5 ms·

Ask HN: Will HN ever have a dark mode?

13 points by anthropodie 2y ago

It's one of those sites that I frequently visit and get a glaring screen in my face when switching tabs. Just wanted to know if this feature is ever going to be available. I mean it's 2025!

mtmail 2y ago
Doubtful. There'll be the answers as 2024 and the years before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40706570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40706570 (I used a browser extension, works fine)
greentea23 2y ago
I prefer sites not to implement a custom dark mode and instead to make sure their styles invert well, less work for devs, more consistency for me. https://darkreader.org/ https://darkreader.org/ https://www.howtogeek.com/446198/how-to-force-dark-mode-on-every-website-in-google-chrome/ https://www.howtogeek.com/446198/how-to-force-dark-mode-on-e...
- monomial 2y ago
  Agreed. Darkreader + some uBlock Origin filters to remove any residual orange and I have a perfect white on black reading experience.
  - BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
    Mind sharing the setup? Thanks.
    - monomial 2y ago
      Here are the uBlock Origin filters I'm using: # background news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background-color: transparent !important;) # top bar news.ycombinator.com###hnmain > tbody > tr:first-child > td:style(background-color: transparent !important;) # logo news.ycombinator.com###hnmain > tbody > tr:first-child tbody > tr:first-child > td:first-child:style(opacity: 0 !important;) # footer divider news.ycombinator.com###hnmain td[bgcolor="#ff6600"]:style(background-color: transparent !important)
    - cloudking 2y ago
      I have one too, font sizes increased + dark mode: news.ycombinator.com##body:style(background: #121212;) news.ycombinator.com##td:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; line-height: 1.6; font-family: Open Sans, sans-serif !important;) news.ycombinator.com##td.title:style(font-size:20px !important; font-weight: bold; color: #4e8cbe !important; font-family: system-ui !important; ) news.ycombinator.com##td.subtext:style(font-size:15px !important; color: #a0a0a0; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##table:style(background-color: #1e1e1e; padding: 15px; border-radius: 6px;) news.ycombinator.com##div.toptext:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##div.commtext:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##span.c00:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important) news.ycombinator.com##a:style(color: #4e8cbe !important; text-decoration: none;) news.ycombinator.com##a:hover:style(color: #6aa0cc !important; text-decoration: underline;) news.ycombinator.com##span#karma:style(color: #6aa0cc !important) news.ycombinator.com##span.pagetop:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important) news.ycombinator.com##textarea:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; background: #252525; border: 1px solid #333; padding: 5px; border-radius: 3px;) news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background: #1e1e1e !important; box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); border-radius: 6px;) news.ycombinator.com##div.votearrow:style(width: 18px !important; height:18px !important; background-size: 18px !important;)
- seanwilson 2y ago
  It's maybe good enough, but a custom palette will look more branded and getting the hierarchy and contrasts to feel just right isn't always as straight forward as colors look different based on their surroundings. So it's unlikely big brands would go for this.
minimaxir 2y ago
dang mentioned HN would rather implement full custom CSS first, which I strongly disagree with. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41105794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41105794
- uncomplexity_ 2y ago
  mildly nostalgic though i fucking miss the friendster days where you can customize how your profile looks with just css
jethronethro 2y ago
People have been asking about/for this for years. Hasn't happened yet, and I doubt it ever will. Doesn't seem to be a priority to HN.
helph67 2y ago
Have used HN Enhance with Firefox for years. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hn-enhance/?utm_source=addons.mozilla.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=search https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hn-enhance/?u...
- tra3 2y ago
  Wow this is really nice.
- runjake 2y ago
  I haven't been able to dial in a palatable dark mode palette with Dark Reader but this is perfect to me. Thanks!
- uncomplexity_ 2y ago
  wow okay i want that military badges they look cool
k310 2y ago
Dark Reader for Firefox desktop works for me. I use Dark Night on Safari, mobile and desktop.
pants2 2y ago
There's perhaps no better site than HN to be open source and allow community improvements. Why isn't it?
- codingdave 2y ago
  HN runs all kinds of algorithms to help with spam, moderation, etc. Being open source would derail all the benefits gained from that code.
  - krapp 2y ago
    Also, I think dang once mentioned there's a lot of business code for YC tangled up in the forum that they would have to remove.
- paulcole 2y ago
  HN is a marketing campaign for a VC firm. Closed and controlled is a benefit. Would Coca Cola or Walmart open source their ads?
  - compootr 2y ago
    I don't agree. amyone with literally zero skill could host a webforum or link sharing site. The value isn't the software, but its users. I think the reason another commenter said is correct too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42678416 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42678416
- krapp 2y ago
  That would lead to feature creep and bloat and undermine the minimalist purity of the layout. They do make improvements to the forum, but only on their own schedule and very selectively. Hacker News is a cathedral, not a bazaar.
- uncomplexity_ 2y ago
  people will game the algos simple as that
hknws2023saio 2y ago
This extension is one my favorites, cant browse HN without it. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hacker-news-night-mode/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hacker-news-n...
bjourne 2y ago
No.
rednafi 2y ago
Native dark mode is not worth the effort in most cases. There are extensions that you can use to do it yourself if you want.
uncomplexity_ 2y ago
never gonna happen lol dang always get a chuckle when you get the flashbang
dyeje 2y ago
I think the idea is that it’s a forum for programmers and you can probably self serve some solution (whether that’s using a plugin, custom style sheet, making your own, etc).

