There seem to be two things here:

1) When should we set/accept/challenge standards?

2) How much how people have to learn to interact with these abstract
ideas that are so new in our evolution, and how much should be
metaphor?

Personally, I would want to go with the
broken-circle-with-vertical-bar representation. It is a standard whose
'etymology' is based upon the engineering notation that have allowed
these things to exist in the first place. It is becoming more and more
widely used. It is visually distinct: OK, I can only speak for the
roman alphabet and the symbolism that I have encountered over my
lifetime, so there would be more investigation needed here. It is
simple and elegant (a little subjective, but _I_ think it's elegant).

Do we need to re-visit the symbol? The representation is consistent
with the on/off 1/0 yes/no that is intrinsic to computers and is
fairly unique to the man-made realm. You can't switch a goat off and
on again. And what else could you use? What represents power or
something functioning? Lightning? I would associate that with danger.
The army? Inappropriate. An engine? Well, perhaps, but the association
is a bit ropey.

What does everyone think?

Alex.
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