Grayscale the Web
Productivity
browser extension for focus
SHOW HN2018
119points
77comments
#370of 2,155 in 2018
Top 18%of 2018 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
17 positive, 21 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 6 critical, out of 45 comments about the project. Thread score +0.22.
Idea: 10 for, 5 againstDesign: 1 for, 0 againstExecution: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Makes sites feel less engaging and colors more noticeable after switching back
From 3 comments
Thank you. I use the grayscale option on my Android Phone. I have to say, with the exception of reading on it, everything else is boring as fuck, which is great. Everything…
ponderatul on HNI’ll definitely try it, thanks! I’ve been “on” grayscale on my phone for a few months now and I’ve enjoyed it very much. One “proof” that I have of grayscale’s benefits is that…
gregsadetsky on HNI did the same earlier this morning and I agree with this sentiment so far. I find it difficult to be mindless on the screens, and it makes me appreciate the colors of the…
notduncansmith on HN
Per-site saved and excluded sites address the all-or-nothing problem
From 2 comments
This is a good point. On the phone it was all or nothing. Here I can choose. So maybe I will give it another try!
jedberg on HNI love this idea, but sadly it's not for me. I tried this on my phone (going grayscale) and turned it off after 1/2 a day. Too many apps rely on color to differentiate different…
jedberg on HN
Objections
No scientific evidence supporting the claimed effect
From 2 comments
Why go grayscale? Is there any data to support the claims made by the extension? (see below) The extension linked says: > Can't stop surfing the web? You may not realize it, but…
mehblahwhatevs on HNThat's the claim, but not an explanation. HN isn't multi-color.
gowld on HN
Grayscale hurts usability for color-coded apps and charts
From 2 comments
I love this idea, but sadly it's not for me. I tried this on my phone (going grayscale) and turned it off after 1/2 a day. Too many apps rely on color to differentiate different…
jedberg on HNAs a red/green colorblind the only thing that I hate when people mess up are charts, never had a problem with everything else
williamxd3 on HN
Does not reduce mindless food purchases
From 1 comment
Text based browsers have had this option for ages, though some say they copied it from printers. Notably this doesn't help with food, I've been only buying greyscale (Rice,…
AndrewOMartin on HN
Requests
Gradual desaturation over time per site
From 1 comment
Nice idea! Would be great if it was not just On/Off switch, but one could set timer (per site) and it would gradually desaturate website the longer you stay (1%, 2%, ...). When…
kovrik on HN
Adjustable grayscale slider or lower contrast option
From 2 comments
Sounds like an interesting idea but would be awesome if rather than grayscale it just lessened the contrast and made colors a lot less vibrant. That would still help a lot
augbog on HNThanks! Originally I was going to implement a slider where you could adjust the amount of grayscale, but wasn't sure if anyone would use it. I really like the idea of having it…
devastora on HN
Linux support
From 2 comments
Is there a way to do this in Linux/Ubuntu/Debian? I've looked as hard as I could but I couldn't find any solutions, at least not one that didn't require writing your own drivers.
John_KZ on HNFYI: you can go black&white on Windows 10 by pressing Win+Ctrl+c Edit: does anybody know if there's a way to do the same on GNU/Linux ?
znpy on HN
Questions
Is there research showing grayscale reduces mindless browsing?
From 2 comments
I love this idea, but sadly it's not for me. I tried this on my phone (going grayscale) and turned it off after 1/2 a day. Too many apps rely on color to differentiate different…
jedberg on HNWhy go grayscale? Is there any data to support the claims made by the extension? (see below) The extension linked says: > Can't stop surfing the web? You may not realize it, but…
mehblahwhatevs on HN
Who is the developer and is there a privacy policy?
From 1 comment
does anyone have a link to the people who made this? I see 'Dev Astora' but can't find them on the web. am always hesitant to install browser plugins that have no website link,…
rapnie on HN
Does it affect CPU usage?
From 1 comment
Seems very useful, thanks. Curious how it affects cpu usage. Would be cool if you can explain how it works. I can see even the gifs and videos(which I think makes this even more…
daft300punk on HN
Alternatives named
OS-level grayscale and color filters (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)
From 4 comments
If you are on macos you can do it globally and natively by going in the accessibility settings.
y04nn on HNSame goes for any recent Windows version (1709 or 1803?) - Settings -> Ease of Access -> Color filters.
ntauthority on HNiOS does have a red monochrome option! Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Color Filters > Color Tint Not the easiest to find, but it's there for people…
geoffpado on HNThis is very cool. Last week I went full greyscale on my ipad and iphone, and over the weekend on my macbook pro. It definitely forces me to think about each time I use each…
malloreon on HN
Stylish or Stylus userstyle with filter grayscale
From 2 comments
For Firefox you can use the Stylish addon and "filter: grayscale(100%)" for similar effect.
pietroglyph on HNThis extension should be one CSS line, why does it load 3 libraries as content scripts? ``` :root {filter: grayscale(1) !important; background: #fff} ``` I wish extensions had a…
bfred_it on HN
Nocturne and negative screen tools
From 2 comments
Check out Nocturne (originally from Blacktree, of QuickSilver fame). It even has a full red monochrome option (in case you need to finish that paper at 2 am but don't want to…
killjoywashere on HNIf you are on windows you can use this awesome tool to have it globally: https://zerowidthjoiner.net/negativescreen nice plus: inverted mode with correct colors (only brightness…
anotheryou on HN