13 points by anthropodie 2y ago

It's one of those sites that I frequently visit and get a glaring screen in my face when switching tabs. Just wanted to know if this feature is ever going to be available. I mean it's 2025!

mtmail 2y ago

Doubtful. There'll be the answers as 2024 and the years before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40706570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40706570 (I used a browser extension, works fine)

greentea23 2y ago

I prefer sites not to implement a custom dark mode and instead to make sure their styles invert well, less work for devs, more consistency for me. https://darkreader.org/ https://darkreader.org/ https://www.howtogeek.com/446198/how-to-force-dark-mode-on-every-website-in-google-chrome/ https://www.howtogeek.com/446198/how-to-force-dark-mode-on-e...

monomial 2y ago
Agreed. Darkreader + some uBlock Origin filters to remove any residual orange and I have a perfect white on black reading experience.
- BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
  Mind sharing the setup? Thanks.
  - monomial 2y ago
    Here are the uBlock Origin filters I'm using: # background news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background-color: transparent !important;) # top bar news.ycombinator.com###hnmain > tbody > tr:first-child > td:style(background-color: transparent !important;) # logo news.ycombinator.com###hnmain > tbody > tr:first-child tbody > tr:first-child > td:first-child:style(opacity: 0 !important;) # footer divider news.ycombinator.com###hnmain td[bgcolor="#ff6600"]:style(background-color: transparent !important)
  - cloudking 2y ago
    I have one too, font sizes increased + dark mode: news.ycombinator.com##body:style(background: #121212;) news.ycombinator.com##td:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; line-height: 1.6; font-family: Open Sans, sans-serif !important;) news.ycombinator.com##td.title:style(font-size:20px !important; font-weight: bold; color: #4e8cbe !important; font-family: system-ui !important; ) news.ycombinator.com##td.subtext:style(font-size:15px !important; color: #a0a0a0; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##table:style(background-color: #1e1e1e; padding: 15px; border-radius: 6px;) news.ycombinator.com##div.toptext:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##div.commtext:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: system-ui !important;) news.ycombinator.com##span.c00:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important) news.ycombinator.com##a:style(color: #4e8cbe !important; text-decoration: none;) news.ycombinator.com##a:hover:style(color: #6aa0cc !important; text-decoration: underline;) news.ycombinator.com##span#karma:style(color: #6aa0cc !important) news.ycombinator.com##span.pagetop:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important) news.ycombinator.com##textarea:style(color: #d0d0d0 !important; background: #252525; border: 1px solid #333; padding: 5px; border-radius: 3px;) news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background: #1e1e1e !important; box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); border-radius: 6px;) news.ycombinator.com##div.votearrow:style(width: 18px !important; height:18px !important; background-size: 18px !important;)
seanwilson 2y ago
It's maybe good enough, but a custom palette will look more branded and getting the hierarchy and contrasts to feel just right isn't always as straight forward as colors look different based on their surroundings. So it's unlikely big brands would go for this.

minimaxir 2y ago

dang mentioned HN would rather implement full custom CSS first, which I strongly disagree with. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41105794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41105794

uncomplexity_ 2y ago
mildly nostalgic though i fucking miss the friendster days where you can customize how your profile looks with just css

jethronethro 2y ago

People have been asking about/for this for years. Hasn't happened yet, and I doubt it ever will. Doesn't seem to be a priority to HN.

helph67 2y ago

Have used HN Enhance with Firefox for years. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hn-enhance/?utm_source=addons.mozilla.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=search https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hn-enhance/?u...

tra3 2y ago
Wow this is really nice.
runjake 2y ago
I haven't been able to dial in a palatable dark mode palette with Dark Reader but this is perfect to me. Thanks!
uncomplexity_ 2y ago
wow okay i want that military badges they look cool

k310 2y ago

Dark Reader for Firefox desktop works for me. I use Dark Night on Safari, mobile and desktop.

pants2 2y ago

There's perhaps no better site than HN to be open source and allow community improvements. Why isn't it?

codingdave 2y ago
HN runs all kinds of algorithms to help with spam, moderation, etc. Being open source would derail all the benefits gained from that code.
- krapp 2y ago
  Also, I think dang once mentioned there's a lot of business code for YC tangled up in the forum that they would have to remove.
paulcole 2y ago
HN is a marketing campaign for a VC firm. Closed and controlled is a benefit. Would Coca Cola or Walmart open source their ads?
- compootr 2y ago
  I don't agree. amyone with literally zero skill could host a webforum or link sharing site. The value isn't the software, but its users. I think the reason another commenter said is correct too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42678416 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42678416
krapp 2y ago
That would lead to feature creep and bloat and undermine the minimalist purity of the layout. They do make improvements to the forum, but only on their own schedule and very selectively. Hacker News is a cathedral, not a bazaar.
uncomplexity_ 2y ago
people will game the algos simple as that

hknws2023saio 2y ago

This extension is one my favorites, cant browse HN without it. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hacker-news-night-mode/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hacker-news-n...

bjourne 2y ago

No.

rednafi 2y ago

Native dark mode is not worth the effort in most cases. There are extensions that you can use to do it yourself if you want.

uncomplexity_ 2y ago

never gonna happen lol dang always get a chuckle when you get the flashbang

dyeje 2y ago

I think the idea is that it’s a forum for programmers and you can probably self serve some solution (whether that’s using a plugin, custom style sheet, making your own, etc).