Re: "Thumbs-up" symbol

Pascale Dardailler writes:
 > Bert Bos wrote:
 > 
 > > I'm looking for two icons to indicate that something is either OK
 > > (up-to-date, correct, checked, etc.), or not OK (out-of-date, incorrect,
 > > unchecked, etc.). I thought of using a "thumbs-up" and "thumbs-down"
 > > icon, but I'm not sure how widely it is understood.
 > >
 > > The "thumbs-up" looks like a fist seen from the side with the thumb
 > > pointing up, the "thumbs-down" is the same upside down. Something like
 > > this:
 > >
 > >            _
 > >           | \
 > >           |  |
 > >           /  |
 > >          /  /___
 > >     ____/    ___>
 > >              ____>
 > >              ___>
 > >     -----_______>
 > >
 > > I know this sign is recognized in many countries, but I don't know how
 > > many, or if there are any where it has a different meaning.
 > >
 > > I know the "thumbs-up" could also mean hitchhiking, but the
 > > context will probably take care of that.
 > 
 > I think that in Japan this gesture means 5.And I'm pretty sure that you
 > could find countries where it's an insult.
 > I have an article home that I could pass to you.

I'm interested.

 > It's usually pretty bad to use any kind of "body language", since they have
 > different meaning in different countries.

I know, but it seemed from what information I could gather myself that
the thumbs-up is tantalizingly close to being universal. And it has a
clear inverse as well: thumbs-down.

The tick mark, that somebody suggested, doesn't really convey to me
that something is OK, just that it is "checked off", activated, seen
by somebody. It also lacks an inverse. Somebody suggested the diagonal
cross as the inverse. But the cross means more or less the same as the
check mark in my mind. It's certainly not negative.

Anybody have any other ideas?

  Smileys :-) and :-( 

  Traffic signs (grey circle with grey
    diagonal on white), vs red circle with red diagonal on white)

  Tick mark vs empty square

  The word "OK" vs "OK" overprinted with a diagonal

  Green vs red

  Green traffic light vs red traffic light

  A stylized sun vs a cloud

  A sun vs a moon

  A flag at the top of a pole vs a flag halfway up the pole.

  A burning candle vs a recently snuffed candle

  ...



Bert
-- 
  Bert Bos                                ( W 3 C ) http://www.w3.org/
  http://www.w3.org/people/bos/                              W3C/INRIA
  bert@w3.org                             2004 Rt des Lucioles / BP 93
  +33 (0)4 92 38 76 92            06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Wednesday, 2 September 1998 11:55:27 UTC