Lower The Lights? Easier To Read Websites?

[siouxdax]

After reading several articles on Wikipedia I had to seriously rest my eyes; websites aren't meant to be stared at that long. So I'm wondering if there exists an application that "lowers the lights" or adjusts the contrast of your average website, making it easier to read lengthy websites. Is this pure fantasy, or is there something out there that does this?

[scancode]

After reading several articles on Wikipedia I had to seriously rest my eyes; websites aren't meant to be stared at that long. So I'm wondering if there exists an application that "lowers the lights" or adjusts the contrast of your average website, making it easier to read lengthy websites. Is this pure fantasy, or is there something out there that does this?

-siouxdax (February 18, 2009, 09:28 PM)

What about my bookmarklet?
It's based on the Zap Annoyances collection, but with a few enhancements.

Light Background Version:

[Select]

javascript:var%20newSS,styles=%22*{background:#F0F8FF!important;color:black!important;border-color:black!important;margin:10px!important;line-height:140%25!important;font-size:1.02em!important;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;}table,thead,tbody,tr,th,td{display:block!important;}*{width:auto!important;height:auto!important;position:static!important;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important;}img,iframe,embed,object{display:none;}%22;var%20images,img,altText;var%20d=document;function%20toArray(C){var%20A,B;A=new%20Array;for(B=0;B<C.length;++B){A[B]=C[B]}return%20A}if(document.createStyleSheet){document.createStyleSheet(%22javascript:'%22+styles+%22'%22)}else{newSS=document.createElement(%22link%22);newSS.rel=%22stylesheet%22;newSS.href=%22data:text/css,%22+escape(styles);document.getElementsByTagName(%22head%22)[0].appendChild(newSS)}images=toArray(document.images);for(var%20i=0;i<images.length;++i){img=images[i];altText=document.createTextNode(img.alt);img.parentNode.replaceChild(altText,img)}function%20K(G,A){var%20H=d.createElement(A),E=G.childNodes,B;for(B=E.length-1;B>=0;--B){H.insertBefore(E[B],H.childNodes[0])}G.parentNode.replaceChild(H,G)}function%20Z(E,A){var%20C=document.getElementsByTagName(E),B;for(B=C.length-1;B>=0;--B){K(C[B],A)}}Z(%22blink%22,%22span%22);Z(%22marquee%22,%22div%22);F(d.body);function%20F(G){var%20B,C,E,A;if(G.nodeType==3){B=G.data.search(/\S{45}/);if(B>=0){C=G.splitText(B+45);G.parentNode.insertBefore(D.createElement(%22WBR%22),C)}}else{if(G.tagName!=%22STYLE%22&&G.tagName!=%22SCRIPT%22){for(E=0;A=G.childNodes[E];++E){F(A)}}}};%20void%200;

Dark Background Version:

[Select]

javascript:var%20newSS,styles=%22*{background:black!important;color:white!important;border-color:white!important;margin:10px!important;line-height:140%25!important;font-size:1.02em!important;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;}table,thead,tbody,tr,th,td{display:block!important;}*{width:auto!important;height:auto!important;position:static!important;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important;}img,iframe,embed,object{display:none;}%22;var%20images,img,altText;var%20d=document;function%20toArray(C){var%20A,B;A=new%20Array;for(B=0;B<C.length;++B){A[B]=C[B]}return%20A}if(document.createStyleSheet){document.createStyleSheet(%22javascript:'%22+styles+%22'%22)}else{newSS=document.createElement(%22link%22);newSS.rel=%22stylesheet%22;newSS.href=%22data:text/css,%22+escape(styles);document.getElementsByTagName(%22head%22)[0].appendChild(newSS)}images=toArray(document.images);for(var%20i=0;i<images.length;++i){img=images[i];altText=document.createTextNode(img.alt);img.parentNode.replaceChild(altText,img)}function%20K(G,A){var%20H=d.createElement(A),E=G.childNodes,B;for(B=E.length-1;B>=0;--B){H.insertBefore(E[B],H.childNodes[0])}G.parentNode.replaceChild(H,G)}function%20Z(E,A){var%20C=document.getElementsByTagName(E),B;for(B=C.length-1;B>=0;--B){K(C[B],A)}}Z(%22blink%22,%22span%22);Z(%22marquee%22,%22div%22);F(d.body);function%20F(G){var%20B,C,E,A;if(G.nodeType==3){B=G.data.search(/\S{45}/);if(B>=0){C=G.splitText(B+45);G.parentNode.insertBefore(D.createElement(%22WBR%22),C)}}else{if(G.tagName!=%22STYLE%22&&G.tagName!=%22SCRIPT%22){for(E=0;A=G.childNodes[E];++E){F(A)}}}};%20void%200;

