Poll: Why the standard white background in programs? Bad for your monitor and eyes.

[Rigoletto]

I really don't understand why programs have for so long copied black text on a white background. It places considerably more strain on monitors and eyes. The phosphors and masks in the tube will wear quicker with all this white.
I find white text on black easier to read. The white background creates poorer focus because of the slight bleeding into the black. The black background produces eyestrain free well focused text however.
I would use a black background but so many applications don't work well with my custom colours, especially Windows help files which become unreadable because their colour scheme changes to yellow on white or something.

 

[ArMs]

I'm with ya dawg, white makes things look a little more upscale/refined, but it's a dumb thing to do. I'm all for the white on black scheme, way easier to read and easier for the monitor.

 

[beat mania]

DOS baby DOS!

 

[PeAK]

Their was a time in the infancy of the PC industry
when "green on black" was king. These where the
TTL/Monochrome/Hercules monitors with a green phosphor.

Prior to the original MacIntosh computer which looked
a lot like your desktop (dark text on plain paper),
IBM had standardized on "green on black" for their
3270 terminals (over $5K a piece). Today I run
text windows with black background and green text...the
advantage over white text is that a single gun will
be "much" sharper. The lower radiation from a black
background is easier on the eyes plus the fact that
I will not be a cancer experiment in about 20 years.

regards,

PeAK

 

[Rigoletto]

I read in "Dos for Dummies" how the poorer monitors made "bug-eyed people desperately searching for Visine", in the "old days."
Not sure what he meant by old days, but consider this: if Windows shipped with a default colour scheme of light text on dark background, how many users do you think would bother to change it? I'd say 10%. Maybe Microshaft are in league with monitor makers.
I repeat "there-ain't-no-need-to-copy-your-average-printed-page-folks!" It don't work best on the computer!

 

[TuffGuy]

i prefer yellow on black myself. black on white is way more tiring.