It's sillier than you might think because it appears to be inaccessibly technical and complex. The engineers are saying the button is important by placing it next to on/off in a short array of small buttons it is first. So there's that. That's what the engineers are saying, "this function is important."
The second thing the button says is "I control exposure compensation" and that is all. Nothing more can be read into it. Even though it offers more symbols. Surely it is telling us more. No, it is not.
It does not say positive for darkness and negative for lightness. It is not making a suggestion one way or another. It is not saying which direction positive and negative go, toward light or darkness or from light or darkness. The position of the plus and minus symbols within the new icon is arbitrary. The button is not making any suggestion regarding what you want or what you have. The icon designer was not thinking of that. All they were thinking is "this is the exposure compensation control." Too bad.
When you get into it you'll be pressing minus for less exposure and darker photos and you'll be pressing plus for more exposure and lighter photos. The opposite of what the button shows.
Photograph from BMW photo via Google images [nikon exposure button]
This lesson in semiotics is a continuing service of Lem's Comonocreerendios.
3 comments:
I simply prefer analog controls on most things. Digital is rarely better, except on tuners to hit precise frequencies quickly. My cable remote has about a hundred buttons, of which 80% don't do anything and half of the rest don't do anything I want. I only need about 5 buttons, and light up the god-damned things.
That big bump projecting thing with the spiky thingies on its edge is more dangerous than a Red Ryder rifle!
Be careful or you'll take your eye out.
UPC's that offer protection for the dialup phone line have two jacks labelled "in" and "out."
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