"Steven Schveighoffer" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... > On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:59:46 -0500, Nick Sabalausky <[email protected]> wrote: > >> "Walter Bright" <[email protected]> wrote in message > >>> Ever since the industry helpfully stopped labeling switches with "on" >>> and >>> "off" my usual technique is to flip it back and forth until it goes on. >>> Is >>> it really progress to change from a system where 99% of the world knows >>> what it means to one where 2% know? >> >> I'd say more like "from 99% to 90%". And those who do know can read it >> more >> easily, at a further distance, with worse eyesight, in worse lighting >> conditions, at a breifer glance, etc. > > This has nothing to do with it. They could have come up with a *million* > better choices. > > Couple that with the fact that: > > a) you usually want something on or off. If it's already in the desired > state, you can usually tell without looking at the switch. > b) It's far more mentally taxing to read/understand the symbols, remember > how they apply to circuits, then determine whether it's on or off, than it > is to simply start flipping switches until you get the desired result. >
So symbols are bad because they chose the wrong symbol? > I think you'd be better off without *any* symbols, or with only a single > symbol indicating 'on'. > I think we'll have to disagree on it... > For my money, the *best* on off switch is the lighted pushbutton, which > has the two symbols combined. I know that it's a power button, and if I > see no light, I know it's off. > Until the light burns out (granted, less of an issue with LEDs). Also, I *hate* how thanks to modern electronics *everything* in the goddamn room has to be lit up like a fucking tree. And they keep making the damn things brighter, and brighter, and BRIGHTER...Shit, the light on the USB HDD enclosue I just got is so bright it genuinely *hurts* my eyes just to look at it. I had to tape tiny pieces of paper over it just to make it tolerable. And it's still brighter than I'd like. But I don't want to totally obscure it because then I can't see when it's active. I want *less* lights. Much, much *much* less. Not more. > And the WORST on/off design ever (mandated by regulation, I believe) is to > have a light turn *ON* when something is off. For example, my TV > helpfully has an LED that turns on when it's off, presumably to let me > know that it's connected to power. > I *HATE* those "off" lights. I've started to just tape over the fucking things with black electrical tape.
