⁂ is called an asterism. In astronomy, it refers to groups of stars in the sky, akin to constellations. We suggest that it’s a very fitting symbol for the fediverse, a galaxy of interconnected spaces which is decentralised and has an astronomically-themed name. It represents several stars coming together, connecting but each their own, without a centre.

...

@ is the symbol for e-mail. # is the symbol for hashtags. ☮ is the symbol for peace. ♻ is the symbol for recycling. ⁂ can be the symbol for the fediverse. ⁂ is standardised as Unicode U+2042, making it ready to copy and insert anywhere.

Git Repository: fediverse-symbol/fediverse-symbol

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[–] breadsmasher@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Stealing an icon already designated for something else? As is tradition

[–] simple@lemm.ee 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Having a unicode icon that can be copy pasted anywhere is nifty, but yeah I'm really not a fan of choosing this one.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Why do we need to have a unicode character that refers to the fediverse?

Are we trying to replace our alphabetical language with a language of ideograms?

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Can you answer, "Why do we need a symbol that represents the Fediverse?" Because modulo that, your question becomes, "Why does the symbol that represents the Fediverse have to have a Unicode codepoint?"

We don't need it to be a Unicode character, but there are advantages if it is that are so obvious they don't even bear discussion.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If they can’t be articulated, I lose respect for those reasons

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 months ago

That's nonsense.

If you know what those reasons are, then whether or not they have been articulated should not influence how you feel about those reasons. To think I could control your mind by not saying things. Just think of all the things I am not saying right now. You'll go mad.

If you DON'T know what those reasons are, then you are simply not able to respect them less than you do now.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

It's literally a character, like aitch.

⁂

I'm pretty sure we're cool to use it. The advantage of using a glyph that already exists in Unicode is huge.

[–] drspod@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Are you one of the three proposers mentioned in the git repository?

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

No I'm just so very bored and this is the classic bikeshed issue so I figure I won't cause any problems here.