[cap-talk] Firefox and identifiability, small steps or large

[David Hopwood]

Ian G wrote:
> David Hopwood wrote:
> 
>> The disadvantages of icons are:
>>
>>  - It isn't practical for the user to create an icon. Therefore it has
>>    to be provided in the introduction, which increases the possibilities
>>    for confusion and social engineering. With textual names, the user
>>    can always choose a name that is meaningful to them.
>>
>>  - An icon can't be typed. It can only be selected from a list, or
>>    referred to indirectly via a textual name. This makes icons less
>>    expressive in the sense that you can't use them in many situations
>>    where you could use a name, for example in a command line interface.
>>
>> I would be unsatisfied (both as a user and as a system designer) with
>> any system that allowed only icons to be used, i.e. did not always
>> permit a textual pet name to be used in place of an icon.
> 
> A clarification: logos, not icons.
> 
> I gather that CapDesk (? I can't recall the
> name) has experimented with icons.  I
> agree that icons wouldn't add much over
> words or phrases.
> 
> By logos, I mean a graphical image selected
> by the user among a list of graphics.  In
> principle, it could be any logo found on the
> site, or it could be a picture dragged from
> the user's photobook.

That was what I meant by icon. I don't see what the technical difference is.

-- 
David Hopwood <david.nospam.hopwood at blueyonder.co.uk>