Funny how it probably works better as art than a fence since everyone stops to look at it. Makes you pay attention, even if it's just to wonder what the heck you're seeing.

Oh man, exploding potatoes are the worst! I once had a russet go off like a dirty bomb in my oven, took forever to clean the starch off the walls. Lesson learned the hard way just like you, now I stab mine like they owe me money. That light oil coat is the real key though, makes the skin perfect every time.

Old watchmakers fix stuff with one tiny screwdriver.

My grandpa had handsaws so sharp you could shave with them, but he still kept a tub of glue for the bad cuts. It reminds me of what torres.william said about covering mistakes being part of the job back then too. Maybe the real skill was knowing how to hide your work so it looked perfect forever.

Yeah that's a great point about moving away from pure black, it really does help. I just want to add one thing though, because the "strain" part is a bit of a myth. The real issue with true black backgrounds, in my experience, is how your pupils react. They open wide for the dark background, then get blasted by the bright text, and that constant change can cause headaches for some people. Using a dark gray keeps the pupil size more steady. So you're totally right about it looking better, it's just more about comfort than avoiding actual eye strain.