Readable Source Code:

Code: Javascript [Select]

1. var newSS, styles = "*{background:black!important;color:white!important;border-color:white!important;margin:10px!important;line-height:140%!important;font-size:1.02em!important;font-family:Tahoma,Arial,sans-serif;}table,thead,tbody,tr,th,td{display:block!important;}*{width:auto!important;height:auto!important;position:static!important;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important;}img,iframe,embed,object{display:none;}";
2. var images, img, altText;
3. var d = document;
4. function toArray(C) {
5.         var A, B;
6.         A = new Array;
7.         for (B = 0; B < C.length; ++B) {
8.                 A[B] = C[B]
9.         }
10.         return A
11. }
12. if (document.createStyleSheet) {
13.         document.createStyleSheet("javascript:'" + styles + "'")
14. } else {
15.         newSS = document.createElement("link");
16.         newSS.rel = "stylesheet";
17.         newSS.href = "data:text/css," + escape(styles);
18.         document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(newSS)
19. }
20. images = toArray(document.images);
21. for (var i = 0; i < images.length; ++i) {
22.         img = images[i];
23.         altText = document.createTextNode(img.alt);
24.         img.parentNode.replaceChild(altText, img)
25. }
26. function K(G, A) {
27.         var H = d.createElement(A),
28.         E = G.childNodes,
29.         B;
30.         for (B = E.length - 1; B >= 0; --B) {
31.                 H.insertBefore(E[B], H.childNodes[0])
32.         }
33.         G.parentNode.replaceChild(H, G)
34. }
35. function Z(E, A) {
36.         var C = document.getElementsByTagName(E),
37.         B;
38.         for (B = C.length - 1; B >= 0; --B) {
39.                 K(C[B], A)
40.         }
41. }
42. Z("blink", "span");
43. Z("marquee", "div");
44. F(d.body);
45. function F(G) {
46.         var B, C, E, A;
47.         if (G.nodeType == 3) {
48.                 B = G.data.search(/\S{45}/);
49.                 if (B >= 0) {
50.                         C = G.splitText(B + 45);
51.                         G.parentNode.insertBefore(D.createElement("WBR"), C)
52.                 }
53.         } else {
54.                 if (G.tagName != "STYLE" && G.tagName != "SCRIPT") {
55.                         for (E = 0; A = G.childNodes[E]; ++E) {
56.                                 F(A)
57.                         }
58.                 }
59.         }
60. };
61. void 0;

[siouxdax]

How do I use the codes?

[scancode]

How do I use the codes?

-siouxdax (February 18, 2009, 10:49 PM)

On Firefox, there's a bookmark bar.
Right click on an empty space, click on New Bookmark. Write a name, and in Address paste the code for the version you want to use. Click add.
Done. Now when you want to read comfortably, click on the newly created button.

Should work on IE too, but haven't tested since my IE's JS is f'd up.

[nosh]

This has nothing to do with adjusting brightness/contrast, but an extension like NoSquint goes a long way in making web text easier to read.

[Deozaan]

Other solutions: Try one of Skrommel's screendimmer snacks. Or manually adjust your monitor.

[siouxdax]

Well thanks for the bookmarklets, but really jacked things up on the screen, didn't make it any easier to read. I will however try Skrommel Screen Dimmer and see if that does the trick.

Thanks, folks for all the input. I always turn to DonationCoder for issues such as this. You're all brilliant!!!

I'm open to any further suggestions on this topic.

[housetier]

If you open an account on wikipedia, you can enable one of the many user styles people have created for mediawiki.

Somewhere under "My Preferences"... I can't say more because I no longer have an account at wikipedia.

[siouxdax]

The Skrommel Screen Dimmer is perfect! Thanks for the help!

