Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
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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
#2They do make sense, they are and have been the standard for years, and even the new generation understands what they do, in almost every case.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#3The floppy disk icon has always frustrated me. Though I still haven't seen a great replacement. Would love to see this list with more thoughtful options to use instead.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#4The idea that people don't know what a cog or a wrench is seems like the author is taking this a step too far. I wouldn't call those things "shrouded in mystery".
Similarly there are still plenty of microphones that look like that, they're professional microphones, not "old fashioned" ones.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#5The floppy disk icon has always frustrated me. Though I still haven't seen a great replacement. Would love to see this list with more thoughtful options to use instead.
There was a discussion on stackoverflow that talks about it
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1019573/save-icon-still-a...
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#6How could you possibly associate an object with an action without first intimately knowing the object's function?
And when did we all get rid of wrenches? I didn't get that memo.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#7This discourse goes beyond the anachronistic references indicated by these icons and calls into question our entire system of interface metaphors. At one point in time imagining the information stored on your computer as a system of "files" and "folders" was pivotal in transitioning a society from the physical world to the digital one. Now that the transition is largely complete and many people are coming of age who have never known a world without computers, its time to move beyond anachronistic metaphors. We must discover new means of interaction that take advantage of the unique features of the digital medium.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#8I have a handset in my house.
Envelopes are still used for lots of things. I still get mail.
I use screwdrivers pretty often, and I have access to wrenches.
I recognize the old microphones from movies (and even if I didn't, they look similar to newer mics.)
I've also used a polaroid in the past 5 years.
I've also seen TV sets with "rabbit ears" in the past 5 years.
The others I'm at least familiar with. I'm 18.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#9The article began with an introduction to what could have been a really great dialogue. Why do those who didn't experience the inspiration for icons still inherently understand them? Yet it dropped that in favor of the same schtick for each icon.
Re: Old People Icons That Don't Make Sense Anymore
#10That is not a floppy disk. It's a Save icon.
See the difference?