[Hard to make selections on dark backgrounds]

I hadn't thinked about this! Thanks

However I feel that a newby would feel more "at home" if this situation was fixed someway

[Hard to make selections on dark backgrounds]

When making a selection with one of the non-automated tools (rectangle select for example) it's hard to understand what you're selecting if the image is dark, as the selection square is always dark blue and has black border (and marching ants appear only when you release the mouse button). I suggest that the selection square filling color automagically change to be always visible, regardless of the background color.