Disaspora website + visual impairment + migraines = WTF

[delight]

So I got really excited when I heard that Diaspora, an alternative social network, had gone live when liv posted about it, and went to look at their site. This proved to be a mistake, because I could stay on their page for about two seconds before running and taking an anti-emetic and getting my eye patch and a cold compress. I think I'm only one of a few people in the world who has issues with straight white-on-black, but I can't be the only one.

The link is www.diasp.org, but I wouldn't advise clicking if you have ever in your life gotten a serious headache or have any vision problems. I can't even read words on that page.



I was completely shocked because it never seemed to me that Diaspora had this much fail about them, especially not in a) design or b) usability. I have since learned by a fluke of just trying it in another browser and leaving off the 'www' that just going to diasp.org produces a very nice and not ow website UNLESS you have issues with straight black-on-white (I don't except during a migraine attack; if you do don't click, it is VERY bright).

Seriously, Diaspora people, what is up with that, and why? I hope it's just a code glitch. I really, really hope. It makes no sense that anything remotely like this would be done on purpose, but not catching it is still accessibility_fail.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

That's giving me a headache and visual cues never give me a headache.

[chalcopyrite]

Urk! I can *look at* that page, but reading any of those links is right out! Ow...

[exor674]

I'm not sure if that's even theirs, as https://joindiaspora.com/ is the official

[ladygzb.livejournal.com]

http://metatalk.metafilter.com/20050/Gender-Go-nuts-Somebody-did#838611

Having just signed up at diasp.org (thanks jessamyn) I've just thought to do a whois on it, and I can see no connection between it and the actual diaspora devs; looks like it's just some random guy running a diaspora pod. Since I have no more reason to trust some random guy running a diaspora pod with my personal information than I have to trust MyBeeboFace, and since it just handed me, via unsecured http, an xml file containing what appears to be my diaspora private key: account closed. I'll wait until I get my own pod going before playing again, I think.

[ladygzb.livejournal.com]

(that's not me, that's a quote from someone I saw talking about diasp)

[killing_rose]

I can't process white on black to save my life--cues a migraine and it's usually a migraine accompanied by nausea. (The nausea is really rare for me. Migraines--well, that's part and parcel of my issues.)

~sighs~ This is why I love DW--the second I click on a link that's white on black, I can fix it quickly.

[ironed_orchid]

I much prefer the seond version.

I think that some website designers get all caught up in not looking like their rivals, and tey forget that the reason so many sites look similar is because they are intended to be easy to read.

[ingo]

White on black is dreadful and the red on black is worse.