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  • Be wary of using the rationale "it's been like that for a long time, therefore...". This doesn't take into consideration advances in user testing and technology. For instance, using the age-old report example, the user didn't have a cursor they could point at when using a paper report, so it's not exactly the same as an online report. It also adds a lot of visual clutter which users don't need. Highlighting on hover can convey the false hint that the row is clickable or actionable = fair, although a pointer cursor vs. normal cursor can emphasise this distinction. Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 11:26
  • I personally find this example difficult to scan, finding my eyes focus only on either the blue or the white rows. While that is n=1, I would advice user testing to see if people can find their target easily enough in such a setup. Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 12:18
  • @dKen In the paper example the cursor where their fingers or a ruler. In the computer report example (seond picture) they had cursors. Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 15:08
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    An alternative way of coloring rows is to change the color every two or three rows. Anecdotally I find this much easier on the eyes than color changing with every row. And I'd wager that dyslexics would nod in agreement for reasons that are similar to why they read better with larger letter and word spacing. Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 17:03
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    I recollect seeing it all over the place in AD&D 2nd edition. No idea if it was still being done in later editions let alone nowadays. But I recollect that the contrast in readability between tables in the latter and tables in other RPG manuals in the late 80s and the 90s was very high. Arguably, these always were tables with an index in the left-most or right-most column, leaving little to no room for confusion. But easier on the eye they surely were IMO. Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 18:48