wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Light sensitivity issue? > I don't want to have to install addons Sounds like you don't need to, you're happy changing the setting in many places (every device), than one (a stylesheet) > because you can't find the brightness slider "Make the user fix it" was the old thinking. Now we consider a more robust set of platforms, devices and users.

> Sounds like you don't need to, you're happy changing the setting in many places (every device), than one (a stylesheet) But now I need to change my settings or your site's stylesheet to make your text readable > "Make the user fix it" was the old thinking. Now we consider a more robust set of platforms, devices and users. Exactly, that's why you choose clearly contrasting text over blurry grey-on-white so that ever…

"There's a difference between using 'soft black' and using low-contrast gray."

> every device can display the text comfortably according to the characteristics and preferences set by the manufacturer (or the user, if the user disagrees with the manufacturer)

Right, every device; seems complicated, requires intervention. That or, design the site well.

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#115

Post by Avamander » Sun, May 22, 2022, 1:43 PM UTC

Razengan wrote: post #93

HN could use something like this.

You are free to install an extension if your display or eyesight needs extra accommodation. It shouldn't be the default. Same with font size.

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#116

Post by chrisseaton » Sun, May 22, 2022, 10:21 PM UTC

Ensorceled wrote: post #89

chrisseaton wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you can exceed accessibility requirements without using absolute black and white. And for example some people require larger fonts for accessibility reasons - but we don't make all website with 100 point fonts do we? Instead we use tools to magnify the screen - the same way your OS can increase contrast for you if you need it. There's moderation there.

I get the point you are trying to make but ... maybe don't make it? We don't actually have an issue with "too much" accessibility.

The point is: we should strive to make accessibility parametric. If someone wants 50 pt fonts - let them. If someone wants 100 pt fonts - let them. If someone wants high-contrast - let them. Don't hard-code it, because you're making assumptions about people's accessibility requirements.

Re: Change the colour of grey text back to black on website using poor contrast text

#117

Post by waffle_ss » Fri, May 27, 2022, 4:14 PM UTC

jraph wrote: post #112

waffle_ss wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You really appreciated a comment that effectively said "hey look I said the same thing two days ago" ...? Yikes dude. Reddit infiltration has totally ruined this place.

Come on, take it easy. I thought that could be helpful. This comment also links to a related, recent story that probably caused this one and that's probably what is most important in this comment. It has been upvoted several times and the person you respond to tells you they found it helpful too. You can't really argue with this. In the past I also linked to comments or stories I've not posted myself and I thought re…

It's 10 years too early for you to lecture me about what I can or can't comment about, or HN guidelines. I've already commented about how that particular guideline is wrong and has harmed HN community quality so I will continue to ignore it.

A better analogy for your comment would be in a Twitter conversation, you replying to an OP with a quote tweet of a similar comment you made in the past. Yes, I do find those annoying.

I'm really not concerned whether the severe drop in SNR comes primarily from entryists from Reddit, Twitter, or some obscure web forum (likely it's diffuse). But on its face, the rise of jokes, puns, and other low-effort comments - having to collapse threads to find the comments with something useful to add to the convo - is very reminiscent of Reddit threads, where entertainment and cheap memetics are valued equally or greater than logos. HN used to distinguish itself by obliterating that type of cruft, with a "lurk moar" sting, but it no longer does thanks to lazy gatekeeping.

Now I'm not going to change any of this by pointing it out - the horse bolted years ago and closing the stable door won't change anything now - but you should know the "signals" you're intent on following are worthless as they're from a Reddit-lite entity, not HN classic.