Posted by David Segall on 01/20/06 16:11

Jose <teacherjh@aol.nojunk.com> wrote:

>>> If it amuses you to think so. Which language does the Indian flag
>>> represent in your universe, by the way?
>>
>> That's another good example of misplaced logic. Because the Union Jack
>> and the French flag are instantly recognised as icons for a particular
>> language does not mean that all flags must have a meaning as icons for
>> a language.
>
>Well, let's come at it a different way. You have a website with the
>British, German, and French flags, representing English, German, and
>French. You then add pages for three of the languages commonly spoken
>in India - Kannada, Punjabi, and Tamil. What flag do you use for each
>of them?
I don't know which, if any, icons would be recognised as representing
those languages. There is no reason to expect them to be flags. They
might be an iconic map indicating the main area in which the language
is usually spoken. If so, we can expect Indian bloggers protesting
that they speak the language but don't live in the area or vice versa.
My entire point is that, in the context of a web site, instruction
manual or public sign the three European symbols you mention are not
national flags; they are widely recognised icons that represent a
language.
>
>Use of icons sets up an expectation, and while it can be met in trivial
>cases, the expectation can fail when things get more complex, which is
>why the use of icons should be well thought out.
Of course. And when the happy day comes and my web site is translated
into the 5000 or so languages in the world I promise that I will not
force a visitor to choose by clicking an icon.

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