A symbol for the fediverse ⁂
symbol.fediverse.info
We propose the symbol ⁂ to represent the fediverse.

We propose the symbol ⁂ to represent the fediverse.

  • Handles@leminal.spaceEnglish
    1471·
    3 months ago

    There already is a symbol for the fediverse:

    This has existed for years already, is used widely, and IMHO looks way better than this dull attempt. I see no good argument in the campaign website for using this new one instead.

    • The Cuuuuube@beehaw.orgEnglish
      19·
      3 months ago

      The weak argument they make is this doesn’t look good at small sizes. Personally I don’t think that constitutes a good enough reason to rebrand the fediverse

      • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        19·
        3 months ago

        I commented on the last post about this, the three stars are difficult to make out on a small screen, they look like a blurry capital A. On top of that, it’s apparently used in astronomy to represent clusters of stars, like a constellation.

        The whole point of this campaign appears to be to replace a unique symbol with one that’s already in use and is hard to read at small sizes 🤷🏻‍♂️

        • spaduf@slrpnk.net
          31·
          3 months ago

          On top of that, it’s apparently used in astronomy to represent clusters of stars, like a constellation.

          Isn’t that kind of perfect though

      • Handles@leminal.spaceEnglish
        5·
        3 months ago

        Exactly. A logo isn’t meant to work at 11 point size in the middle of inline text. The typographical argument is nonsense, and I think this proposal is really a reaction to the idiotic “Satanic panic” over the rainbow pentacle.

        • The Cuuuuube@beehaw.orgEnglish
          4·
          3 months ago

          Yeah which if that’s the argument we’re having… I kinda don’t want to give people that dumb any influence. The fediverse symbol is not a pentagram and if the rainbow giving gay people visibility is somehow wrong, then… Fuck me I guess because I’d rather make gay people comfortable than a bunch of folks who’ve fallen down some manner of christofascist rabbit hole

        • uis@lemm.ee
          3·
          3 months ago

          It is not pentacle, it is 10-colored 5-node complete graph.

          For people who didn’t study in school entire life is filled with magic.

    • Corgana@startrek.website
      37·
      3 months ago

      This logo is really unpopular hence why there is always so much talk of making something cleaner and more professional.

      • Handles@leminal.spaceEnglish
        101·
        3 months ago

        …and this latest proposal certainly isn’t either of those things.

        This logo is really unpopular

        Source? I’ve only ever seen a handful of strawman arguments that “I’m not offended by the vague resemblance to a pentagram/use of rainbow colours implying LGBTQ+ support, but somebody might be”, but its fairly wide adoption suggests that most people — myself included — actually like it.

        • Corgana@startrek.website
          2·
          3 months ago

          This is the first I’m hearing of any issue with it resembling a pentagram, the criticisms I’ve heard involve the design in general not looking professional, not scaling well, and lacking a unique palette.

  • Machefi@lemm.ee
    391·
    3 months ago

    About the current “pentagram” symbol:

    However, its design is a little too complex to be used at small sizes, as you would in text or in a button. It’s also only available in image form, not as a typographical character.

    We’ve used it as a tiny icon below posts from other instances and I’ve never found it problematic. I think it’s already too well established to replace just because we can’t type it. Besides, the three stars feel to me not distinct enough. Pushing Unicode Consortium to add it to the standard when the time comes is a batter way.

    I do think however that it would be worth coming up with a proper name for the current symbol.

    • uis@lemm.ee
      4·
      3 months ago

      You have rare condition of asterism. You need to check your dinkus.

  • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.orgEnglish
    303·
    3 months ago

    Note that if supported by the font you use, the three symbols will usually be drawn the same way as an asterisk (*) in that font. This means a lot of variation.

    Your browser’s rendering: */⁂

    Several typefaces’ rendering of Unicode U+2042 ASTERISM:

    I think the diversity is alright! It’s like the Fediverse: instances follow a standard to work with each other but can be heavily customized without breaking integration.

  • maegul (he/they)@lemmy.mlEnglish
    221·
    3 months ago

    I appreciate the argument, but I feel like there’s too much of a chance that we can do better with something in unicode. Or, that this isn’t really good enough. Three asterisks is just too meh, IMO, to catch on.

    ⁂ … to me right now just looks like a splodge on the screen.

    Somewhat unfortunately, the pentagram in the older icon probably can’t really be used without some cartoon-ification, because reasons.

    • Gamma@beehaw.orgEnglish
      36·
      3 months ago

      This is in unicode though? U+2042

      I like it! Distinct but still simple enough that it could be easily stylized. The constellation symbolism works for me.
      Ideally if it were used as an icon it would be slightly larger than the default text on a given page, though I’m not sure how well it fares on those cheap low-res laptops

  • Zier@fedia.io
    171·
    3 months ago

    So 3 footnotes? A bunch of snowflakes (which we are not)? Just, NO! Find something unique and original, that’s how branding works.

  • N0x0n@lemmy.ml
    12·
    3 months ago

    The icon created by meta gives me shivers…

    I know why you did it so fast and why you choose ⁂, it’s already present and works as expected and probably to overcome meta’s implication into the fediverse…

    However, every symbol didn’t exist at first and became popular on it’s own because it defended something people found important and fought for (Like the peace symbol)!

    Maybe create our own symbol and let it make enough noise so it becomes it’s own symbol?

    Sorry if it isn’t clear what I mean by that :/