danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) (12/28/89)
In article <1328@key.COM> jsp@penguin.key.COM (James Preston) writes: > >Tell me that you knew immediately--without reading any >documention and without any help from other mac users and without having >seen any usage of any similar program before--that the little tipping can >with the stuff pouring out of it was used to fill an area with a pattern. >Tell me that replacing that cute little picture with the words "fill area" >wouldn't be more straightforward. (This is probably not even the best >example of "undecipherable icon whose meaning could be better conveyed >with a couple of words", but it's all I can think of right now.) > >--James Preston Ooo ooo! Can I make a nomination in the "undecipherable icons" category?? How about some of the icons Microsoft used for the keyboard equivalents of menu commands? "Option" is defined as split-level lines? Huh? I still haven't figured out one of them: the key-equivalent of "Plain for style" is command-shift-<bracket that fell over>. Where is this key?? (I do have the extended keyboard, if some of you are not seeing this displayed as an equivalent.) Sure, it's unfair to get on them too much for this, since they did what they could (and it's better than having the words written out), but I feel like flaming irresponsibly tonight. I'll give them this: I like that Word recognizes my extended keyboard and gives me the extra equivalents for it. If I could only remember them! Ciao, Danno -- ________ --------<--<-@ --------<--<-@ --------<--<-@ ________ \ <O \ Daniel McKinnon '91 danno@dartmouth.edu / <- O> / | } ( | It's always darkest before it turns pitch black. | ) { | / <O -> / "If any of my opinions are caught or killed..." \ O> \
fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (12/29/89)
In article <18038@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>, danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) writes: > > Ooo ooo! Can I make a nomination in the "undecipherable icons" category?? > > How about some of the icons Microsoft used for the keyboard equivalents of > menu commands? "Option" is defined as split-level lines? Huh? I still > haven't figured out one of them: the key-equivalent of "Plain for style" is > command-shift-<bracket that fell over>. Where is this key?? (I do have the > extended keyboard, if some of you are not seeing this displayed as an > equivalent.) Look at your "6" key. The character above it is called a caret. ------------ "...Then anyone who leaves behind him a written manual, and likewise anyone who receives it, in the belief that such writing will be clear and certain, must be exceedingly simple-minded..." Plato, _Phaedrus_ 275d
nilesinc@well.UUCP (Avi Rappoport) (12/29/89)
In article <18038@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) writes: > >Ooo ooo! Can I make a nomination in the "undecipherable icons" category?? > >How about some of the icons Microsoft used for the keyboard equivalents of >menu commands? "Option" is defined as split-level lines? Huh? I still > >Sure, it's unfair to get on them too much for this, since they did what they >could (and it's better than having the words written out), but I feel like >flaming irresponsibly tonight. I'll give them this: I like that Word Sorry, Microsoft is not to blame for this. I can't find it now, but I _know_ I've seen the notes from Apple with the open up arrow as Shift, and the strange split-level thing for Option. I think I looked it up when I first saw Word 4. Sigh. Someone design a better Option icon, please! -- -- Help me justify my online bills: ask me EndNote questions, please! -- Avi Rappoport nilesinc@well.UUCP, Niles.Assoc on AppleLink 415-655-666 2000 Hearst, Berkeley, CA 94709
hirchert@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (12/29/89)
fiddler%concerti@Sun.COM writes >In article <18038@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>, danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) writes: >> >> Ooo ooo! Can I make a nomination in the "undecipherable icons" category?? >> >> How about some of the icons Microsoft used for the keyboard equivalents of >> menu commands? "Option" is defined as split-level lines? Huh? I still >> haven't figured out one of them: the key-equivalent of "Plain for style" is >> command-shift-<bracket that fell over>. Where is this key?? (I do have the >> extended keyboard, if some of you are not seeing this displayed as an >> equivalent.) > >Look at your "6" key. The character above it is called a caret. That's true, but the character that looks like a "bracket that fell over" is a fairly commonly used explicit graphic for the space character, and the key equivalent for "Plain for style is command-shift-space. (Given that Word marks spaces with a dot smaller than a period when editing text, it is interesting that they didn't follow the same convention when displaying command key equivalents.) Kurt W. Hirchert hirchert@ncsa.uiuc.edu National Center for Supercomputing Applications
danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) (12/29/89)
I've gotten several helpful replies & followups... I now know that Microsoft
was referring to the space bar. I know this is a fairly common convention,
as I am a CS major, but it never occured to me in this context.
(I think if they had used a dot, as someone suggested, it would have gotten
confused with "command-period", which would not be very nice.)
Also, Avi of "Ask me EndNote questions" fame points out that Apple designed
the "option" key icon; OK, I'll blame them. I know it must be tough to think
these things up, but that one is so... esoteric. Random, really.
Oh well, just another peeve.
Ciao,
Danno
--
________ If the crush of your emotions leaves ||| Daniel McKinnon ________
\ <O \ you lying in the dust, then take it ||tragedy@dartmouth.edu / <- O> /
| } ( | all right out on me and leave me in ||| ----<---<--@ | ) { |
/ <O -> / the rain to rust. -Bob Mould, "Sinners and Their Repentences"\ O> \wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli) (01/07/90)
In article <15239@well.UUCP> nilesinc@well.UUCP (Avi Rappoport) writes: >In article <18038@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> danno@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Danno) writes: > >Someone design a better Option icon, please! Well, I don't know if you're aware of this, but that symbol is used on the option key in all European keyboards... I believe it was a European standard that suggested that icon to begin with... so don't go and blame MS... they were just following the standard... Bill Taroli WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu
laba-4ad@web-1c.berkeley.edu (Joseph Teo) (01/10/90)
>How about some of the icons Microsoft used for the keyboard equivalents of >menu commands? "Option" is defined as split-level lines? Huh? I still >haven't figured out one of them: the key-equivalent of "Plain for style" is >command-shift-<bracket that fell over>. Where is this key?? (I do have the >extended keyboard, if some of you are not seeing this displayed as an >equivalent.) I thot these originated from Apple.