[tomos]

just getting it for myself thought I'd post the link here
https://www.donation.../index.html#DimSaver

[40hz]

Maybe this might be of interest. It just showed up on Download Squad.

http://www.downloads...-to-the-time-of-day/

F.lux adapts your display to the time of day

by Jay Hathaway Feb 21st 2009


Let's face it: some of us don't get outside as much as we should. When you're working or playing in front of your computer all day, you don't always notice little things like a sunset. An ingenious little app called F.lux lets your monitor adjust to ambient lighting conditions around you, even when you're glued to the keyboard. It adjusts your display settings based on location and your current lighting setup, complementing the lighting inside your room or cube.

As time passes, F.lux checks the status of the sun in your zip code or latitude, and adjusts your display's color temperature accordingly. As a writer, I love the extra bit of environmental awareness it offers. As a designer, I would probably be utterly annoyed by shifting display settings. Good thing there's a handy "turn off for one hour" feature you can use to switch back to your regular whitepoint while you're working with color.

[OldElmerFudd]

Maybe this might be of interest. It just showed up on Download Squad.

http://www.downloads...-to-the-time-of-day/

F.lux adapts your display to the time of day

by Jay Hathaway Feb 21st 2009


Let's face it: some of us don't get outside as much as we should. When you're working or playing in front of your computer all day, you don't always notice little things like a sunset. An ingenious little app called F.lux lets your monitor adjust to ambient lighting conditions around you, even when you're glued to the keyboard. It adjusts your display settings based on location and your current lighting setup, complementing the lighting inside your room or cube.

As time passes, F.lux checks the status of the sun in your zip code or latitude, and adjusts your display's color temperature accordingly. As a writer, I love the extra bit of environmental awareness it offers. As a designer, I would probably be utterly annoyed by shifting display settings. Good thing there's a handy "turn off for one hour" feature you can use to switch back to your regular whitepoint while you're working with color.

-40hz (February 21, 2009, 12:43 PM)

Okay, F.lux is an odd one. I didn't set the time or latitude, but the software knew where I was. Since it's midnight, the program defaulted to 3400K halogen light and turned my screen the color of orange sorbet!? Exiting restored the screen nicely, but I haven't figured out why the color was so distorted. I'll wait until daylight and try it again, but I have a feeling the results won't encourage me to hang onto it.

 

[nosh]

Just discovered Readability [via DI], which is a bookmarklet generator - it lets you specify custom style, size and margin and generates a bookmarklet on the fly.

scancode's light bg bookmarklet is a keeper, too. 

Edit: In 'Readability' the js and css is loaded from their site. Also, it fails to load the DC forum main page.   

[OldElmerFudd]

Maybe this might be of interest. It just showed up on Download Squad.

http://www.downloads...-to-the-time-of-day/

F.lux adapts your display to the time of day

by Jay Hathaway Feb 21st 2009


Let's face it: some of us don't get outside as much as we should. When you're working or playing in front of your computer all day, you don't always notice little things like a sunset. An ingenious little app called F.lux lets your monitor adjust to ambient lighting conditions around you, even when you're glued to the keyboard. It adjusts your display settings based on location and your current lighting setup, complementing the lighting inside your room or cube.

As time passes, F.lux checks the status of the sun in your zip code or latitude, and adjusts your display's color temperature accordingly. As a writer, I love the extra bit of environmental awareness it offers. As a designer, I would probably be utterly annoyed by shifting display settings. Good thing there's a handy "turn off for one hour" feature you can use to switch back to your regular whitepoint while you're working with color.

-40hz (February 21, 2009, 12:43 PM)

Okay, F.lux is an odd one. I didn't set the time or latitude, but the software knew where I was. Since it's midnight, the program defaulted to 3400K halogen light and turned my screen the color of orange sorbet!? Exiting restored the screen nicely, but I haven't figured out why the color was so distorted. I'll wait until daylight and try it again, but I have a feeling the results won't encourage me to hang onto it.

 

-OldElmerFudd (March 06, 2009, 02:14 AM)

Follow up: F.lux allowed normal screen brightness at noon yesterday, but as soon as sunset came, it went to that same weird orange. Turned it off and introduced the software to my buddy, Revo Uninstaller, http://www.revouninstaller.com/  Sayonara, F.lux!

hth