Comments on: “Live Bookmarks” is not RSS http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/ Experiments in web developent and design by Kevin Gerich Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:31:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Behind the Designs of Mozilla at i2.net.nz http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-9736 Behind the Designs of Mozilla at i2.net.nz Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:27:30 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-9736 [...] To add to Mozilla’s credit, the creation of the standard web feed icon, another project undertaken by Mozilla’s Visual Identity Team (check out the design process) has been extensively adopted. Initially the objective was a new icon for Firefox’s Live Feeds feature (previously all feeds were shown as ‘RSS’). The icon is now used all over the web and in browsers to represent syndication feeds, including Internet Explorer 7. [...] [...] To add to Mozilla’s credit, the creation of the standard web feed icon, another project undertaken by Mozilla’s Visual Identity Team (check out the design process) has been extensively adopted. Initially the objective was a new icon for Firefox’s Live Feeds feature (previously all feeds were shown as ‘RSS’). The icon is now used all over the web and in browsers to represent syndication feeds, including Internet Explorer 7. [...]

]]> By: rebron.org » the Web Feed icon http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-5421 rebron.org » the Web Feed icon Thu, 02 Nov 2006 09:13:25 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-5421 [...] However, “RSS” kind of looks like it spelled out “ASS” so that was no good. We all had a good laugh about it. More importantly though, RSS is English so l10n of the icon is out. So, the Mozilla Visual Identity Team went back to work and came up with the current icon. Great! [...] [...] However, “RSS” kind of looks like it spelled out “ASS” so that was no good. We all had a good laugh about it. More importantly though, RSS is English so l10n of the icon is out. So, the Mozilla Visual Identity Team went back to work and came up with the current icon. Great! [...]

]]> By: Scott Noblit http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1659 Scott Noblit Fri, 23 Jun 2006 19:38:09 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1659 Personally, I like the icon plus the word subscribe as used at the top of this blog. ;) Personally, I like the icon plus the word subscribe as used at the top of this blog. ;)

]]> By: Web feed icon trademark, licensing and usage guidelines : pretty widgets http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1587 Web feed icon trademark, licensing and usage guidelines : pretty widgets Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:55:09 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1587 [...] I am encouraged to read Mitchell Baker’s posts (part 1, part 2) about the usage of Stephen Horlander’s web feed icon which is seen in Firefox, IE7 and on an increasing number of web pages. She suggests that Mozilla should work with the web community to set usage guidelines for the icon. This is a great idea. Guidelines are necessary to avoid confusing web users about the meaning of the image. [...] [...] I am encouraged to read Mitchell Baker’s posts (part 1, part 2) about the usage of Stephen Horlander’s web feed icon which is seen in Firefox, IE7 and on an increasing number of web pages. She suggests that Mozilla should work with the web community to set usage guidelines for the icon. This is a great idea. Guidelines are necessary to avoid confusing web users about the meaning of the image. [...]

]]> By: Max http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1263 Max Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1263 Whatever you do, keep in mind: you have now the chance to make a standrd icon for Newsfeeds. I personaly think that the RSS Icon is much better then the new Apple-AirPort-like icon, because many people allready know RSS icons from many webpages. RSS is a synonym for "NewsFeeds" like mp3 is a synonym for Music. Nobody really cares if it is an RSS or an Atom feed or whatever - as long as I can read it in my newsreader. Whatever you do, keep in mind: you have now the chance to make a standrd icon for Newsfeeds. I personaly think that the RSS Icon is much better then the new Apple-AirPort-like icon, because many people allready know RSS icons from many webpages. RSS is a synonym for “NewsFeeds” like mp3 is a synonym for Music. Nobody really cares if it is an RSS or an Atom feed or whatever - as long as I can read it in my newsreader.

]]> By: Kevin http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1264 Kevin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1264 We should also be careful that we don't misrepresent RSS with our icon or set up false expectations on the part of the user. A user shouldn't think that an orange RSS icon on a website will do the same thing as the Firefox RSS tstaus icon when they click on it. More generally, we should always prefer normal human terms and imagery over technical ones. We should also be careful that we don’t misrepresent RSS with our icon or set up false expectations on the part of the user. A user shouldn’t think that an orange RSS icon on a website will do the same thing as the Firefox RSS tstaus icon when they click on it.

