I've been searching for a good icon in D4H to symbolize an unsaved incident report. Normally when I do this, I research what others are using in their imagery and labeling so it is intuitive.
I uncovered something interesting I have never thought about. Why do we still use a '3.5 inch Floppy Disk' as the icon for saving? We've come a long way from saving files as you edit them to an external floppy - so why has this icon travelled with us?
Wikipedia says:
Floppy disks are also, unlike hard disks, handled and seen; even a novice user can identify a floppy disk. Because of all these factors, the image of the floppy disk has become a metaphor for saving data, and the floppy disk symbol is often seen in programs on buttons and other user interface elements related to saving files, even though such disks are obsolete
It's interesting though, that tools like Google Docs - which couldn't be further from saving to a floppy disk also use this symbology for saving data in the cloud.
The last consumer floppy disk drives were manufactured around 2007, and for a while before that they stopped appearing in new models. There will come a point (and we're not far from it at all!) where new generations will have never seen a floppy disk.
So will this icon become meaningless?
If your point is that we should change the overall symbol for "save file", that's another matter I guess. The initial thing that occurs to me is that in realtime, it is saved as you go, so why do you need a symbol for actively save?
save to archive, approve, confirm, authorize.
It's a tough one. Have gone with 'Draft' but still not happy.
Kind Regards,
"what's a floppy?"
"that's one of those old things that was before a memory stick, right?"
"yeah, I remember them, they were great as frisbees....."
:)
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