[Pythonmac-SIG] MacPython logo redux

Glenn Andreas gandreas at delver.com
Tue Nov 4 16:29:20 EST 2003


At 4:05 PM -0500 11/4/03, John Miller wrote:
>On Tuesday, November 4, 2003, at 03:52 PM, W.H.Offenbach wrote:
>
>>>I don't terribly object to the snake, and prefer a stylized one to 
>>>a photorealistic one, but I think we may unnecessarily push some 
>>>people's buttons by placing a snake in such close proximity to an 
>>>apple (biblical fall from grace story).
>>
>>With all due respect, the fall from grace followed when A&E became 
>>aware, started to know.
>>Besides, the bible doesn't say "apple" it just mentions "fruit". 
>>Making it an apple is man's invention (either by tradition or 
>>translation), not the snake's.
>
>Yes, I agree. It's just that the proximity of the snake and the 
>apple in the graphic is suggestive of the story and may cause 
>unnecessary avoidance by some. ("Lead us not into temptation...")

Though for the Gnostics, Typhonians and a few others, it is the 
complete opposite (who view the story as all about serpent granting 
enlightenment and freedom from the Demiurge).

Pretty much any sort of symbol is bound to have different 
connotations to different people.

>  Also, the use of an apple in an app's icon, as others have said, is 
>somewhat redundant on a Macintosh and is not very common.

>From 
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGIcons/chapter_13_section_6.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000967/TPXREF120


"Avoid using Aqua interface elements in your icons"

and

"Don't use replicas of Apple hardware products in your icons.  These 
symbols are copyrighted and hardware designs change frequently."

One could argue that the Apple icon, being in the menu bar, is an 
Aqua interface element, and also that it is a copyrighted symbol.  It 
certainly seems redundant at the very least.


For a different idea, what about a "grail"?  It would be both a Monty 
Python reference (probably more recognizable than the 10-ton weight, 
since Wile E. Coyote is also hit by weights like that), as well as 
something that has connotations of something "really good" (which 
Python of course is).  It would also be a "real world" sort of object 
that tends to look good as aqua icons.

-- 
Glenn Andreas                      gandreas at delver.com 
Theldrow, Blobbo, Cythera, oh my!
Be good, and you will be lonesome



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