[jlongster]

I've tried all kinds of combinations for coding over the past 10 years. The only combination which didn't start to hurt my eyes over time was a light grey background with dark text.

http://jlongster.com/media/images/screen.png

I absolutely love this scheme. It may not look pretty at first, but it's very very easy on the eyes, and also very clear. Colors are easy to make out and there's no glare anywhere.

[alex_c]

Interesting. I stick with default backgrounds (white, usually) but I tend to turn my screen brightness way way down when I'm working... which ends up looking indistinguishable from your screenshot.

[electromagnetic]

I do exactly the same. I suppose using a darker background with black text has essentially the same effect as dimming the screen. One is limiting the light emitted from the backlight, the other is limiting the light transmitting through the liquid crystals. Both result in less light reaching your eye.

However, I suppose the dark background allows for immediate switching from low brightness to high brightness. If you're doing the 30/30 work cycle, you could easily switch from a dark coding screen to a proper brightness game or tv show.

[sudont]

A nice trip to kuler would probably spruce it up a bit (for new users). I've always liked the idleFingers theme for Textmate.

I think one of the reasons your theme works so well is that it's not so high-contrast, which is better for the reflective qualities of print, and less for the luminous properties of a giant matrix of glowing dots.