Re: Icons (was Firefox extensions)

On 7 Jan 2021 at 19:42, alexyu wrote:

> The Real Bev wrote, on 07 Jan 21 18:01:
> 
> > On 01/07/2021 11:27 AM, alexyu wrote:
> >
> >> Peter wrote, on 06 Jan 21 11:40:
> >>
> >>> On 1/5/2021 4:30 PM, Jim Fisher wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I thought hieroglyphics went out at around the time of the pharoahs.
> >>>> Never understood why people want to switch back when using computers.
> >>>
> >>> Simple answer:  Money!!  Icons largely eliminate the need to develop and
> >>> distribute language-specific versions of many apps/programs.
> >>
> >> Another reason is space: A clearly-identifiable icon takes up much less
> >> space (on menubar, toolbar, etc.) than an
> >> at-least-understandable-and-readable text...
> > 
> > Unfortunately, the "clearly-identifiable" thing is sadly lacking.  Come 
> > on, we have space to burn!
> 
> I suspect we may be referring to different things: I'm talking about 
> fitting many 'links to actions' in one line on a program window.  Sure, 
> "we have space" in that window, but using text 'buttons' instead of 
> icons takes up much more space in that same window, which then has that 
> much less space to show 'useful content' (as opposed to the 'buttons' 
> line / menu bar).
> 
> For decades, I've been choosing the "small icons with no text" option in 
> program windows whenever it's available, for that reason.
> 
> Since I severely control the number of icons on my desktop, I can and do 
> use text labels under them, but never more than one line for each.
> 
> Sure, not everybody thinks that way, but what was being discussed was 
> WHY anyone would prefer icons over text (even though the 'subject' still 
> is "Firefox extensions")...  :-)

Quite right on both those points in the last paragraph. I've changed the 
subject for this reply.

I was certainly thinking about icons shown by programs, but I rarely look at 
the "desktop" anyway. When I switch on my machine it normally automatically 
opens File Explorer (set to show text only) at full screen. I open programs 
either by double clicking on the file I want to open or by using the Start 
button, which gives me a vertical written list of programs.

Within programs I have no objection to icons to save space provided when I 
hover the mouse over one some meaningful text comes up to show what it means. 
Some programs do this but too many don't, and the icons used are not in any way 
standardised, with a very few exceptions. I don't want to have to click half a 
dozen different icons, not knowing what each one will do, to find the action 
I'm looking for, but too often there's no alternative. Programmers writing 
these things could always save even more space by omitting the text and all  
except one (labelled when hovered over) icon to open a menu of words. A very 
few programs do this, but even they usually can't seem to resist putting a few 
other icons along the top as well.

Jim Fisher