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From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: What to know & universal icons
Message-ID: <1989Aug25.224013.27437@sq.sq.com>
Reply-To: msb@sq.com (Mark Brader)
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto
References: <56543@aerospace.AERO.ORG> <19238@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 22:40:13 GMT

> Here are my entries in the universal icon contest. I have my doubts
> that they are really universal, but I have not had the chance to test
> them out on any genuine space aliens yet to be sure.

> Icon 0, left: [left-pointing arrow]
> Icon 1, right: [right-pointing arrow]
> Icon 2, up or forward: [up-pointing arrow]
> Icon 3, down or back: [down-pointing arrow]

No aliens are needed.  Try Frenchmen.  In France an overhead sign
indicating that you are to go forward bears a DOWN-pointing arrow,
which makes me look for the stairs going down; an up-pointing arrow
in that position always means that you should go up.  (I'm not positive
that this usage is universal throughout the country.)

Similarly, in France if you are approaching a simple crossroads and
the road to Calais is straight ahead, you will probably see two signs:

at the far-left corner of the		at the far-right corner of the
intersection				intersection

	-------------				 ------------
	|  CALAIS    >				<   CALAIS  |
	-------------				 ------------

The trick is that the signs are set diagonally, so that traffic approaching
on the cross road can also read them.  The interpretation of these icons
is, then, that a left- or right-pointing arrow (of that shape) means you
should take the road adjacent to the left or right of the sign, respectively.
(This is a simplification valid for simple crossroads only.  For other
intersections, you have to be aware of what plane the sign is in!)

This article is a cross-posted followup to a cross-posted original.
I haven't added a followup-to line because I can't decide on one.
This article is in the public domain.

-- 
Mark Brader		"It's okay to have our own language if we feel
utzoo!sq!msb		 we need it, but why does it have to be used
msb@sq.com		 as a nose to look down?"	-- Becky Slocombe