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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

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