this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2024
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Fediverse

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We propose the symbol ⁂ to represent the fediverse.

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[–] halm@leminal.space 104 points 2 months ago (3 children)

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.

[–] Cube6392 19 points 2 months ago (2 children)

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.com 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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 3 points 2 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

[–] halm@leminal.space 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] Cube6392 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] halm@leminal.space 2 points 2 months ago
[–] uis@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] halm@leminal.space 2 points 2 months ago

Well played 👏😄

[–] Corgana@startrek.website 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] halm@leminal.space 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

...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 points 2 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.

[–] JayDee@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Gimme an ASCII character for it. We can replace the bitcoin character with it

[–] halm@leminal.space 2 points 2 months ago

Yes please!

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 48 points 2 months ago (1 children)

As several people have already pointed out on the other thread, we already have a well-established fediverse logo: Fediverse

[–] Corgana@startrek.website 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

First I've heard of it being unpopular, what's unclean or unprofessional about it?

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[–] Machefi@lemm.ee 27 points 2 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.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 23 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] fossphi@lemm.ee 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

One of them is not like the others.

What the fuck is Lust Text?

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

A surprisingly serious typeface from Adobe Fonts.

IMO, the most egregious one is Essay Text.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

TIL this is an asterism, but I’m moreso enjoying the word dinkus right now.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago

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

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 months ago

Let our motto be:

Anus together strong.

[–] maegul@lemmy.ml 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] GammaGames 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 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

[–] vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 months ago

Is it like that because we’re a bunch of snowflakes?

[–] Malgas 12 points 2 months ago
[–] astrsk@fedia.io 12 points 2 months ago

An asterism! Very cool and Unicode standard! I’m on board.

[–] Zier@fedia.io 12 points 2 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.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 9 points 2 months ago

I appreciate the dunk on Threads, I wasn't aware of that icon. How audacious.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 9 points 2 months ago

I think the current logo would work fine as a unicode character. I dislike the three anuses for a logo.

[–] AhismaMiasma@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago

It looks like a bunch of snowflakes or a trip of buttholes.

No thanks.

[–] N0x0n@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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 :/

[–] astro_ray@piefed.social 2 points 2 months ago

I think many people share your sentiment and have argued the same point in other threads

[–] ademir@lemmy.eco.br 9 points 2 months ago
[–] Xylight@lemdro.id 6 points 2 months ago

It looks like the state farm logo to me in small text.

[–] rimu@piefed.social 6 points 2 months ago

I quite like how *some* of the arms of the stars touch but not all. The older pentagram gives the impression that everything can connect to everything which has been hard to live up to.

But the ship has sailed and the pentagram has become well established.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

Three disconnected centralized serevrs? Ok.

[–] octochamp@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

I just think it's neat