Induced, simulated, or acquired dichromacy?

June 18, 2009 3:07 PM

Am I crazy...or is MeFi messing with background colors?

While reading, I'm seeing the blue turning purple, ask's green turn brownish then gray. "is it just me?" or is Safari 4.01 going nuts, or is someone playing a practical joke?

posted by dylanjames to MetaFilter-related at 3:07 PM (41 comments total)

Click the "Make It Stop" link in the footer, 2nd column.
posted by mathowie at 3:08 PM on June 18

(we should really get rid of the old April Fools joke (from 2007? 2008?))
posted by mathowie at 3:09 PM on June 18

This is a leftover practical joke. Maybe we can keep it in the faq someplace?
posted by jessamyn at 3:13 PM on June 18

Ignore the voices. You're crazy.
posted by GuyZero at 3:15 PM on June 18 [6 favorites]

nooooo don't get rid of it... it makes me haaaaaapy
posted by Lizc at 3:28 PM on June 18

Q: How do I make it start?
A: Click here.

Q: OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD
A: Okay, click here.
posted by cortex at 3:32 PM on June 18 [10 favorites]

Y'all should have it auto-activate randomly, when users log in.

Just think of the chaos.

*rubs hands evilly*
posted by zarq at 3:33 PM on June 18

(we should really get rid of the old April Fools joke (from 2007? 2008?))

2008, and please don't get rid of it.

BTW, I usually hate the pranks sites pull every April 1st but I loved that one.
posted by dead cousin ted at 3:38 PM on June 18

Am I crazy...or is MeFi messing with background colors?

These two possibilities are not mutually exclusive.
posted by FishBike at 3:38 PM on June 18

We also need a "Make It With Gravy" link.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:41 PM on June 18

The best part about it is how it never turns itself off. I activated it and then promptly forgot that I'd done so, and a couple of days later I was searching all over trying to find an answer to the color display problems my browser was happening.

Ah, great fun. Never get rid of it.
posted by hippybear at 3:43 PM on June 18

Y'all should have it auto-activate randomly, when users log in.

You log out?
posted by chiababe at 3:43 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]

Now the question is - who hates you enough to use your account and click the small link at the bottom... then after reading what the 'joke' does, agree to it?
posted by gman at 3:44 PM on June 18

Y'all should have it auto-activate randomly, when users log in.

You log out?

At work, sure. My browsers are set to clear when I shut them down. Can't imagine I'm the only one. ;)
posted by zarq at 3:48 PM on June 18

Also, I don't really know how people turn that on accidentally but this is like the 2nd or 3rd time it's been brought up here.
posted by dead cousin ted at 3:55 PM on June 18

To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password.
posted by netbros at 3:55 PM on June 18 [2 favorites]

Whoa, I just started it again. Man that is weird.
posted by dead cousin ted at 4:03 PM on June 18

keep it please
posted by goml at 4:11 PM on June 18

thanks, everyone! I have no explanation for why it kicked in just now. Very cool effect.
posted by dylanjames at 4:16 PM on June 18

Wait til the flashbacks kick in.
posted by gman at 4:18 PM on June 18

It cycles through sixcolors.
posted by Sailormom at 4:55 PM on June 18 [13 favorites]

Oh no, please don't get rid of it. That was such an epic, epic prank. We need to keep it around as a reminder to other sites as to how April Fools is really done.
posted by Phire at 5:26 PM on June 18

netbros : To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password.

Or det-cord.

Methanethiol would probably work pretty well too.

But... I've said too much; I don't want to ruin my 10th anniversary meetup surprises!
posted by quin at 5:45 PM on June 18

Is this something I'd have to view without a professional white background to understand?
posted by Pantengliopoli at 5:54 PM on June 18

Thanks for the reminder! Sort of a gussied-up-for-Friday-night look; I'd forgotten. Makes me want to marry Brandon Blatcher all over again.
posted by fish tick at 7:02 PM on June 18

Another vote for keep it.

It was a seriously awesome prank. It took me ages to realize what the hell was going on because it's very subtle at first, before it becomes insanely obvious and then you're still just left questioning your sanity and asking, verily, what the fuck?
posted by loquacious at 8:00 PM on June 18

+1 more for keep it. I got got completely by it - thought my ancient CRT monitor was finally giving up the ghost.
posted by zoinks at 10:12 PM on June 18

Ok, now I want to experience the fun. Are you getting it on all the pages or just the ones on April 1st?
posted by phyrewerx at 10:45 PM on June 18

Keep it please. It is harmless - or at least self-inflicted.
posted by Cranberry at 11:52 PM on June 18

keeeeeeeeeeeep itttttttt
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 1:03 AM on June 19

Make it Start!
posted by xorry at 5:24 AM on June 19

please please please please keep it I'll walk it and feed it and love it and I'll clean my room! Puh-leeeeeeeese?
posted by Elsa at 6:09 AM on June 19

I used to use the professional white template, not because I wanted to be professional, but because I found the colours too distracting. But a couple of months ago I switched back to the classic template, for no reason that I can remember, and I've been turning on Make It Start fairly often. You get some gorgeous, heart stopping colours as it cycles through, and if the combo of page and type ever becomes illegible, a quick refresh makes it readable again.

I'm finally getting back to art again, including lots of colour, so maybe this is why I'm just soaking in it now.

(In the time it took to type this, the page has gone from MeTa gunmetal to rose grey/mauve).
posted by maudlin at 6:49 AM on June 19

Keep. I sometimes turn it on when I'm feeling a wave of whimsy coming on.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:47 AM on June 19

It cycles through sixcolors.

Heh.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:17 AM on June 19

I've mentioned this before, but with my colourblindness it takes me ages to actually notice any difference. This makes me feel special, like my mummy always said that I was.
posted by ob at 11:17 AM on June 19

quin: "netbros : To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password.

...Methanethiol would probably work pretty well too..."

We once cut up scraps of paper and sprayed them with a metanethiol solution. Then we sat in the upper stands at a school football game on a windy night and rained them down on the people below like confetti. Fortunately, no one was injured in the stampede after an old man stood up and cried "Gas leak! This place is going to blow up!!"

I was such a fucking asshole back then. I feel really guilty about it, even as I chuckle at the memory.
posted by double block and bleed at 11:33 AM on June 19

BTW, please keep it, Matt.
posted by double block and bleed at 11:34 AM on June 19

Thank you for bringing this back!
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:25 PM on June 19

Is this something I'd have to view without a professional white background to understand?

Uh, no. You can make it start in the plain theme too.
posted by ssg at 5:03 PM on June 19

Please keep it
posted by rakish_yet_centered at 6:05 PM on June 19