Dark Reader extension
Productivity
browser extension
SHOW HN2018
369points
175comments
#50of 2,155 in 2018
Top 3%of 2018 by points
How HN took it
DebatedReal support and real criticism
19 positive, 21 neutral or asking, 10 mixed, 21 critical, out of 71 comments about the project. Thread score +0.07.
Performance: 1 for, 8 againstDesign: 4 for, 3 againstPrivacy: 0 for, 6 againstPricing: 3 for, 2 againstIdea: 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
Fixes contrast well and is easy on the eyes
From 3 comments
I'm almost blind (legally), and this is the first extension I found that PERFECTLY fixes the contrast so I don't need 20-point font zoom to be able to read it. I have tried…
UI_at_80x24 on HNAn extension that's become as important to me as uBO. Discovered this only a couple of months ago thanks to a random comment from someone here on HN. I'd previously been using…
NeedMoreTea on HNThis is a beautifully done extension. Using it both in Safari and in Firefox Nightly right now.
jamescampbell on HN
Per-site settings and multiple modes are useful
From 2 comments
This looks to have a more polished GUI than Dark Background and Light Text (on Firefox, particularly on mobile), but I'm not sure it offers the same flexibility of multiple ways…
fencepost on HNYou can already use per-site settings https://darkreader.org/blog/custom-site-settings/
alexanderby on HN
Objections
Uses a lot of CPU and slows page loads, especially in Firefox
From 4 comments
I tried this a few months back, I liked the visual effect and the configuration flexibility, but it ate at my CPU waaay too much. Anybody else have this? Was meaning to look for…
dmos62 on HNI've been using this for a few weeks and overall I'm happy with it. I do find that some complex web apps like gmaps or gmail slow down with this extension enabled. Particularly…
canacrypto on HNThe results are really impressive, but any large page is very noticeably slower to load.
mcjiggerlog on HNWeb pages are slow to load after installing this extension.
godelmachine on HN
Permission to access all site data raises privacy concerns
From 3 comments
How can I trust that this extension, which has access to every page I visit, doesn't steal my data? How can I trust that if someone else takes over the project and releases an…
psychometry on HNI like it, but in permissions it says: "This add-on can: Access your data for all websites" This doesn't sound good, I wouldn't like to allow an extension to access my data in…
sdfin on HNDo the URLS you visit get uploaded in any way to the author of this extension? I saw you have to give it read permissions.
ionwake on HN
Paid Safari version is costly compared to alternatives
From 2 comments
It seems free on Chrome and Firefox but £5 for Safari... :( Why?
ekzy on HNprefer this, and cheaper : https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/dark-mode-for-safari/id1397180934?l=fr&mt=12
fabdub on HN
Requests
Global toggle across tabs in Firefox
From 1 comment
On firefox, when you're turning off dark mode, you have to do it individually for each open tab. That is painful. It'll be good if that toggle is global.
vemkiran on HN
Dark mode off by default with per-site enabling
From 1 comment
I'd love to have the dark theming off by default, and enable it on a per-site basis. I prefer black-on-white, but there are some sites that benefit from being the other way…
zapzupnz on HN
Automatic dark mode by time of day
From 1 comment
How long will it likely be until the automatic dark mode toggling is available in Chrome/Firefox? I'm not a fan of Safari. Does it require Chrome and Firefox to implement…
kristofferR on HN
Questions
Is the extension safe given broad read permissions?
From 2 comments
How can I trust that this extension, which has access to every page I visit, doesn't steal my data? How can I trust that if someone else takes over the project and releases an…
psychometry on HNDo the URLS you visit get uploaded in any way to the author of this extension? I saw you have to give it read permissions.
ionwake on HN
Is dark mode better or worse for eye strain?
From 2 comments
I'm a big fan of dark mode, particularly because I was of the impression that it was easier on the eyes. Turns our, it's not so black and white... In a study from the 1980s: >…
sqren on HNA question for anyone that knows. With this extension I like to keep everything in light mode with Brightness, Contrast and Sepia off, and Greyscale to 100%. While I like dark…
freakz on HN
Alternatives named
Stylus with custom CSS themes
From 2 comments
Stylus + some of the general dark themes solves it for me. I don't see why a separate extension is needed.
nine_k on HNWhile it is nice, there are more lightweight and snappy ways to achieve a dark background (or desirable styles in general) -- such as setting a global CSS, using built-in color…
defanor on HN
Dark Background and Light Text
From 2 comments
Dark Background and Light Text is great also ... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/dark-background-light-text/ Fully customizable so you can don't have to go full…
eternalny1 on HNThis looks to have a more polished GUI than Dark Background and Light Text (on Firefox, particularly on mobile), but I'm not sure it offers the same flexibility of multiple ways…
fencepost on HN
Owl - Dark Background
From 1 comment
On Firefox, I love the Owl - Dark Background app. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/owl
nathanaldensr on HN