to white background or to not white background that is the question

I've been aske to design a website for a summer camp that I work for and I would like to hear the opinions of some other people before I begin the design phase. I would like to mention that I'm a programmer first and a designer second

What is the general opinion of using a white background as opposed to a colored background for the website? I've generally been under the impression that using a white background is the de facto standard. I was thinking of using maroon as the background as it is one of the camps colors, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have always thought that using a white background had a cleaner and more crisp feel to it but the camps director expressed interest in using a maroon background.

I would appreciate your opinions on this matter...

i'm with the white as being cleaner and more crisp, and use it on some of my sites. however, some people complain about it hurting their eyes etc...i would simply suggest to try it out and see which looks best!!

good luck

You could always use a style switcher to allow users to decide which one they want to use.

I prefer to have the main text on a white background. I find it easier on the eyes. If you find black text on a white background harsh, you could use a dark gray (#222 or #333).

Though I wouldn't personally choose to use a color background, it has been done quite well. It all boils down to a personal preference.