What is it with blue LEDs?

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:12 am

What about the original question: WHY do computer geeks like blue LEDs?

The first time I built a computer for my brother, I put a Batman decal on it and put "Bat" labels on everything. "Bat ON/OFF Switch", "Bat Reset Switch", "Bat Power LED", etc. I did it as a joke. I'd use blue LEDs for the same reason.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 6:03 pm

Originally posted by VonDondu
What about the original question: WHY do computer geeks like blue LEDs?

My reasons? I'm a network engineer. I see hundreds of computers every week, and most of them are plain beige boxes with a green power light and a red disk access light. I wanted something differrent. It's a way of saying "I have something better than a plain off-the-shelf mass assembled generic office PC".

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:27 am

Originally posted by Mr Flibble
<snip>
It's a way of saying "I have something better than a plain off-the-shelf mass assembled generic office PC".

The way to say that is by listing what components one has inside the boring beige box

Putting lights and sounds and whatcha-ma-call it all over ones box is like putting streamers and stickers on ones car to "make it stand out".

(imo

)
Naa - I prefere to tinker with the insides instead of flashy gimics.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:03 am

Originally posted by Xandax
The way to say that is by listing what components one has inside the boring beige box

with the insides instead of flashy gimics.

Don't get me wrong, I do that too

Perhaps another 'Post your system specs" thread is in order?

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:54 am

I believe in the concept of blue diodes being similar to streamers on cars, and that it made sense during the beige era in computer hardware, but now there are so many different kind of designs and colours on the boxes it doesn't quite make sense. Or is it that since the regular systems have moved from beige that the modded systems have turned more extreme to still differentiate themselves?

It still doesn't quite explain the particular fascination with blue leds that I'm wondering about. In reviews it still gets specifically mentioned - sometimes even as "cool blue led", even though it is more or less commonplace these days. Is it a lingering fashion, since blue leds used to be really cool five years ago? Today they are roughly 10 cents more expensive than green ones. You see them on barebone systems too slow to compute themselves out of a wet paper bag. There's one on this really tacky external hard disk I have. Come to look at it, it's the single most common led in this room.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 2:21 pm

Originally posted by VonDondu
What about the original question: WHY do computer geeks like blue LEDs?

The first time I built a computer for my brother, I put a Batman decal on it and put "Bat" labels on everything. "Bat ON/OFF Switch", "Bat Reset Switch", "Bat Power LED", etc. I did it as a joke. I'd use blue LEDs for the same reason.

To fight crime!?

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 2:37 pm

Originally posted by Georgi
To fight crime!?

Finally a reasonable answer!

Hi Georgi! Great to see you again.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:20 pm

Originally posted by Mr Flibble
Perhaps another 'Post your system specs" thread is in order?

no. next thing you know, people will be putting their specs in their signatures, and that way madness lies

why do we gi for blue? well, it's unusual and it goes a lot better with metallic or dark cases. and anyway, blueness is inherently good, hence my hair. and font colour.

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:35 pm

Originally posted by Robnark
no. next thing you know, people will be putting their specs in their signatures, and that way madness lies

Yes, we all know where the "my cpucoolerbeltdrivefanarray is bigger than your cpucoolerbeltdrivefanarray"-discussion leads to: 1337-land! Let's stay away from that, shall we?

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:35 pm

Originally posted by Georgi
To fight crime!?

Yep. And if you're going to do it, you need to look good.

As for 1337 and/or geekish tendencies, I don't really feel like I'm into any of that. But the thing is, I really would enjoy telling you how I put my computer together and why I did it that way.

I think it's all about craftsmanship and pride of ownership. I'd also enjoy telling you how I have fixed up my car.

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 3:08 am

Ok, if you all promise not to put your config in your sigs, you may spam on the config topic as long as blue leds are included. So if you want to show off your system, be sure to put a blue led in there - or perhaps explain thoroughly the absence of one. Starting a new thread on the subject seems pretty dangerous considering the possible consequences.

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 3:15 am

Originally posted by VonDondu
I'd also enjoy telling you how I have fixed up my car.

That's ok too... as long as it includes a blue led.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:11 am

Originally posted by Silur
Finally a reasonable answer!

Hi Georgi! Great to see you again.

Well, that's me, the voice of reason.

Hi, etc.

Originally posted by Robnark
and anyway, blueness is inherently good, hence my hair. and font colour.

Yes, dark blue on black is the way to go, clearly.

Well I don't have any blue LEDs, but my computer is firmly stuck in 1999, when I got it, aside from a bit more hard disk and memory and such.

Still, I wouldn't have blue LEDs even if I could, because it is functional rather than decorative, and doesn't need silly lights on it.

That said, if I were going to put silly lights on it, they would definitely be blue.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:59 am

Originally posted by Georgi
Yes, dark blue on black is the way to go, clearly.

yup. my computer has blue LEDs in a black case.
and a 50s pin-up girl on the side, but that's just because aluminium painted black is hardly decorative.

oh, and it's royal blue, which is lighter than normal blue. so there.

okay, so us blue LED fitters are silly people who spend too much time with computers and electronic frippery, but at least we have style.

well, sometimes

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:33 am

Originally posted by Robnark
oh, and it's royal blue, which is lighter than normal blue. so there.

It may be royal blue, nevertheless, it is still not good to read on black.

okay, so us blue LED fitters are silly people who spend too much time with computers and electronic frippery, but at least we have style.

well, sometimes

Hmmm, computer geeks, style... surely mutually exclusive?

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 12:37 pm

Originally posted by Georgi

Hmmm, computer geeks, style... surely mutually exclusive?

Geek with style = blue leds. At last there is a quantifyable measure for style. Now we need to find comparative forms for stylish. Stylish, stylisher, stylishest.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:12 pm

Originally posted by Georgi
It may be royal blue, nevertheless, it is still not good to read on black.

blue = unreadable
sky blue = wishy-washy
and while there are other colours, they aren't in the little drop down menu. so either turn up your screen brightness or - and this is probably the easy option - just ignore everything I say.

oh, and there is apparently such a thing as geek chic. now, I'd bet money that I've never seen it in real life, and the people who use the term are patronising fashionable bastards who wouldn't notice a pixel shader if one killed their entire family, but the style is out there.

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 9:31 pm

If people want colouful computer exteriors, why don't they buy a Mac?

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 4:03 am

Originally posted by The Z
If people want colouful computer exteriors, why don't they buy a Mac?

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 4:43 am

Originally posted by The Z
If people want colouful computer exteriors, why don't they buy a Mac?

You sick, sick child....