Unreadable Website Text: Light Gray on White Backgrounds

Do NOT use light gray text on a white background, even though almost every web designer is doing this.

It is horrible, this trend of faint text that is almost impossible to read. If you want people to be able to read your text, make it solid black, or at least a dark color on a light background. Light colors on light backgrounds are unreadable. They make you look like an amateur.

http://www.advmediaproductions.com/blog/grey-text-and-a-white-background-what-happened-to-readability-of-type/

What are they teaching in the web design schools and seminars these days?

What on earth is the point of making your text so "subdued" or "subtle" that it appears to be erased, vanishing, illegible? 

http://www.goodexperience.com/tib/archives/2005/05/things_that_nee.html

I know one excuse. Some designers hate words. They want their pretty unimaginative pictures and fancy boring design elements to get all the attention. The text is just a nuisance to them. They don't like to read. They like to look at colors and illustrations and photos.

Here's the worst example I've ever seen....

http://www.globalsiteplans.com/internet-marketing-services/search-engine-optimization-seo/

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