FOSDEM: State of the GNUnion [LWN.net]

FOSDEM: State of the GNUnion

Posted Feb 7, 2013 14:25 UTC (Thu) by marduk (subscriber, #3831) [Link]

I just thought it interesting/surprising that despite all the "meat" in the article that the sole thing that you thought to comment on was to bikeshed on whether or not a crack should belong on an image of a bell in a logo. Is that really all you got out of it?

Obligatory topical comment: I find the LibreJS thing interesting... and would be interested in seeing some studies on how the "browsing experience" compares to banning JS entirely (e.g. NoScript).

FOSDEM: State of the GNUnion

Posted Feb 7, 2013 15:24 UTC (Thu) by deater (subscriber, #11746) [Link]

> I just thought it interesting/surprising that despite all the "meat" in
> the article that the sole thing that you thought to comment on was to
> bikeshed on whether or not a crack should belong on an image of a bell
> in a logo. Is that really all you got out of it?

I hate how people have taken the term "bikeshed" and turned it into some sort
of Godwin's Law. Yes, eternal debate about small features at the expense
of actual development is bad, but that doesn't mean the small details aren't
important.

I agree, without the crack that does not look like the Liberty Bell. In fact
it reminds me of older Bell Telephone company logos from the 1980s and
older. I look at that logo and think less of "Liberty" and more of "AT&T"
which is probably not what is intended.

Yes, Ma Bell.

Posted Feb 7, 2013 16:57 UTC (Thu) by ds2horner (subscriber, #13438) [Link]

I could not have said it better. These were my thoughts exactly.

To the extent that there is confusion (and to a lesser extent disappointment) details are important.

It is surprising to me that a site frequented by so many programmers would question the need to get the minutia exactly right.

There is a fundamental idea here – (a meme?) - that at least a target audience would have a similar subconscious response to a symbol. The importance of getting that non-verbal message right is worth the effort of refining it.

My sole reason to bother with the comments on this article was to address the Ma Bell image I received.

Yes, Ma Bell.

Posted Feb 7, 2013 19:06 UTC (Thu) by deater (subscriber, #11746) [Link]

Here's what it reminds me of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_System_hires_1921_...

FOSDEM: State of the GNUnion

Posted Feb 7, 2013 20:05 UTC (Thu) by marduk (subscriber, #3831) [Link]

I think the point of my last comment perhaps wasn't effectively expressed.

I agree: it is a lousy logo, but pretty much all FSF/GNU logos are lousy. I think that goes without saying... which was actually my point; if I had to pick 5 things to comment on about the article, the quality of the logo would not have made the list. So it was not nearly understood by to me why it made it as the 2nd comment (of all the other alternatives). I guess I'm just different that way {;-)

bikeshedding about the Liberty Bell

Posted Feb 8, 2013 0:40 UTC (Fri) by giraffedata (subscriber, #1954) [Link]

I have never thought of "bikeshed" as a pejorative term. The phenomenon has a name because it's ironic that the color of a bikeshed generates more discussion than the design of a nuclear reactor. But on closer inspection, it's perfectly understandable and not wrong.