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Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

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Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#21
> Furthermore, the existing widespread practice of representing this sign on web pages using images (often specified via CSS styles) would be unlikely to benefit from attempting to encode a character for this image.

Obviously enough text-mode browsers would be likely to benefit.

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#22
post #12

It is simply factuly incorrect to say that a commonly used sysmbol would not benifit from being included in fonts. How can a committee working in this field posibly fail to understand that?

It is not incorrect, and they do understand but they don't care. They have esoteric philosophical justifications that exclude some commonly used symbols while inventing never before seen ones. This is the problem with putting a tiny number of otherwise powerless people in charge things.

They clap become clap petty clap tyrants.

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#24
post #6

The reason for rejection, for better or worse, is that this is a functional element, like a button, rather than part of running text.

Like the play/pause symbols then, which are already in there? And since when was a smiling poop an ‘element of plain text’

not that I agree with the final decision, but I can imagine "Play"/"Pause" to show up in a device manual and Smiling Poop as part of a chat message.

Neither applies to the "external link" symbol.

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#25
post #12

It is simply factuly incorrect to say that a commonly used sysmbol would not benifit from being included in fonts. How can a committee working in this field posibly fail to understand that?

Similar to case law in America, the committee might be avoiding potential abuse in future requests that point back to the rules being seemingly modified for one specific symbol.

If the rules are allowing U+1F4A9 and disallowing an actual symbol commonly used in text, they should change the rules.

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#26
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like the play/pause symbols then, which are already in there? And since when was a smiling poop an ‘element of plain text’

not that I agree with the final decision, but I can imagine "Play"/"Pause" to show up in a device manual and Smiling Poop as part of a chat message. Neither applies to the "external link" symbol.

Why couldn’t the external link icon appear in technical documentation as it so often does?

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#27

The closest I can think of is U+2b00 (north east white arrow) followed by U+20de (combining enclosing square). I suspect HN will eat the character: ⬀⃞ although they sometimes pass through if there's enough other text in the comment.

Hacker News lets some emoji and Unicode through, but I’m not sure how it’s chosen. Here’s some I copied from Wikipedia’s page on emoji: ℹ ⌛🀄🈚

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#28
post #8

God, they spend so much time on emoji which is much the same. They are becoming a bit of a joke!

You don't expect to be able to click emoji, and they don't lose their meaning when printed out on paper.

Even assuming that symbols you click on can't be in unicode, you don't click on the external link symbol, you click on the text of the link, and that text will be followed by the symbol. Even if you include the symbol in the link text, it's still part of the text both logically and in practice.

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#29
post #26
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not that I agree with the final decision, but I can imagine "Play"/"Pause" to show up in a device manual and Smiling Poop as part of a chat message. Neither applies to the "external link" symbol.

Why couldn’t the external link icon appear in technical documentation as it so often does?

Can you imagine it in paper documents or anywhere that is not hypertext?

Re: Why isn't the external link symbol in Unicode? (2018)

#30
post #5

What's the code point for uppercase superscript Z? j/k there isnt one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_subscripts_and_supersc... No doubt those emoji's are more important and historically common than superscript uppercase C F Q S X Y and Z. https://github.com/jakeogh/unicodehaz

I’m actually fairly annoyed that a lot of obvious superscripts, subscripts, and strikethroughs are missing.
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