4 ms·

This is exactly as stupid as changing it to a water pistol in the first place was

tonymet 2y ago
that can't possibly be true. this is the original
NickM 2y ago
Yeah, stuff like this just should not ever be changed in this way, IMO. It shouldn't have been changed in the first place, but two wrongs don't make a right either, it just makes the problem even worse. If we have older communications that use an emoji, it can retroactively edit the meaning if that emoji renders to a fundamentally different object than it used to, so this kind of change has the side effect of rewriting history unless people take extra care to only use fonts that match the age of the document. It's already hard enough to communicate clearly and effectively in the modern world without having the rug pulled out from under us with stuff like this.
y04nn 2y ago
Indeed, this is very 1984. Changing the meaning of a word, people express their thoughts with emojis, the meaning (representation in this case) should never be altered in such way.
edwinjm 2y ago
Why do you want a real gun? I bet most uses are to bully people. It seems that's the kind of social network Elon wants.
- bombcar 2y ago
  Bullying will occur no matter what emojis are available - even if you have to use 𓂺 or similar. Various knives are available if you want it, so if anything we should add MORE emojis (gun combining character something else = various types of gun, say). In fact, it's easier to have one "known bad" emoji to check than having hundreds to look at.
- anvuong 2y ago
  And changing it to water pistol reduces the bullying? I have seen racism expressed through colored emoticons, destroying its original intents of inclusivity. It's stupid to change it in the first place, this is just doubling the stupidity.
- rurp 2y ago
  Does changing it to a water pistol actually reduce bullying at all? I suspect not. My bet is that the water pistol change was driven by virtue signaling and corporate risk aversion rather than any real belief that it would do anything useful. Conversely though, the decision to change it back is probably driven by trolling and attention-seeking more than anything.
  - whazor 2y ago
    But this emoji comes included by default with mobile phones. Realistically than means that young children get to see and use this emoji. Unknowingly, they might be sending death threats, whereas with a water gun that would be like a joke.
- Murky3515 2y ago
  >Why do you want to allow the word "loser" ? I bet most uses are to bully people.
wongarsu 2y ago
The official unicode name is "pistol" (explained as "handgun, revolver"), and the example representation is a modern magazine-fed pistol [1]. Changing it back to what it's supposed to be is fine by me. 1: Page 12 of https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf (search for 1F52B)
- catapart 2y ago
  Are you implying that a water pistol is not a "handgun"? Or that you could not make a water pistol that could also be a "revolver"? Does "revolver" include revolver action rifles, so long as you can use them with one hand (sawed offs, etc). If not, why not? If so, would that be a "more" appropriate emoji for some reason? I'm not saying they're further out of spec. But I disagree with your implication that they are somehow further in spec than a water pistol. Pistol is pistol.
  - wongarsu 2y ago
    > Are you implying that a water pistol is not a "handgun" Yes. If I asked you to bring me a gun (or a handgun) I don't think anyone would argue I might have meant a water pistol. A water pistol is a gun-shaped object, or an object that imitates a gun, but it isn't a gun.
    - catapart 2y ago
      It fits the Webster definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun If I ask you to bring me a gun, and there is a water gun right next to you and you argue that "I might have meant water pistol" (colloquially: refusing to assess the water gun as a "gun"), I would assume you were ignorant, dishonest, or both.
      - xigoi 2y ago
        A water gun is a gun in the same way that a gummy bear is a bear.

that can't possibly be true. this is the original

Yeah, stuff like this just should not ever be changed in this way, IMO. It shouldn't have been changed in the first place, but two wrongs don't make a right either, it just makes the problem even worse. If we have older communications that use an emoji, it can retroactively edit the meaning if that emoji renders to a fundamentally different object than it used to, so this kind of change has the side effect of rewriting history unless people take extra care to only use fonts that match the age of the document. It's already hard enough to communicate clearly and effectively in the modern world without having the rug pulled out from under us with stuff like this.

y04nn 2y ago

Indeed, this is very 1984. Changing the meaning of a word, people express their thoughts with emojis, the meaning (representation in this case) should never be altered in such way.

edwinjm 2y ago

Why do you want a real gun? I bet most uses are to bully people. It seems that's the kind of social network Elon wants.

bombcar 2y ago
Bullying will occur no matter what emojis are available - even if you have to use 𓂺 or similar. Various knives are available if you want it, so if anything we should add MORE emojis (gun combining character something else = various types of gun, say). In fact, it's easier to have one "known bad" emoji to check than having hundreds to look at.
anvuong 2y ago
And changing it to water pistol reduces the bullying? I have seen racism expressed through colored emoticons, destroying its original intents of inclusivity. It's stupid to change it in the first place, this is just doubling the stupidity.
rurp 2y ago
Does changing it to a water pistol actually reduce bullying at all? I suspect not. My bet is that the water pistol change was driven by virtue signaling and corporate risk aversion rather than any real belief that it would do anything useful. Conversely though, the decision to change it back is probably driven by trolling and attention-seeking more than anything.
- whazor 2y ago
  But this emoji comes included by default with mobile phones. Realistically than means that young children get to see and use this emoji. Unknowingly, they might be sending death threats, whereas with a water gun that would be like a joke.
Murky3515 2y ago
>Why do you want to allow the word "loser" ? I bet most uses are to bully people.

wongarsu 2y ago

The official unicode name is "pistol" (explained as "handgun, revolver"), and the example representation is a modern magazine-fed pistol [1]. Changing it back to what it's supposed to be is fine by me. 1: Page 12 of https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf (search for 1F52B)

catapart 2y ago
Are you implying that a water pistol is not a "handgun"? Or that you could not make a water pistol that could also be a "revolver"? Does "revolver" include revolver action rifles, so long as you can use them with one hand (sawed offs, etc). If not, why not? If so, would that be a "more" appropriate emoji for some reason? I'm not saying they're further out of spec. But I disagree with your implication that they are somehow further in spec than a water pistol. Pistol is pistol.
- wongarsu 2y ago
  > Are you implying that a water pistol is not a "handgun" Yes. If I asked you to bring me a gun (or a handgun) I don't think anyone would argue I might have meant a water pistol. A water pistol is a gun-shaped object, or an object that imitates a gun, but it isn't a gun.
  - catapart 2y ago
    It fits the Webster definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun If I ask you to bring me a gun, and there is a water gun right next to you and you argue that "I might have meant water pistol" (colloquially: refusing to assess the water gun as a "gun"), I would assume you were ignorant, dishonest, or both.
    - xigoi 2y ago
      A water gun is a gun in the same way that a gummy bear is a bear.