Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!sce!ulysses!garym
From: garym@ulysses.UUCP (Gary Murphy)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Cross-linguistic issues in the design of Icons
Message-ID: <6908@ulysses.UUCP>
Date: 22 Aug 89 18:48:55 GMT
References: <9268@cs.Buffalo.EDU> <1985@softway.oz> <1989Aug20.005726.27233@utzoo.uucp> <30767@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <9446@cs.Buffalo.EDU>
Reply-To: garym@cognos.UUCP (Gary Murphy)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 29

An icon like the red circle and cross-bar might be readily understood
wherever there are cars, but I think that's more due to the origins of
the automobile than anything transcendental; if you buy the cars from
the U.S. or Europe, chances are, your government will buy the road
signs from the same place.  As for the New Guinea natives, how about
the universal sign - that's the one with a long, flowing 'C' followed
by three letters, two of them vowels, a space, a different, more
contracted 'C' and the letters o-l-a :-).

Forget universal symbols - how many years did Jung search for just the
same only to arrive at a tentative list of very abstract notions.  Even
the Egyptians dissagreed as to whether the solar disk signified the
apparent orb or the force that drives it.

For an issue in cog-eng, I'd think that the criteria should suit the
animal - people are very intelligent, especially with symbols (how
many different word-processing keystroke vocabularies do YOU know).
The trick is not to get it right the first time, but to design the
software attached to the button to be forgiving of novice attempts.
If the process is dangerous, try to outline the consequences (very
difficult if you want to stick to icons) or at the very least, 
provide good recovery/abort controls.  If the process is clear, have
no fear that the operator will learn WHATEVER symbol you use.

-- 
     Gary Murphy - Cognos Incorporated - (613) 738-1338 x5537    
  3755 Riverside Dr - P.O. Box 9707 - Ottawa Ont - CANADA K1G 3N3
          e-mail: decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!garym         
  Cosmic Irreversibility: 1 pot T -> 1 pot P, 1 pot P /-> 1 pot T