Do you use Light mode or Dark mode on your operating systems?

[Somafunk]

Do you enable dark icon and widgets as well when in Dark mode? Referring to this:

View attachment 539263

Yes.

Same for myself, much nicer to view

 

[August West]

I'm set in my old own ways. Light mode. Never liked the dark mode look which you see on a lot videos and screen shots.

 

[stuartkohl]

I'm set in my old own ways. Light mode. Never liked the dark mode look which you see on a lot videos and screen shots.

Modern light mode is often whiter and brighter overall than the way computer GUIs looked in the '90s. I'm set in my ways too, but things have changed and sometimes I need to compensate for them.

 

[Salt]

Mainly dark, but on some sites content is hidden by that, then light.

 

[Mr. Swordfish]

When I started out programming computers, the first monitors were so primitive that all they could do was light text on a dark background. You might get white on blue, or lime green on black, or maybe red on black. I think white on black came later.

When monitors improved to the point where they could display black text on a white background, much like how we have been doing it since the invention of writing on papyrus, it was a HUGE step forward.

To my eyes, "dark mode" is seventeen giant steps backwards to early 80's primitive hardware. I never use dark mode and actively detest it.

If I'm going to read something, I want to read it like a human i.e. black text on a white background. I find myself using reader view (F9) on a lot of websites.

 

[Timcognito]

Just tried dark mode on my SolidWorks CAD program. I didn't think it had one and it does but it only changed the menus, so I'm going to try it because it highlights the project drawing only.

 

[stuartkohl]

When I started out programming computers, the first monitors were so primitive that all they could do was light text on a dark background. You might get white on blue, or lime green on black, or maybe red on black. I think white on black came later.

When monitors improved to the point where they could display black text on a white background, much like how we have been doing it since the invention of writing on papyrus, it was a HUGE step forward.

To my eyes, "dark mode" is seventeen giant steps backwards to early 80's primitive hardware. I never use dark mode and actively detest it.

If I'm going to read something, I want to read it like a human i.e. black text on a white background. I find myself using reader view (F9) on a lot of websites.

The text color on early monochrome monitors depended on the phosphor they used. White phosphors were actually available pretty early, since they had long been in use (B&W television, for example). I first saw other colors on things like oscilloscopes, and then later computer terminals became more common (like at the library) and I saw those with green or amber text. There was always some discussion about what color phosphor was most legible and I remember seeing a number of options for monitors when I first used a personal computer - the Apple ][.

The eye is most sensitive to certain wavelengths of light and I remember that being a selling point of monitors with amber phosphors over other colors. (It's also why emergency vehicles and safety equipment are often that bright yellow-green color. It stands out from other colors because it's right in the eye's most sensitive range.)

 

[digitalfrost]

I auto change light to dark mode automatically depending on the sun. So everyday it's different.

 

[Mr. Swordfish]

White phosphors were actually available pretty early, since they had long been in use (B&W television, for example).

You're probably right about that, I just don't remember any white on black monitors from that time period; it's been a long time so I might not be remembering correctly.

 

[stuartkohl]

You're probably right about that, I just don't remember any white on black monitors from that time period; it's been a long time so I might not be remembering correctly.

I just found a wikipedia article on monochrome monitors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monochrome_monitor Kind of an interesting subject, but I like that sort of thing.

 

[KSTR]

It's just by accident that paper is white and ink is dark. Had it been the other way 'round, bright mode would be considered unnatural for viewing documents etc.

 

[Axo1989]

I use dark mode on laptop/desktop macOS and automatic switching (light for daytime, dark at night) on iPhone/iPad. I haven’t tried the dark icon setting.

Generally easier on my eyes on bigger screens is the main reason, also prefer the aesthetic (on macOS at least). Didn’t realise ASR had a dark mode, but I certainly use it on Arstechnica. Not everyone does dark mode well, but that’s a separate issue.

 

[Somafunk]

I use dark mode on laptop/desktop macOS and automatic switching (light for daytime, dark at night) on iPhone/iPad. I haven’t tried the dark icon setting.

Generally easier on my eyes on bigger screens is the main reason, also prefer the aesthetic (on macOS at least). Didn’t realise ASR had a dark mode, but I certainly use it on Arstechnica. Not everyone does dark mode well, but that’s a separate issue.

dark mode on here is rather poor with its contrast/visibility.

Needs work

 

[stuartkohl]

It's just by accident that paper is white and ink is dark. Had it been the other way 'round, bright mode would be considered unnatural for viewing documents etc.

Early writers likely used a burnt stick or lump of charcoal. Later on, inks or paints would use soot or iron oxide (for red) or other readily available pigments or dyes (like red from berry juice). Cave paintings like those in Lascaux used soot and iron oxide.

I suspect that it was that burnt stick that started us on the road to dark text on light papyrus, tree bark, parchment, paper...

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Early writers likely used a burnt stick or lump of charcoal. Later on, inks or paints would use soot or iron oxide (for red) or other readily available pigments or dyes (like red from berry juice). Cave paintings like those in Lascaux used soot and iron oxide.

I suspect that it was that burnt stick that started us on the road to dark text on light papyrus, tree bark, parchment, paper...

Interesting idea. Of course, they could have used chalk on a dark surface, but I suspect for longevity and clarity, dark pigment on lighter surface was easier and a lot more common. If you have no paper, just rock, making a single dark mark on it was easier than making it all dark and leaving lighter patches for the image or mark.

Given this, I suspect about 99.999% of all communication in the last 30,000 years has been dark marks on a lighter background.

 

[Axo1989]

Interesting idea. Of course, they could have used chalk on a dark surface, but I suspect for longevity and clarity, dark pigment on lighter surface was easier and a lot more common. If you have no paper, just rock, making a single dark mark on it was easier than making it all dark and leaving lighter patches for the image or mark.

Given this, I suspect about 99.999% of all communication in the last 30,000 years has been dark marks on a lighter background.

That would depend on available surfaces and pigments, of course. And I guess we can include incising marks in stone as darker shadows. By contrast, dark mode is either the renaissance of a lost civilization or simply technology catching up with the way things should be. I for one am glad the tyranny of overwhelming light can now be subdued.

 

[LTig]

Light mode. It's similar to reading a book or writing on paper.

 

[Axo1989]

Light mode. It's similar to reading a book or writing on paper.

Reading/writing marks on physical paper relies on reflected light, reading etc on a screen projects its own light source. They aren’t quite the same in that respect.

Not that I don’t appreciate the digital facsimile of physical pages, but for the UI generally I do prefer the dark.

 

[mpw]

Light mode during the day auto switches to dark mode at night - 2021 Macbook pro M1. All my LInux computers are on light mode.

 

[KSTR]

dark mode on here is rather poor with its contrast/visibility.

Needs work

Agreed. Sometimes the dark mode of a browser works quite a bit better than the dark mode of the forum itself. I use this on my mobiles, with the Vanadium browser (a hardened Chromium).