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from the you-don't-know-the-power-of-the-dark-mode dept.
Submitted via IRC for soylent_brown
The Dark Mode craze may do more harm than good – this is why
The hot new topic in terms of smartphone and computer software right now is Dark Mode, an optional system look that flips the colors of an app or operating system to make it, well, dark. Instagram has a dark mode, as does Chrome, WhatsApp, Gmail, and iOS 13, and it seems apps and developers are tripping over themselves to create a new dark mode for their software.
There's just one problem which none of these hard-working people seem to have considered that makes their work redundant, and the attention they've taken from other projects will be in vain: all in all, dark mode looks totally awful.
That's not a dig at any dark mode in particular, and no developers have implemented it particularly poorly (well, apart from Android 10). But in the rush for developers to see if they could implement dark mode on their apps, no-one asked if they should - and taken stock of how it might be reworked better rather than just following the trend.
Beyond that, there are legitimate reasons why developers shouldn't be focusing on Dark Mode. Here's why the Dark Mode craze is just crazy.
So dear soylentils, do you use dark mode on your applications, and why or why not?
(Score: 5, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday October 26 2019, @12:50PM (7 children)
Holy crap! We were ahead of the curve this time by going super retro with the VT100/VT220 themes.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by driverless on Saturday October 26 2019, @01:00PM (6 children)
I don't see it as going VT100 but merely being better than the near-universal flat UI brain rot with its masses of brightly-lit whitespace and hair-thin fonts. Reversing the image means it's just as awful but at least it doesn't burn out your retinas to look at.
In fact that might be a reason why "dark mode" gained popularity in the first place, it's less painful than the brain rot that it's a reaction to. The real fix would be to ditch the brain rot UI, burn anyone involved in it sobre un fuego grande, and go back to a pre-brain-rot UI, but since there's no sign of that happening the "dark mode" UI is at least slightly less painful.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday October 26 2019, @04:07PM (5 children)
No, I mean we have themes for SN named VT100 and VT220 that are green on black and amber on black respectively. Check the Homepage tab under Preferences.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Saturday October 26 2019, @04:59PM (4 children)
I tried the VT220 theme a year or two back. While novel, I switched quickly back to Night Mode theme. I like modern fonts.
If anyone doesn't know what we are talking about, the Night Mode theme for SN (left hand side, Preferences, Home Page) is really sharp.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday October 26 2019, @05:55PM (2 children)
Pages of Color bother my eyes. I made Black IcIcle for myself on account of that. May sit down and see about working up a less diverse version of Night Mode since I can't do remodel work today.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Funny) by fustakrakich on Saturday October 26 2019, @06:13PM (1 child)
Pages of Color bother my eyes.
I kinda prefer dark skin myself...
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 27 2019, @12:33AM
Flamebait
Another idiot moderator one the loose! Go away!
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday October 27 2019, @04:15AM
I use a Stylish theme called "Soylent News Night Mode Red" -- similar base, with classy accents.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.