In article <wf************ @calligramme.ch armers>,
Jón Fairbairn <jo***********@ cl.cam.ac.ukwro te:
dorayme <do************ @optusnet.com.a uwrites:
In article <wf************ @calligramme.ch armers>,
Jé¯n Fairbairn <jo***********@ cl.cam.ac.ukwro te:
dorayme <do************ @optusnet.com.a uwrites:
>
Just some quick comments after 5 secs of viewing. First, such a
lot of white text on black is hard to read.
>
Can you give a citation for that?
There is just so much on this subject that I am not inclined to
get into too many arguments by authority.
I wasn't asking for an argument from authority, I was asking
for a citation of some scientific research.
Fair enough in a way Jon. There is a difference, you are right.
But it is not such a simple matter as some might think. Citing
studies back and forth can actually come down, in many
circumstances, especially on newsgroups, to giant arguments from
authority. Perhaps you will see my point. But if you do not
agree, I am happy to explain further.
Make all your email and word processing white on black and I
would bet real money that you would scream to be changing it back
to black on white fairly shortly.
That would still be anecdotal
I don't think this is quite the description in this case. True it
is not a study over significant numbers. It is often very
instructive for the wonderer about a question to actually get
down and dirty and see for themselves some stark things. The
point of my suggestion was not to see a little bit of white on
black but to really find yourself in a situation where that is
what you are stuck with. I was saying that I was confident that
most people would find the scene I am painting hard to live with
on a regular basis. I was just chatting with you.
Perhaps look at:
http://psychology.wichita.edu/optimalweb/text.htm
Quoting this bit would be sufficient:
For example, Bauer and Cavonius (1980) found that
participants were 26% more accurate in reading text when
they read it with dark characters on a light background.
I was less confident that this would satisfy than you because
there are other studies and I really have not mastered the
literature and (to hint at what i was saying before) it was a
selective piece of argument by authority on my part. Not to
deliberately mislead you but because my nose in these things
tells me this is a citation on the side of right. I could have
searched differently!
But better, hang around the website making forums and see the
general feeling about this matter.
Not better; it's far to likely to be influenced by fashion.
Perhaps, but I am meaning for one to sniff about with some
discrimination. One can get an idea of who is more flakey than
others.
Perhaps it is time for me to wheel out my lost cause. I have made
a version just for you Jon, with white text on black.
No need to be condescending; I was asking for support for
your claim and you provided it.
I am sorry you saw it this way. Perhaps it was a bit tacky to say
"just for you" but, in fact, I did it principally for you to test
for yourself! It happened to be one of the most convenient bodies
of text I had on hand and all I had to do was make a slight
change for a duplicate css sheet. I wanted you and others to
really have a look at a substantial body of text where one may
have to don a thinking cap and test for themselves the
irksomeness of the white on black.
I do notice that in all this, you are more impressed by one
citation than anything in your experience. Both my invitations to
you in this respect have not elicited anything about how you
personally react to white on black when it is is a serious
amount. We are not composing a scientific paper here, I was
interested to know how you felt.
--
dorayme
