Latest rant: Computer ICONS? I. Hate. Them.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Talk to me in words. I've spent 60 years learning words. I LIKE words. Words mean things.

I look at the dashboard in my car. Same thing. Top row of my Android phone...HUH?? What are you trying to convey to me?

Who the HECK decided the best way to communicate was with meaningless drawings that I have to stare at a long time, just to decide what is meant? And then...next week...the 20-something self-absorbed programmers decide to change everything all around, just as I'm finally figuring it all out from the LAST revamp!

I hate ICONS and I dislike programmers. AND STOP SCREWING WITH MY EMAIL!

Is it just me?

[Get Shirts]

Words take up too much space, and icons are universal.

[IntegrityShirts]

Who the HECK decided the best way to communicate was with meaningless drawings that I have to stare at a long time, just to decide what is meant?

Cave man did haha

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Words take up too much space, and icons are universal.

I'll give you that some ideas might be universal, and easier to illustrate with pictures. But for example "save" takes very little real estate and is nearly timeless, but an icon of a floppy disk will mean NOTHING to your grandkids. Much less a 5 1/2 inch or even reel to reel tape...which at one time might have made a lot of sense as an icon.

What will printers look like in 10 years, yet "print" goes back 10's of generations. Print is a small word. What printer to you use for an Icon? An office style whizbang color laser or an inkjet that sits beside your desktop?

Even common icons across various manufacturers are SO different, that your term "universal" doesn't really ring true... at least to me.

You could say my WORDS argument is English-centric and I wouldn't fight you too much. But not too many years ago, English was considered The Universal Language (and still is in some venues like commercial aviation)

The USA invented modern computers. English is OK to require.  I don't see a movement to put icons on the ancient Abacus so that I can use it. To play classical music, you might need to know some Latin and German and Spanish or you'll blow right through a ritardando e diminuendo playing your timbales. You just learn it.

We've just got too many icons. Buy a new piece of software and you'll have to "hover" many times to get the meanings of some of those icons.

But like I said...it might just be me. Old, and increasingly crotchity, clinging to my punctuation and capitalization. I hate the overuse of acronyms too, so....

[blue moon]

somewhat related thought here. . .
my not yet two and a half year old has her own tablet. She watches TV shows, movies and plays games on it. She is quickly learning and will probably have her own computer before she is four. While she might or might not be able to read at that point, she is capable of operating the table because it is visual rather than words. My guess is also that the upcoming generations will start replacing the written word with the visual documenting (videos) more and more. It might even be possible that the writing will become obsolete at some point in time.

Additionally, our brain is wired to process the images faster and easier than the text. It is the choice of the icons that's causing the problems, there is very little standardization with it.

pierre

[jvanick]

sMy guess is also that the upcoming generations will start replacing the written word with the visual documenting (videos) more and more. It might even be possible that the writing will become obsolete at some point in time.

we'll be back to the Egyptians and Hieroglyphs... actually so many of the stupid icons on my desktop look like Hieroglyphs that I guess we're already getting there...

-J

[Frog]

I just recently noticed an icon related question in the car advice column our daily paper (yes, real hard copy still delivered to my door)

The reader wanted to know why there was what appeared to be a fishbowl with an exclamation point illuminated on the panel. (of course, a visit with the owner's manual would have been invaluable)



I actually have a devil of a time figuring heater and fan settings in different cars from the icons and mini-diagrams

[tonypep]

Here you go Stan

[jsheridan]

Blame the Egyptians..

Because Hieroglyphics is where it's all coming from

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Here you go Stan

Whoa!

That's a bad one.  Take the words out and see if you can figure out what that means... in 20 lifetimes!

Tony, you got me SNORTING one night 'splaining to the missus (HAPPY 60th!) your funny post:  "NOO!...NOT THE TROUBLES!!!!" I started looking at that Engrish.com website and had a coughing fit! Had to stop...

The whole Tower of Babel thing when God confused the languages...that musta been a pretty big deal!

It worked on some of our languages better than others: 

Meat-Meet-Mete  Team--Teem  Pie--Pi 

Sanctioned=approved...um....or disapproved  (HUH??!!!??)

to--two-too  lead for bullets--lead follow or get out of the way

Eye knead two practice my Bass too night, then two morrow Isle bee free too go two thee lake with ewe, too catch sum Bass four hour free sir. (Whackadoodle...but my spell checker is happy!)

English sux. I'll admit it. Butt eye got it now, finally.

My job is done here.  I figured it was just me...  Now I'll go stew in my own juices.

[sweetts]

Words.....hard...