More generally, we should always prefer normal human terms and imagery over technical ones.

]]> By: Michael Romero http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1265 Michael Romero Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1265 I feel inclined to agree with Max on this issue. What we've seen from the designer's ends is thinking at a level that is far above where your average end user thinks. Great for us geeks who realize the differences, but not so great for John Q. User who is just learing what RSS means, and would find an RSS icon meaningful. This goes right along with the people who equate IE's big blue "e" icon with the internet at large, even though it's not. In this world, you have to cater to a wider audience than a bunch of developers who are going to take issue with something as trivial and technical as this. I feel inclined to agree with Max on this issue. What we’ve seen from the designer’s ends is thinking at a level that is far above where your average end user thinks. Great for us geeks who realize the differences, but not so great for John Q. User who is just learing what RSS means, and would find an RSS icon meaningful. This goes right along with the people who equate IE’s big blue “e” icon with the internet at large, even though it’s not. In this world, you have to cater to a wider audience than a bunch of developers who are going to take issue with something as trivial and technical as this.

]]> By: Jon Hicks http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1266 Jon Hicks Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1266 Personally, I love the new icon. It's much more memorable. Coincidentally, I've been working on a theme for Omniweb that uses something very similiar for its RSS icon. It was based on the wave icon in iCal for a subscribed calendar. I'll have to rethink it now though! Curses!!! Personally, I love the new icon. It’s much more memorable.

Coincidentally, I’ve been working on a theme for Omniweb that uses something very similiar for its RSS icon. It was based on the wave icon in iCal for a subscribed calendar. I’ll have to rethink it now though! Curses!!!

]]> By: Fabien http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1267 Fabien Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1267 Is this new icon in the mac build of Firefox ? I haven't seen it yet on my mac ! Is this new icon in the mac build of Firefox ?
I haven’t seen it yet on my mac !

]]> By: Kevin http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1268 Kevin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1268 Fabien, no it hasn't made it to the Mac yet. It's on my to-do list for tomorrow! Fabien, no it hasn’t made it to the Mac yet. It’s on my to-do list for tomorrow!

]]> By: michaell http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1269 michaell Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1269 "not so great for John Q. User who is just learing what RSS means, and would find an RSS icon meaningful" But John Q User generally doesn't know what RSS means, and wouldn't find it meaningful initially. If John Q User doesn't know what "RSS" is, why should we teach them something inaccurate, when we could avoid the inaccuracy and their knowing what RSS is at all? Being inaccurate for geeks who know about RSS and Atom; being too big; being inconsistent across the app and looking like "ASS" are other reasons to change... “not so great for John Q. User who is just learing what RSS means, and would find an RSS icon meaningful”

But John Q User generally doesn’t know what RSS means, and wouldn’t find it meaningful initially. If John Q User doesn’t know what “RSS” is, why should we teach them something inaccurate, when we could avoid the inaccuracy and their knowing what RSS is at all?

Being inaccurate for geeks who know about RSS and Atom; being too big; being inconsistent across the app and looking like “ASS” are other reasons to change…

]]> By: Kevin http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1270 Kevin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1270 I hadn't considered the ass angle :) I hadn’t considered the ass angle :)

]]> By: michaell http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1271 michaell Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1271 Kevin - you mean you haven't seen the ASS bug? It's https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=261354 (and it's what Stephen attached this change to, which, unfortunately, meant some people jumped to wrong conclusions and complained...) Kevin - you mean you haven’t seen the ASS bug? It’s https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=261354 (and it’s what Stephen attached this change to, which, unfortunately, meant some people jumped to wrong conclusions and complained…)

]]> By: Kevin http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1272 Kevin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1272 Heh no I hadn't seen that bug... But that wasnt the primary reason for the change :) This is the real bug : https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=256088 Heh no I hadn’t seen that bug… But that wasnt the primary reason for the change :) This is the real bug : https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=256088

]]> By: Stephen Horlander http://kmgerich.com/2004/09/30/live-bookmarks-is-not-rss/#comment-1273 Stephen Horlander Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://kmgerich.com/journal/?p=64#comment-1273 I searched and couldn't find that bug. So I figured the ASS bug was as good as any :) Apparently the humor was lost on some people. I searched and couldn’t find that bug.

So I figured the ASS bug was as good as any :) Apparently the humor was lost on some people.

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