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Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

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Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#191

Post by bazzargh »

brc wrote: post #96
bazzargh wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. This one used to mystify us on the UK driving test 25 years ago - way older than steam trains, and presumably anachronistic even when it was standardised: http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1848/PreviewComp/Su... It's not a UK sign. Most Europeans will recognize it, but I doubt it travels well, and even where it has local currency, many peoples grandparents won't remember these in real life.

I recognised that one as a horn, but I had no idea what the connection to post is, and still don't. Just took it for one of those weird corporate logos that meant something to someone at some point but doesn't anymore.

Here's the explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_horn

The post horn...used to signal the arrival or departure of a post rider or mail coach. It was used especially by postilions of the 18th and 19th centuries...The instrument is still used as the logo of national post services in many countries.

The logo I posted was for the German mail service, but you'll see variations of that image used to mean 'post' all over Europe, and in Australia.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#192

Post by NLips »

philwelch wrote: post #109
FuzzyDunlop wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We might similarly go to another extreme and phase out the use of 'alpha' and 'beta', or just the ancient Greek alphabet altogether. It's thousands of years old, thus despite our ability to record and learn from history, we should replace it with something more modern.

If you phased out "alpha" and "beta", you'd have to call the alphabet the aybee.

A lot of people DO call it the "Ay-bee-see"

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#193

Post by rwmj »

excuse-me wrote: post #121
hoov wrote: post #73

I'm not sure that I agree with the "Photography" examples. Even for people who haven't seen actual Polaroid cameras, the icon is clearly some sort of camera. The author finishes his argument with a quote from a recent pop song, which probably means that Polaroid pictures aren't an extremely obscure reference. Also, I bet that Instagram's early adopters know exactly what Polaroid cameras are, and the reference isn't l…

Even more bizarre is the road sign for speed cameras - it shows a camera that nobody has seen for a century http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcToxHFPJthCpR32ukk5h...

If they've never watched a period film or TV program ...

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#194

Post by tkahn6 »

bdunbar wrote: post #125
bitwize wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* ...because they're called folders, and we know how to use them?* Historically they were called directories , which I would love to see a return to from the wrong and infantilizing "folders".

which I would love to see a return to from the wrong and infantilizing "folders". Probably too late. I work with nice guys, progammers in their late 20s, mid-30s, who have only ever known those as 'folders'. By convention at work if it's on a unix-y OS it's a directory, if Windows it's a folder. It's just easier that way.

I'm 20. I heard both terms used interchangeably while I was learning how to use computers and I use them interchangeably in the course of discussion now.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#195

Post by drewmclellan »

I was fascinated that Google chose the name "Google Drive" for their latest product. Without a hint of false naivety, my initial thought on hearing the name was that it was either:

a) Something to do with journey planning/directions, or b) Some new in-car technology

When I saw it was neither of those, I presumed the cloud storage service had been named in the same way razors are named, i.e. "puts you in the driving seat" sort of thing.

It was only several hours later did it occur to me that, OMG, they mean like a FLOPPY DISK DRIVE? Yikes.

"Drive" is not really a word I've heard used in relation to storage for years. Mainly because we only think about the distinction between disk and drive when the two can be parted, like a floppy disk drive. Put the disk in the drive. Most removable media is USB-based these days, so the term isn't used.

I guess in 1990s-era Windows NT networks you'd be told to save your work to "the M: drive" or such, but yeah, 1990s.

To me it's a moronic product name. "I'll save that to my Google Drive!" Sure thing, you do that Grandpa.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#196

Post by dasil003 »

Produce wrote: post #182
bitwize wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* ...because they're called folders, and we know how to use them?* Historically they were called directories , which I would love to see a return to from the wrong and infantilizing "folders".

I still call them directories. "Folders" are for toddlers who do not know the tao of unix. So are icons. Real men stare at text all day, eat with their hands and sleep when they're dead. The funny/sad part is that I'm half serious with these statements.

As long as you don't use a sissy language like Pascal I'd say you've earned it.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#197

Post by NLips »

jberryman wrote: post #100

We do the same thing with written language (no one knows or questions where e.g. "pull out all the stops" comes from but it doesn't matter), so why should our visual language be any different?

On the other hand, pipe-organs are not outdated, whereas floppy disks are (for most of us).

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#198

Post by klez »

rodh257 wrote: post #75

The reason we still use these old icons is because every single icon requires people to think about and learn what it represents. The only icons that don't require the user to think are ones they see all the time. If you've never seen an icon before you can only really guess what it means, the shorter the time it takes to guess, the better the icon is. It's for this reason that I don't like icon-only user interfaces,…

Well, the first one has multiple identical squares, so it seems to me intuitive that it means 'copy'. For exclusion (and resemblance to the folder+sheet on, e.g. MS Office) the last one has to be 'paste'.

Oh, I never used ICS, so it's not because I tried them.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#199

Post by tkahn6 »

DavidAbrams wrote: post #171
damoncali wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't.

Hm, yeah, check their page: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7169306722_60b500bf36.jpg Munch munch! It's fun to play stupid, right?

You can use your vanity username that appears in the url of your profile page. You can also use your phone number.

Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore

#200

Post by GreenNight »

drewmclellan wrote: post #195

I was fascinated that Google chose the name "Google Drive" for their latest product. Without a hint of false naivety, my initial thought on hearing the name was that it was either: a) Something to do with journey planning/directions, or b) Some new in-car technology When I saw it was neither of those, I presumed the cloud storage service had been named in the same way razors are named, i.e. "puts you in the driving s…

I too thought about their car technologies, but to me it doesn't mean drive like a floppy disk drive, it means drive as in hard disk drive (HDD).

Google Storage would have been a more descriptive name, but it'll be a while until we get rid of our C: and D: drives.

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