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Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

reuters.com

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Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#21
post #3

This is Michael Scott levels of managerial nonsense, bloody hell. Is Trump incapable of hiring anyone borderline competent?

The only thing these morons understand are surface level appearances. That's why we have so many TV people. - Trump: The Apprentice - Defense: Hegseth: Fox News - Transportation: Sean Duffy: Real World / Road Rules - Education: Linda McMahon: WWE (yes, wrestling) ... I don't feel like going any further, it's too depressing. Edit: I just realized that Duffy is SecTrans because he was on Road Rules.

Dear Lord... I'd not picked up on this- if true (I need to validate it for myself).

Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#22
Butterick on TNR:

(https://practicaltypography.com/times-new-roman-alternatives...)

> When Times New Roman appears in a book, document, or advertisement, it connotes apathy. It says, “I submitted to the font of least resistance.” Times New Roman is not a font choice so much as the absence of a font choice, like the blackness of deep space is not a color. To look at Times New Roman is to gaze into the void.

> If you have a choice about using Times New Roman, please stop. Use something else.

And on Calibri:

(https://practicaltypography.com/calibri-alternatives.html)

> Like Cambria, Calibri works well on screen. But in print, its rounded corners make body text look soft. If you need a clean sans serif font, you have better options.

- - -

To telegraph an identity, TNR is a good choice for this administration; so, credit where due, well played. Still, I would have gone with Comic Sans.

Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#23
post #18

I love how people are passionate about fonts. Search for the 2017 Saturday Night Live skit with Ryan Gosling "Papyrus". It captures the obsession! "It’s like they spent $300 million on the movie, and then.. They just used Papyrus."

“Sometimes I get emotional over fonts.”

- Kanye West

Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#24

Butterick on TNR: ( https://practicaltypography.com/times-new-roman-alternatives... ) > When Times New Roman appears in a book, document, or advertisement, it connotes apathy. It says, “I submitted to the font of least resistance.” Times New Roman is not a font choice so much as the absence of a font choice, like the blackness of deep space is not a color. To look at Times New Roman is to gaze into the void. > If you…

The Times New Roman commentary could have been true back when it was written, but now Calibri is the default for Microsoft Word, and has been for a long while (almost 20 years). So choosing Calibri is the path of least resistance.

Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#25

https://2021-2025.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-on-np... Secretary Antony Blinken on NPR's Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! About the U.S. Department of State moving from Times New Roman to Calibri.

Compare this:

> calling his predecessor Antony Blinken's decision to adopt Calibri a "wasteful" diversity move

to

> SECRETARY BLINKEN: First, I’m called to make very weighty decisions (inaudible).

> QUESTION: Oh. Type joke.

> SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I’m always trying to be a font of wisdom, (inaudible).

Just... ugh. People voted for all of this non-stop vitriol? I'd like to have a post that added something meaningful but all I have to add is frustration with humanity.

Re: Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

#26

"[Rubio] ...calling his predecessor Antony Blinken's decision to adopt Calibri a "wasteful" diversity move..." Bro what. It was the default font in Microsoft for many years thus, it was the default font for most office software for many years -- just like Times New Roman was before. What.

The article says it's better than Times New Roman because it's easier to read for those with disabilities - so of course the government needs to make things worse for them. Wonder if someone could sue over these kinds of changes that are being deliberately made to be less accessible.

Is that even true? The article is really vague on the type of disability and basically just claims that serifs are harder to read.

Generally sans-serif is advisable for small sizes, although I assume the main things are large open counters, tall x-height and low stroke contrast.

I’ve often read that dyslexics favor strongly distinctive characters and “grounded”, bottom-heavy letterforms. I feel like serifs actually sound pretty good there.

It’s also important to consider whether such studies were conducted before or after high-PPI displays became prevalent and leveled the playing field for serifs.

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