Some icon meanings may not scale internationally

[mks]

This issue to to keep track of icons that may not scale internationally.

For example, the "boot" icon for boot manager looks nice, but is totally non-suggestive in most languages other than English, because it is the iconification of a homonym (I think) that's not existent in other languages.

The icon might even be offensive in some parts of the world. Not sure about this, but see e. g. ​http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2008/dec/15/georgebush-iraq

Perhaps the guidelines of other projects can help, e. g. ​http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/3.5/icons-design.html

All in all, I am not sure if this is really a problem at all, but I thought, I'd share my thoughts about it. Feel free to close or whatever.

[Premislaus]

This icon is very good. Boot phonetically in Polish means the shoe (but).

[bbjimmy]

Since to boot, short for bootstrap, means "To pull up by ones bootstraps", the boot icon is appropriate. It displays the true meaning of the word.

[anevilyak]

Replying to bbjimmy:

Since to boot, short for bootstrap, means "To pull up by ones bootstraps", the boot icon is appropriate. It displays the true meaning of the word.

The problem is, that's an English idiom that doesn't necessarily translate to all languages.

[kallisti5]

Since everyone pulls on a boot or shoe the same way... i think this is a little silly.

-1

[jscipione]

How about an icon of a dial with a few option notches?

[kallisti5]

I'm fine changing it for something better / more obvious internationally, but:

1) Whats better? 2) Who's going to do the actual work? 3) Patches welcome. (It would have to be a Haiku vector icon that matches our icon style to be considered... and make sense for the bootmanager)

Bootstrapping is a common term in programming as PulkoMandy pointed out in irc: ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping

[mks]

Wow, I feel a little hostility in this "discussion" ...

Replying to kallisti5:

Since everyone pulls on a boot or shoe the same way... i think this is a little silly.

Firstly, thanks for calling it silly. I will refrain from creating issues that someone might find silly --i. e. any ticket-- from now on. Secondly, I don't even get the analogy in the first part of your sentence, perhaps because of some kind of language barrier.

Replying to kallisti5:

I'm fine changing it for something better / more obvious internationally, but:

1) Whats better? 2) Who's going to do the actual work? 3) Patches welcome. (It would have to be a Haiku vector icon that matches our icon style to be considered... and make sense for the bootmanager)

All of the above is valid for any given ticket in any given issue tracker. Thanks for pointing it out. I am aware, that it is hard to find a better alternative, and no, I have no idea for one.

Bootstrapping is a common term in programming as PulkoMandy pointed out in irc: ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping

My point was not, that it is appropriate in some languages (also comments 1, 2), but that it is based of an English idiom, that can not be translated into many, if not most, languages of the world. For example the icon has no obvious meaning in German, my native language, nor does it have in French (that I know of). You can still go with "artistic freedom", though. I didn't know if Haiku wants its icons to be meaningful, other projects do.

Again, feel free to just close the ticket if you find it silly, although I think this is a valid point.

[siarzhuk]

Replying to mks:

Again, feel free to just close the ticket if you find it silly, although I think this is a valid point.

I tend to agree with you that the "boot" idiom is not universal and in some cultures (AFAIR in Arabic world) can be the sign of affront. So this ticket need some attention, I think.

PS: IMO the "sillyness" term was related to the "scale" of this problem in comparison with "real" big problems that Haiku still has. It is a common issue working with the "independent" developers so, please, forgive us. ;-)

[kallisti5]

Updating the issue to flesh out real terms of the problem. The meaning of some of the icons in Haiku may not scale internationally.

• Bootmanager icons of "boot"
• MediaPlayer "Bag of popcorn"

If anyone is looking for some icon work, feel free to take the reins of this one.