www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Poll on Image Quality

Byzcath.org would like your input. The icon on the home page is frequently changed to reflect the liturgical calendar. Sometimes when I adjust the picture quality it looks great on my pc at home but when I get to work it looks very dark. I would like to ask that interested Forum readers take a look at the icon on the home page and rate the quality of the image.

When you click on the �Vote Now� button below you will be able to choose one of the following:

1. The icon displayed on the home page looks good.
2. The icon displayed on the home page is too dark.
3. The icon displayed on the home page is too light.

Depending on the results I may be able to adjust the image quality for each icon to be slightly lighter or darker (but then again it may make it worse!).

Thanks in advance for your input.

Dear Esteemed Administrator,

Actually, I'm not getting anything when I click on the "Vote Now" button.

Could just be me . . .

But I agree with the first statement.

Alex

Dear Administrator:

I have placed my vote, but wanted to comment. This often happens to me, when something looks good on my own computer, but different on someone else's. Yours happen to look just great on mine, which has a fairly new monitor. I once had a monitor which was overly dark. I did not realize how light I was making the images until I compared it on a computer with a properly functioning monitor. Perhaps the one at your work either is on its way out or need adjustment. Your home monitor must be fine.

Just a little input. Have to run for now. God bless you for all you do for us.

Fr. Joe

Dear Administrator,

I voted that the image looks just fine, but I also wanted to comment. I am not sure how I should evaluate icons, since I've seen "dark" icons and "light" icons...how would I know that a certain icon should be "dark" as opposed to "light", or vice versa? I will say, though, that the Greek lettering in red on Saint John's left side looks like just a red smudge. If I should be able to see what that says, then maybe the background of the icon is too dark.

On another note, how come today's feast is "The Falling Asleep" of Saint John? I thought most, if not all, saints' days were the day of their death. Is there a second feast of Saint John, that it would have to be clarified which feast we're talking about? Why be so specific with today's feast?

Dear Qathuliqa,

Yes, the "Falling Asleep" is the Byzantine Church's way of saying "death" for especially holy Saints.

Thus, we refer to the feast of the "Falling Asleep" of the Mother of God or her "Dormition."

Since the Mother of God was sanctified from Her Conception and was exceedingly holy and filled with the Holy Spirit as the Mother of the Word Incarnate, her birthgiving and her death were without pain or anguish of any kind.

The Byzantine Church liturgically celebrates a very similar holiness with which John the Theologian was blessed with. According to tradition and the liturgical prayers, St John did not suffer the usual pains and anguish of death when the soul is torn from the body. Instead, he gently fell asleep in the Lord in his tomb from whence Christ translated his body and soul to heaven, as Christ had with His Mother.

The "Falling Asleep" is celebrated liturgically also for St Nicholas of Myra in Lycia and, in the Slavic Churches, for St Theodosius of the Kyivan Caves Lavra. Early writers also claim this for St Joseph as well.

Alex

The icons look fine on my machine. I've never evern thought of light or dark.

P.S. -- I kind of like these POLLS which just recently started. Thank you for asking my input.