Why is the font on Hacker News so small? - shabingo
======
brudgers
I don't think there's an ideal size. I've started scripting away problems
using Greasemonkey [Firefox] or TamperMonkey [Chromium]. A sample Greasemonkey
script that changes the font size on this page:

    
    
      // ==UserScript==
      // @name        example_fontsize
      // @namespace   com.kludgecode.hn.example
      // @include     https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12036162
      // @version     1
      // @grant       none
    
      // ==/UserScript==
    
      /* Select Comments */
      /* Make $target easily accessible for interactive debugging */
      window.$target =  document.getElementsByClassName("comment");
    
      for (var i = 0; i < $target.length; i++)
        {$target[i].style.fontSize = "15pt";};
    

Replacing:

    
    
      // @include     https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12036162
    

with

    
    
      // @include     https://news.ycombinator.com/item*
    

Will change ~font-size~ on all the pages for individual stories.

Good luck.

~~~
tlb
What are the advantages of this over ⌘+?

~~~
brudgers
The advantage and disadvantages:

1\. Finer grained control over what happens, i.e. the script only scales the
text of comments, not the question's or title's, etc.

2\. Automatic execution and implemented at a higher level, i.e. CSS.

3\. Only applicable to specified pages.

4\. Can be extended to modify additional elements such as line spacing as user
Krapp's code shows.

Mainly, I think the advantage is that it frames layout/readability issues as
within the user's control by unlocking features of the browser as a tool
rather than a passive consumption device.

------
paulrpotts
Not a judgment as to whether it is too small or too large, but on Chrome on my
laptop, the debug mode says it is using Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, 10 pt.

If I open up a brand new Word file at 100% and take some identical text and
set the format to Verdana 8 pt, in Word it still looks considerably larger. It
appears to be actually showing up as 7 point, or close to it. Which is much
smaller than I would normally use for just about anything -- editing text,
viewing a PDF or technical manual, etc.

------
PaulHoule
That's not really a good question.

If you want the text to be bigger hit Ctrl + if you want it to be smaller hit
Ctrl -. If you are viewing on a touchscreen you can do that pinch thing.

What I can tell you is that touchscreen users actually interact very well with
Hacker News and sites with a similar design.

~~~
cauterized
If you pinch and zoom on any touchscreen device I've ever used, you zoom into
a section of the page, not the text. That is, you end up having to drag left
and right to read a full line of text, which is not ok.

That said, I find the font size on mobile fine. On desktop I always have to
zoom the text 3-5 ticks.

~~~
cauterized
If you disagree with me, say why. HN culture has always been to reserve
downvotes for comments that don't contribute to the conversation. If you think
my comment didn't contribute, I'm curious why you'd think that too. (Yes, I
realize this one doesn't, so downvote away.)

~~~
mod
That's not true.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171)

~~~
cauterized
I stand corrected, then

------
marssaxman
Since when is 10 point text "small"? I wonder what device you are viewing it
on and what its scale system is.

This might explain why I've occasionally started to see articles formatted
with body text that is ungodly huge, so I have to zoom out to get enough text
on the page to read comfortably. I don't know who thinks 20 point body text is
a good idea, but perhaps it's because they are using a similar browser setup.

~~~
wingerlang
I think HNs font is small. I use a 13" macbook. My zoom level is around
150-175%. Here is a comparison (they are both shrunk, so just look at the
relative difference).
[http://i.imgur.com/W2Q9IPp.png](http://i.imgur.com/W2Q9IPp.png).

My eye sight is not great, but I'm probably short sighted so the screen is
clear on both sizes.

It is just way more relaxing to read a big font. I used to use small fonts to
keep a lot of info in the screen, not anymore.

I think this article was a turning point for me
[https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/10/16-pixels-body-
copy...](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/10/16-pixels-body-copy-
anything-less-costly-mistake/)

~~~
facorreia
Very good article, thanks for sharing. I quote:

> 16-pixel text on a screen is about the same size as text printed in a book
> or magazine; this is accounting for reading distance. Because we read books
> pretty close — often only a few inches away — they are typically set at
> about 10 points. If you were to read them at arm’s length, you’d want at
> least 12 points, which is about the same size as 16 pixels on most screens.

------
krapp
The line height is too small as well, making long multiline comments difficult
to read.

I wrote a userscript to tweak that as well as add some other things like
highlighting and unfading downvoted comments:
[https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/a2e5ad8fe2e81e4cd852a868...](https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/a2e5ad8fe2e81e4cd852a8682c394086)

~~~
shabingo
Did You just write that? Fair play to you!

~~~
krapp
I just combined a couple of user scripts I wrote a while ago and have been
messing with for a while:

[https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/7a21c0187fedd6f47e7c](https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/7a21c0187fedd6f47e7c)

[https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/5b5e413220afb93c9c93](https://gist.github.com/kennethrapp/5b5e413220afb93c9c93)

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AlinaSH
I agree, that it will be better, if it is bigger. I have to sit in front of
the computer all the day long and when I visit HN I really can focus..

[https://userengage.io/en-us/](https://userengage.io/en-us/)

------
shabingo
Thanks Paul, I know what Ctrl + and Ctrl - do. I just don't see why I should
have to bother doing that. I go to another screen and my text is enormous.
Also I find it is just so unfriendly looking when you log on the first time.
Its like some horrible engineering manual from the 90's.

------
facorreia
I have HN set up to 150% zoom.

------
nness
Funnily enough, I find it insanely large.

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usermac
cmd + 2-finger trackpad down in FireFoxDeveloper works for me.

