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From: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Colors of traffic signals (Was Re: OPEN LOOK)
Message-ID: <895@arctic.nprdc.arpa>
Date: 19 Sep 88 04:54:11 GMT
References: <7099@well.UUCP>  <8501@smoke.ARPA> <890@arctic.nprdc.arpa> <23293@wlbr.EATON.COM>
Sender: news@nprdc.arpa
Reply-To: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo)
Organization: Navy Personnel R & D Center
Lines: 42

In article <23293@wlbr.EATON.COM> mh@wlbr.eaton.com.UUCP (Mike Hoegeman) writes:
>In article <890@arctic.nprdc.arpa> trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo) writes:
> >In article <8501@smoke.ARPA> geoffs@brl.arpa (Geoffrey Sauerborn (TANK) ) writes:
> >>	RED is safer than BLUE for stops since it can be seen more
> >>easily. (But White is even better than RED for that reason - but that is
> >>why it is used for headlights). 
> 
>
> >This is rubbish.  What is seen most easily depends on many visual
> >factors other than wavelength.  Size, retinal eccentricity,
> >background, adaptation level, and temporal properties are a few of...etc.
>
>...more optometrists-on-their-lunch-hour-type talk here....
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^
If I were an optometrist I'd have signed my posting as O.D., not Ph.D.
I'm a research psychologist.
>
>
>OH COME ON!! Geoffrey was just trying to make the point that things
>like scroll bars are such a basic tool that there is probably some
>merit in defining a standard way of operating one. The stoplight
>analogy was just poking fun at the original poster's high and mighty
>vehemence at someone having the gall to try and make a set of
>guidelines for such a thing. Nothing more nothing less. 

My reading of Geoffrey's message picked up the sarcasm intended for
the 'OPEN LOOK' poster.  However, mixed in with the sarcasm were some
authoritative sounding statements about, for example, which 
colors are seen better.  Having observed how easily wrong information
is picked up and passed around, especially about color vision, I felt
it necessary to respond.  In doing so, I came across very
officiously myself, and it seems I goofed about blue light not
traveling farther than red in our atmosphere.  For these errors,
I apologize.

			L. J. T.
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