Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!Vongehren@OFFICE-12 From: Vongehren%OFFICE-12@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.works Subject: ICONS: Passing Fad or New Found Wisdom? Message-ID: <2434@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 22-Jun-83 03:50:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.2434 Posted: Wed Jun 22 03:50:00 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jun-83 23:58:09 EDT Lines: 31 My current work has brought me to the question as stated in the subject. Rather than elaborate on it in this message, I would like to make contact with others who would be able to contribute to the discussion. I will, however, briefly state a few of the questions which fall out of this: A - Do you think that the current interest in the use of icons on terminals and computer displays is just a passing fad? B - Aren't some of the current 'graphics' just a little too 'cute' e.g. IBM upper-case 'lock'. Is this just a sign of an immature field? Will the marketplace tolerate this long enough for growth and maturity to occur? C - What must happen for this field to mature? D - Standardization of Signs and Symbols has occurred in other fields, e.g. Traffic. Is there any effort to standardize within the computer field? Should this be done? E - Are there any obvious indicators for when it is inappropriate to use an icon in place of a word? F - What would you offer as guiding principles for the use of icons in computer displays? Will these differ for icon use on keyboards? I'll be glad to hear from you if you are willing to do some (or have done some) thinking on these issues. Ed vonGehren, Bell-Northern Research -------