Why So Dark?

[pielime]

So just wondering....this isnt a criticism rather, I am honestly curious why is it that so many Board owners, developers, and participators seem to have such dark boards both literally and figuratively. So much blood, gore, and black. Just wondering? Why dont we see pretty feminine, shabby chic, light boards? I am always wanting to make my board *prettier* and just dont have resources to glean from to do so. Wheres the pretty?

[Brian]

Darker just looks cooler to me. I do have a soft spot for a smooth light layout with lots of colors, but nothing beats a fantastically done dark layout.

Speaking from a young person's perspective, it also doesn't help that school made me absolutely hate staring at the color white all day. I have stared at so many whiteboards and sat under so many ugly fluorescent lights that I can't stand white as the most dominant color in a layout.

[Thomasss]

Black also makes it easy on the eyes, and easier to look at for longer period of times. Whenever i have a white layout, i turn down my screen brightness almost to zero, otherwise my eyes just wack out. 

[Nori]

I agree with the two above about darker skins. It is a key factor in considering themes for web development how long you expect someone to be looking at the page. Light colors are more strenuous on the eyes whereas darker colors are not. However, that doesn't mean it always has to be near black for this to apply, it could just be a mid tone with the saturation on the lower end.

As for why you don't see many lighter boards I invite you to explore more. I have seen plenty of 'flowery' and pastel themed boards, they just tend not to be RP boards. A lot of sports boards are white or at least very bright with images to dampen them, information boards like to go with the saturated colors a lot or the pastels. In my experience, and I still haven't seen that many compared to what is out there, it just depends on what kind of board you're looking at.

As an RP board admin/mod I am a culprit of making darker skins, only having 1 lighter option for the poor souls that have the sun on their screen due to whatever unfortunate circumstance

[thcri]

We like our colors.   It seems to be easy on the eyes.


shoutout.freeforums.net/

[pielime]

Thanks yall, that makes sense. I guess I am just girly and like pretty feminine. I know the blogs templates have tons of pretty, victorian, pastel, shabby templates, Id love to see more of that.

[Mands]

Apr 10, 2013 9:34:52 GMT -8 Nori said:

I agree with the two above about darker skins. It is a key factor in considering themes for web development how long you expect someone to be looking at the page. Light colors are more strenuous on the eyes whereas darker colors are not. However, that doesn't mean it always has to be near black for this to apply, it could just be a mid tone with the saturation on the lower end.

As for why you don't see many lighter boards I invite you to explore more. I have seen plenty of 'flowery' and pastel themed boards, they just tend not to be RP boards. A lot of sports boards are white or at least very bright with images to dampen them, information boards like to go with the saturated colors a lot or the pastels. In my experience, and I still haven't seen that many compared to what is out there, it just depends on what kind of board you're looking at.

As an RP board admin/mod I am a culprit of making darker skins, only having 1 lighter option for the poor souls that have the sun on their screen due to whatever unfortunate circumstance

Well as I am very shortsighted and wear glasses, I can't stand pure white or pure black. Both do my head in and give me a headache! I hate it. So I would never EVER go to anybody's site that had pure white or pure black as a main background colour, it's that simple. Therefore I am glad that I write alone and not with others. I have a theme for each of my characters and all of them have what I would call pastel colours, but not necessarily bright. This is a look at just one of my many themes. 

[pielime]

Im with you Mands, I dont like straight white or black either, just not so goth-ish. My board is an all ladies book study so ya know, id love to see some pretty creative templates for ladies.

[Mother Night]

I like dark places.

[pielime]

Apr 10, 2013 18:54:31 GMT -8 Mother Night said:

I like dark places.

No doubt  Mother Night, as do so many others here, so that was part of my original question...why are so many Proboard users so dark? Are they unhappy, evil, young, depressed, whats up with the violence, darkness, and devil avatars. Really not condemning anyone just wondering where the love is....  Where are the flowers and polka dots?

[Skidjit]

I made several different skins just to see how my own members might like them. I have several which are light in colors as well as the darker colors. To my surprise my main default skin, a very light in colored skin is not the one my members use. They use my Shell Cottage one... where my background is like looking at sea shells through crystal blue water. Then I have light sandy colors for the boards themselves. Most of my members choose that as their favorite. Although, I do have a Hagrid fan and I made that skin forest greens and earthy browns. And I seem to be the only one who chooses the different shades of black for my Bellatrix or Lucius. I find it like the others posted here... much easier on my eyes. Soothing in fact.

As for the other question... why the darker subjects? I can't really answer but for myself. I find the darker charcters to be more complex and interesting if done correctly. I'm not a young whippersnapper anymore. I outgrew all of the blood and gore many years ago. It's not really scarey like it used to be. It's just gross. Not entertaining anymore. Maybe it's an adrenaline rush? Something to get the heart beating hard in another way? 

[Becca]

Not all is flowers and polka dots, I'm afraid. Just because someone likes such frilly and pretty stuff doesn't mean the next person is going to like it as much. We're all individuals and we all like what we like. Me, personally, I can go dark and light...it really just depends on my moods. But just because I like to go dark and enjoy the darker side doesn't make me evil, unhappy or even depressed. It is just what I like. Someone could say you are a fruity froo froo for liking flowery, pretty things...but I don't believe that makes you a flake or weirdo. It is just what you like.

[pielime]

Thanks for the input, funny thing is that some of the people who respond to my questions seem so nice and helpful, despite the evil. I get conflicting signals because often they will have a devil or a man cutting another mans head off with blood spurting in their avatar or signature, yet they post as a normal happy person...so confusing for me. I guess some dark people are really quite nice?

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

I have 20 themes because we have such a diverse group. From feminine and frilly ~ to dark and brooding. This way everyone can feel at home.

I change the default skins regularly for guests. 

Boards are as individual as each of our members are.

Black boards are actually the ones that are very difficult on my eyes.

We go from "Pretty in Pink" to "Flannel Suit" to "Hints of Spring" to "Black Inferno" and everywhere in between!

live-learn-luv.boards.net/

[Former Member]

Some of the darker boards I've seen are really beautifully done, but I actually feel claustrophobic after a minute or so of being on those boards. I'm putting a forum together with my favorite color lavendar, but it definitely would not work for many other people. 

jardinduviolette.proboards.com/index.cgi?