why canĀ“t I simply look up every icon and see, what it means. What does a little orange ball with a clock inside next to someones name mean? |
It means they're online but idle (e.g. away from their computer). But you're right, it would be simple for the Gmail team to add a tooltip/alt-text or to have a verbal description in the pop up.
Their meaning is described here http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33508 |
Well, they've kinda did.. If a person doesn't write a personal message, and its status is either Available or Busy, after a while the person is away from his computer, his status will turn into Idle. |
Sometimes too simple isn't easy enough to figure out?.. |
But are these pictographs [what we otherwise call computer-] icons? The latter usually provide some graphic representation of an idea, or software function/ bundle. Whereas these are chiefly graphic flags, binary on/off status notices... their significance lying not in decoration, but in their very presence or absence next to other elements. And that simple fact makes them different from "proper" icons, where a tooltip elaborating on its meaning might be advisable. |