I fully agree that customization regressed, and it's a pity. However... >paper doesn't EMIT light Your retina doesn't care if the photons it receives are emit

I fully agree that customization regressed, and it's a pity. However... >paper doesn't EMIT light Your retina doesn't care if the photons it receives are emitted (as with CRTs) or reflected (as with paper). If you feel like you're staring into a lightbulb, your monitor's brightness is set too high. Set it properly, and, in a well lit environment, your monitor's white should match that of the wall behind it, or that of a piece of paper on your desk.