GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 372277
Why is the default colour scheme of gnome-terminal black-on-white rather than white-on-black?
Last modified: 2006-11-08 01:04:45 UTC
Traditionally terminals have been white-on-black, and many (if not most) older computer users continue prefer this, and change these settings on the terminals they use. White on black provides just as much contrast and is generally easier on the eyes since it is less bright on the screen. So what is the reason to have it black-on-white? Are there any reasons not to change the default? Other information:
It had a black background many years ago, but after a long discussion etc. it was changed. I think changing it back and forth every few years when someone forgets the previous discussion is probably silly; should just stick with it and avoid further expenditure of energy on the conversation ;-) (reasons for white someone might give are: most other text display in the desktop is black on white, it looks like paper, other terminal programs are black on white, and black on white just looks nicer. But it's basically a personal preference, so discussing it doesn't go anywhere, people just try to give "objective" reasons why their preference is right.) I'd think of it as "the coin was flipped, and flipping it again every couple years is silly"
Thanks for the quick reply. I wasn't trying to start a big discussion, but was asked to submit the bug to find out the canonical answer to this. It has been duly noted. Cheers.