I’ve had a rant for decades about icons (emoji are icons). Goes like this:
In countries that use an alphabet or syllabary a person can begin to read almost immediately (“See Dick run!”) and become reasonably proficient after a year or two of practice. Students must memorize the shape and sound of about 100 or so glyphs. In countries that use ideographs, it takes several years to be able to read simple things, and reasonable proficiency takes several more. Students must memorize the shape and meaning of several thousand glyphs. So, spelling things is more efficient than depicting them with little pictures.
So why do we insist on forcing people to learn what icons mean: Icons are ideographs and we already have a better system! Even then, it would be better (not good, but better) if we settled on a “few” icons that always looked the same, but that “fireplug with a stick” icon that is supposed to represent a mop and bucket and mean “clean up your files” looks nothing at all like the “broom” icon or the “dustpan” icon that mean the same thing.
santa72404 over 5 years ago
Cave drawing have more intelligence behind them.
pschearer Premium Member over 5 years ago
So sad, so true. ☺
Skeptical Meg over 5 years ago
…and skip right over it.
clayusmcret Premium Member over 5 years ago
Sadly, but then they’ll create emojis. Want to hide text in a mysterious foreign language, undecipherable to today’s youth? Write in cursive.
hfergus Premium Member over 5 years ago
Albert Einstein “Two things are infinate, the Universe and human stupidity. And I am not sure about the Universe.”
WCraft Premium Member over 5 years ago
Soon phones will have no virtual key boards; just emoji boards.
Lolapoo Premium Member over 5 years ago
Devolution of writing.
Concretionist over 5 years ago
I’ve had a rant for decades about icons (emoji are icons). Goes like this:
In countries that use an alphabet or syllabary a person can begin to read almost immediately (“See Dick run!”) and become reasonably proficient after a year or two of practice. Students must memorize the shape and sound of about 100 or so glyphs. In countries that use ideographs, it takes several years to be able to read simple things, and reasonable proficiency takes several more. Students must memorize the shape and meaning of several thousand glyphs. So, spelling things is more efficient than depicting them with little pictures.
So why do we insist on forcing people to learn what icons mean: Icons are ideographs and we already have a better system! Even then, it would be better (not good, but better) if we settled on a “few” icons that always looked the same, but that “fireplug with a stick” icon that is supposed to represent a mop and bucket and mean “clean up your files” looks nothing at all like the “broom” icon or the “dustpan” icon that mean the same thing.
(sigh)