Post #1169992

2026-04-02 11:16 UTC

The unusual browser feature I use most is Reader Mode. SO MANY STUPIDLY DESIGNED WEBSITES! Reader Mode: "Here is the main text in a sensible typeface at a reasonable size with high contrast and appropriate margins." There should not be a need for Reader Mode. RM's utility is a solid indictment against web designers. Look at your site-intended-to-convey-textual-information with Reader Mode. If it breaks, fix that. If the page is suddenly much easier to read... you have work to do. Typeface. Size. Contrast. Margins. #accessibility #web #browser

Replies (7)

@afeinman@wandering.shop 2026-04-02 12:01

@dashdsrdash Amen. The other day I hit a website on accessibility that thought light lavender text on a periwinkle background was reasonable. Sigh.

Open ##1329168
@wollman@mastodon.social 2026-04-02 13:08

@dashdsrdash What's worse is that some sites are designed to intentionally disable reader mode. (Which to my mind is a bug in the browser that it even allows that.)

Open ##1329169
@blueorangeblue@c.im 2026-04-02 13:30

@dashdsrdash (I would also appreciate Reader Mode for the cooking instructions on ready meals)

Open ##1329170
@folfdk@helvede.net 2026-04-02 13:38

@dashdsrdash Yes!!! (Do you know if there's a way to force reader mode? For me it's not always available... (Firefox on android))

Open ##1329171
@wolfie@deadinsi.de 2026-04-02 14:11

@dashdsrdash and if you click it fast enough you can sometimes get around paywall/sign up wall type stuff!

Open ##1329172
@TimWardCam@c.im 2026-04-02 14:29

@dashdsrdash And there's more to typographic design, such as getting the line lengths right and getting the leading right (which depend on each other to some extent).

Open ##1329173
@FurryBeta@shark.community 2026-04-04 03:45

@dashdsrdash And a fair amount of time, reader mode can bypass paywalls

Open ##1329177