4 ms·

I had my "What are they thinking?" moment when I found out about snowman. http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/index.htm http://www.fileformat.inf

by dudus 14y ago

I had my "What are they thinking?" moment when I found out about snowman. http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/index.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/index.htm After that the only one to shock me was "Pile of poo" http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f4a9/index.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f4a9/index.htm

ErikRogneby 14y ago
the diversity in font implementation is interesting to see: http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/fontsupport.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/fontsuppor...
cpeterso 14y ago
Is 'PILE OF POO' (U+1F4A9) more shocking than 'LOVE HOTEL' (U+1F3E9)? http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f3e9/index.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f3e9/index.htm See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel
- JoshuaRedmond 14y ago
  You may be interested in this wonderful article [1] about how these and many other unusual symbols ended up in Unicode. I personally had never considered how much of an issue including flags could be. Quite an interesting discussion around it on HN as well. [2] [1] - http://www.reigndesign.com/blog/love-hotels-and-unicode/ http://www.reigndesign.com/blog/love-hotels-and-unicode/ [2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3792247 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3792247
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  Both were readily in common use on Japanese phones. Most of Unicode is existing character sets being incorporated.
  - barbs 14y ago
    Looks like they're part of the Emoji set http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_stan...
    - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
      Well, exactly. Emoji are the pictographic emoticons that were in common use on Japanese phones in proprietary encodings.
      - omegavesko 14y ago
        Well sure, but since when is emoji part of unicode? Emoji is a lot more mainstream now, too. Both Android and iOS support them, not just 'Japanese phones'.
        TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
        Uh, what? >since when is emoji part of unicode? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_stan... >Emoji is a lot more mainstream now, too. Both Android and iOS support them, not just 'Japanese phones'. Um, yes. I said "that were". I realise it is now mainstream now because it is now in Unicode.
- workbench 14y ago
  Theres not anything seedy about a love hotel. In Japan sometimes it's nicer for couples to go there rather than try and have a romantic evening in a tiny 1 room flat on a futon.
breadbox 14y ago
The snowman is an old meteorological symbol for snow. Predates Unicode by decades. I assume it's because a snowman is easier to render by hand than an actual snowflake. (Or like how rain is symbolized not by trying to draw recognizable rain itself, but by an umbrella.)

by dudus 14y ago

ErikRogneby 14y ago

the diversity in font implementation is interesting to see: http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/fontsupport.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2603/fontsuppor...

cpeterso 14y ago

Is 'PILE OF POO' (U+1F4A9) more shocking than 'LOVE HOTEL' (U+1F3E9)? http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f3e9/index.htm http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f3e9/index.htm See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel

JoshuaRedmond 14y ago
You may be interested in this wonderful article [1] about how these and many other unusual symbols ended up in Unicode. I personally had never considered how much of an issue including flags could be. Quite an interesting discussion around it on HN as well. [2] [1] - http://www.reigndesign.com/blog/love-hotels-and-unicode/ http://www.reigndesign.com/blog/love-hotels-and-unicode/ [2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3792247 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3792247
TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
Both were readily in common use on Japanese phones. Most of Unicode is existing character sets being incorporated.
- barbs 14y ago
  Looks like they're part of the Emoji set http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_stan...
  - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
    Well, exactly. Emoji are the pictographic emoticons that were in common use on Japanese phones in proprietary encodings.
    - omegavesko 14y ago
      Well sure, but since when is emoji part of unicode? Emoji is a lot more mainstream now, too. Both Android and iOS support them, not just 'Japanese phones'.
      - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
        Uh, what? >since when is emoji part of unicode? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Emoji_in_the_Unicode_stan... >Emoji is a lot more mainstream now, too. Both Android and iOS support them, not just 'Japanese phones'. Um, yes. I said "that were". I realise it is now mainstream now because it is now in Unicode.
workbench 14y ago
Theres not anything seedy about a love hotel. In Japan sometimes it's nicer for couples to go there rather than try and have a romantic evening in a tiny 1 room flat on a futon.

breadbox 14y ago

The snowman is an old meteorological symbol for snow. Predates Unicode by decades. I assume it's because a snowman is easier to render by hand than an actual snowflake. (Or like how rain is symbolized not by trying to draw recognizable rain itself, but by an umbrella.)