933458 - Change the Language Icon / Button

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(developer.mozilla.org Graveyard :: General, defect, P1)

Description

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

What feature should be changed? Please provide the URL of the feature if possible.
==================================================================================
The selecting menu for choosing the Language on every article page can be changed to a button like its neighbour icons (Settings and Edit), and also the icon (Currently it looks like conversation) should also be changed.

See the attachment 


What problems would this solve?
===============================
The current icon used does not picturize language (its comments) 

It can be / Should be changed to Globe icon so is more meaningful

Who would use this?
===================
Anyone who comes looking for information in their regional language

What would users see?
=====================
User will at least come to know the translation is available 

What would users do? What would happen as a result?
===================================================
They will be able to change langauge

Is there anything else we should know?
======================================

Comment 1

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

Attachment: MDN langauge.jpg

Comment 2

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

Will make the pull request once someone approves this.

Comment 3

[David Walsh :davidwalsh]

This icon is meant to look different; our designer approved the way it is now.

Comment 4

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

But @david , atleast a button style like the neighbour will let user know its an option at a glance right, like how the settings button is like no words just the icon in button style.

Anyway its the designers choice

Thank you

Comment 5

[Florian Scholz (Open Web Docs)]

I don't know the background here, but the current icon looks like it's meant for comments for me too ...
In my opinion the globe would fit better. So, what's the designer's idea that explains it?

(Ironically the icon <i> element has the class "icon-comments" now and not "icon-translations" in the source)

Comment 6

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

+1  Florian Scholz, that is what i said the icons doesn't convey the actual meaning we need, but David Walsh said the designer made it that way.

It wasn't me who suggested this, it was a fellow mozillian who asked me what is, then only i cam to notice that, so i thought to suggest that in bugzilla.

Comment 7

[Jean-Yves Perrier [:teoli]]

To make some progress here. The alternative would be to use this instead:

http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/icon/globe/

(which is the font-awesome we are using)

Asking habber for feedback here.

Comment 8

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

Jean-Yves Perrier that is the same icons i recommended, if you agree with it i will go ahead and make the pull request.

Comment 9

[Eric Shepherd [:sheppy]]

I agree that a globe icon would be much more obviously for language selection.

Comment 10

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

Ok once the discussion is over I will or someone can make the pull, it will look awesome with this bug for sure.

@davidwalsh consult the designer too

Comment 11

[Holly Habstritt Gaal [:Habber]]

I also like the globe. I've seen on other sites where the multi-talking bubble icon has been used for translations, but I think the globe also works for our case and to communicate more immediately that we have a global community. I am awaiting a response from the visual designer about this and will respond once I've relayed this discussion to him. Thanks!

Comment 12

[Sean Martell]

Hey all,

We should not be using the globe for this. 

A globe is what is being used as the default favicon in Firefox, both desktop and Android. It is also commonly used as the icon for "open in browser" in many apps.

Since we reserve it as such in our products at Mozilla, I wouldn't want to alter its meaning on MDN.

I'll look into another glyph we could use here.

Comment 13

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

Sean Martell Roger that,

Are you the visual designer....? ;

Comment 14

[Holly Habstritt Gaal [:Habber]]

(In reply to Anush from comment #13)
> Sean Martell Roger that,
> 
> Are you the visual designer....? ;

Yes, Sean is the visual designer.

Comment 15

[Jean-Yves Perrier [:teoli]]

I'm adding sean as feedback? as he's looking for an alternate icon.

Ali: I think we should block the release on this one. If a new problem arise, we could revisit this anyway.

Comment 16

[ali spivak]

I don't think it is a blocker - as soon as we get a different glyph from Seam (I will follow up) we can change it, but isn't not enough of a reason to delay...

Comment 17

[David Walsh :davidwalsh]

Looking at FA again, I have no idea what to use here.  The globe would be nice but I guess that's out of bounds.

Comment 18

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

David walsh fa-files-o can be of used, we can also add " Translate / Languages " along with the icon as we have for "Edit Page".

Comment 19

[Eric Shepherd [:sheppy]]

(In reply to Anush from comment #18)
> David walsh fa-files-o can be of used, we can also add " Translate /
> Languages " along with the icon as we have for "Edit Page".

Agreed; let's use fa-files-o. It's not perfect, but it does imply multiple versions of the page. And yes, let's also add "Languages" to the button.

Comment 20

[David Walsh :davidwalsh]

That seems like a better icon for "revisions" than languages.

Comment 21

[Eric Shepherd [:sheppy]]

(In reply to David Walsh :davidwalsh from comment #20)
> That seems like a better icon for "revisions" than languages.

Maybe, but I can't come up with a better idea, and we don't have an icon for revisions. :)

Comment 22

[Florian Scholz (Open Web Docs)]

(In reply to Sean Martell from comment #12)
> Hey all,
> 
> We should not be using the globe for this. 
> 
> A globe is what is being used as the default favicon in Firefox, both
> desktop and Android. It is also commonly used as the icon for "open in
> browser" in many apps.
> 
> Since we reserve it as such in our products at Mozilla, I wouldn't want to
> alter its meaning on MDN.
> 
> I'll look into another glyph we could use here.

If the globe shouldn't be used for locales anymore, this affects more (Mozilla) websites, which are using it for exactly this purpose. Most prominently SUMO got a globe icon right next to the Tabzilla tab highly visible on the very top of their pages.

Whether globe or not, has this been shared with the localization community and did we find a (unified) new icon? It looks like people are having trouble to find our translated docs (and start to translate in the en-US source).

Comment 23

[David Walsh :davidwalsh]

Need direction here, someone should pick an icon.

Comment 24

[David Walsh :davidwalsh]

Now that we have the word "languages" next to the icon, can close this?  With the label there, which icon we use has little relevance.

Comment 25

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

I think you are correct @davidwalsh, I think we don't have an good icon for that, let the font-awesome team make one, until then it will be enough I think.

Any one else have any other opinion.

Comment 26

[Māris Fogels [:mars] (please needinfo)]

There hasn't been a decision or new input on this bug for a while, so I am going with comment 24 and closing it.

Comment 27

[Anush [:anushbmx]]

I am totally happy with what happened in this discussion, being a community driven organization its not unusual for people to have different views and at the end go with majority.

But today a friend of mine who pointed the issue with old icon, just asked me to look into language icon i was kind of insulted, Because I just told him about the discussion and mentioned the community ended up with this decision bug 957296 .

I do agree I went busy with my university exams and also being a volunteer I can't stay here for ever and know all things happening always. All i wanted to say is, isn't it worth updating OLD bug/thread if the same has been approved in a new one so the persons involved can know abt the changes/decision made ( bugzill will soot an email for every action made here).

That is all i have now, don't worry I am always fine :)

I love mozilla <3.