The crew don't always choose the right option though. Earlier in the year I flew KOA-PHX red eye with US. The crew told everyone to have the shades down "as the sun rises early in Phoenix". Guess what. We land in PHX on time, and it's still pitch black outside. So actually the crew got it wrong, and having your shade open wouldn't have made the slightest difference to anyone, other than the person that booked a window seat to look out (as they are entitled to do).

Another time with LH BOG-FRA, I was watching an amazing storm out the window after dinner as the cabin lights were dimmed (not off). The crew lady was VERY unhappy that I wanted to see outside for a few minutes. I guess she thought i'd fall asleep in the next minute (ha, not a chance in those seats) and then wake everyone up in the morning with the window shades open.

On long daytime flights I often close the shade around 90%....once it's been fully closed, it's very hard to reopen it again without blinding everyone. However, if it stays open even a little, no one seems to find it a problem. I guess this is one instance where the 787 windows are a winner.

And on a similar but OT issue with crew and lighting, I wish that when the cabin lights are turned on for breakfast, they they'd do it slowly (dark, to dim, to a bit more, then full bright), and then actually start serving, rather than turning the lights on, and then having a good 10-15 minute wait for any service (this is more applicable in Y, but certainly happens in J as well).