I agree that defaults are not perfect, but I'd like to add that the initial idea was that they are, well, defaults, and you -- as a user -- are supposed to adjust them to what you prefer. In some dashboard usually called "preferences" or "settings". And fact is that you still can: you can tell your browser "for this script, for serif, use this font family, for sans use that one" etc etc. You can set you preferred text colours. You can even write your own style that will sit between user agent styles (those "ugly defaults") and author styles (those forcing weird stuff). Initial idea was that our browsers will be truly individual tools and one of their main task will be consolidating those preferences from various sources. That's the "cascade" in the CSS.

Yes, I know. Back in the fun days when a browser was supposed to be my "user" agent. Before they became the mini-os they are today.

There's nothing here that would stop you from still doing that.

But if we're talking about practicality... I think far more people would get a benefit from improved defaults (as long as they're not breaking existing sites).

While I've modified the user styles for my chrome profile as a part of being a web developer, I'm not aware of a single non-developer acquaintance who has (literally - none). Honestly, not even many of the devs I've worked with have done it.

It's just not all that relevant when the defaults are so bad that all the sites are overriding them anyways. Makes it very hard to apply a set of user styles that's sane, so no one does.

Make the defaults better, and maybe you can end up back there.

I want to hug this whole thread. Yes, 1. browsers should improve their defaults. 2. web sites should respect user preferences over their own style, if the preferences are set. 3. browsers should make user preferences more prominent and provide an easier way to override web sites that refuse to honor them.

My browsing experience should not be determined by an artist or product designer 1000 miles away from me in an office somewhere.

Well put.

My language skills and time pressure fails me here, just wanted to express general "thanks folks" for your reactions as well. Seeing that someone shares similar point of view on this topic made me surprisingly very happy, so thank you again.

If they can't be bothered to change the settings, it means they don't care. Why would you force salvation on them?