OT ergonomic VIM colors

[Brian Densmore]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: DCT Jared
> 
> On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 11:04:02 -0600 (CST), Dave Hull wrote:
> >On Fri, 14 Nov 2003, Jason Clinton wrote:
> >
> >> brad wrote:
> >>
> >> | I wanted to get a feel for what background and text 
> colors everyone
> >> | uses in their shell.
> >>
> >> Hal once told me that amber or IBM green on black was best in his
> >> experience. I don't stare at consoles all day, so I don't have an
> >> opinion. You're forced to read black on white on the web. :(
> >
> >I've experimented with many color combinations over the 
> years, but the one
> >that seems to work best for me is green foreground on a 
> black background. I'm
> >looking at a command-line, text-based environment (no X 
> Windows installed) 40
> >hours a week, not counting the work I do at home using the 
> same type of set
> >up.
> 
> 
> Do You See What I Mean?
> http://virtual.inesc.pt/wuauc01/procs/pdfs/brown_final.pdf
> 
> <snip>
> 3. Cones containing the photopigment sensitive to blue are 
> the most scarce, making up only two percent of the cones. 
> This makes the eye least sensitive to the color blue, and 
> therefore makes it difficult to distinguish two objects 
> differing only in the amount of blue. However, the cones that 
> are sensitive to blue are evenly distributed across the 
> retina, making it a good color for background or large areas. 
> Moreover, there is a yellowing of the lens of the eye as 
> people age that causes the perception of blue to be blocked. 
> Thus people lose their sensitivity to blue as they grow 
> older, and they have trouble distinguishing light blue from white. 
Actually you need to know a bit more about color than to make this general
misstatement. The cones are called 'blue','green' and 'red', but
the *peak* colors they perceive are actually violet(440nm), blue-green(535nm)
and yellow-green(565nm). Yes blue may be in short supply, but both blue and
green cones respond to blue. And both red and green cones respond to green.
By far the most cones we have are for shades of gray. So black is always
a really good choice for one color. And judging on the fact that green 
and the pigment yellow will give the best contrast. 'Color-blind' people
see red and green it's just that they see it as only/mostly red or green
depending on what cone gene deficiencies they have. Hence the colors red and 
green shouldn't be mixed in a screen. Also combining red and green together
can also trick the eyes into believing it is seeing yellow. I have not
heard of this yellowing of the eye before, nor of losing the ability to
see blue. If we were to lose the ability to see blue our ability to
see in color would also disappear.

> humans. Because of the extreme wave length of these colors, 
> their focal point is not exactly on the retina of the eye, 
> but in front of or  behind it. Although the eye automatically 
WHAT!!!!!???? Where are they getting this stupid statement from?
It's not a matter of focusing but a matter of excitation of a
cone in the retina. The wavelengths are in *nanometers*. Our
retinas are way larger than this. But again it is not a matter 
of focusing on a color.

Brian