El Reg mulls Forums icon portfolio shake-up

We are put out some feelers to determine whether you, our beloved readers, fancy some extra comments icons to add to the mighty arsenal available to better express your feelings on topics of international import. It's been 18 months or so since we last had an iconography shake-up, and your input proved invaluable in the …

[Anonymous Coward]

popcorn

popcorn

[Grikath]

Re: popcorn

This one would see heavy use...

[g e]

Re: popcorn

My first thought.

Thoroughly seconded.

[GregC]

Re: popcorn

Yup, agreed

[Psyx]

Re: popcorn

We also need a bacon sandwich.

Popcorn is nice and all, but isn't a bacon buttie a better nibble?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: popcorn

Bollocks to popcorn, commentards.

Think what could be achieved with .wav "icons".

[Lockwood]

Return of the ! Badgers

Banging head against wall, for where facepalm doesn't quite cover it?

That evil robot face burn it with fire thing from the Technologic music video for when our metal overlords are jsut about to strike?

[Haku]

If animated gifs are allowed...

Self head smash

Self head slap

DEATH TO TECHNOLOGY!!

What the hell am I looking at?

Frickin' lasers

No

[Oninoshiko]

Re: If animated gifs are allowed...

ugh animated gifs.

Just kill me now.

[David Given]

Re: If animated gifs are allowed...

Good idea --- how about a 'kill me now' icon?

[Fatman]

Re: If animated gifs are allowed...Self head slap

I would suggest that an image of Rush Limbaugh banging himself with a microphone be used instead of the image proposed.

[Anonymous Coward]

"metal overlords"

Yeah! Right! Oi! Eighties, pipe down.

[Anonymous Custard]

Lohan

As an update to the Paris icon, and in honor of SPB's latest.

[M Gale]

Custom

Let users upload a selection of their own 32x32 bitmaps. Banhammer available in case of penis.

[Peter Simpson 1]

Re: Custom

"Banhammer available in case of penis."

OW!

[M Gale]

Re: Custom

Brings back memories of the moderatrix and her gleefully-administered emasculations.

Come back Ms Bee, it's just not the same without you!

[IHateWearingATie]

Sort the troll icon

... it's rubbish. Needs to be far more troll-like (take inspiration from The Hobbit)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Sort the troll icon

Are you new to the Intarpipes?

[jonathanb]

Re: Sort the troll icon

I agree. A troll should look something like this

http://www.shopatnorway.com/images/840170_LA_troll_norway.jpg

[Lockwood]

Re: Sort the troll icon

I think that successful troll has been successful.

[Lone Gunman]

Re: Sort the troll icon

Depends whether you want a Nordic furry troll or a Discworld rock troll.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Sort the troll icon

"Sort the troll icon

... it's rubbish. Needs to be far more troll-like (take inspiration from The Hobbit)"

Or a fannyboi, now there's a TROLL for you!

[El Presidente]

Male Chicken Icon

For obvious reasons.

[SuperTim]

Re: Male Chicken Icon

Yes, or the end of a bell...again for obvious reasons!

[Z-Eden]

Re: Male Chicken Icon

Agreed. And said chicken should appear being visibly throttled...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Male Chicken Icon

And:

A snout in a trough (for the sort of graft that the UK now does so well)

A bishop's mitre (for all sorts of religious and unscientific beliefs)

A justice statue with scales that don't balance (where there's one law for us, one law for them)

Some police line tape (for "nothing to see here, move along!")

And most importantly, what about the ability to combine up to four icons? So if discussing some spurious technical angle to Margaret Moran's expenses, we could have a snout in a trough, a thumbs down, an imbalanced justice, and some police tape.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Male Chicken Icon

"A bishop's mitre (for all sorts of religious and unscientific beliefs)"

Also acts as an alternative to the male chicken - possibly for religious scandals?

[Fred Flintstone]

That's another one: police tape

I think a police tape icon would actually be good too.

[ukgnome]

Yes Yes Yes

We need a fandroid, Popcorn, kamikaze

and for the yanks - an asshat

[Captain Save-a-ho]

Re: Yes Yes Yes

and for the yanks - an asshat

Would it be legal to use David Cameron's image?

[LateNightLarry]

Re: Yes Yes Yes

Better yet, Mutt Romney or Paul Ryan, aka the Lyin' Twins...

A nice glass of wine for those of us with slightly more sophisticated tastes would be nice too.

[h4rm0ny]

Bring back the old ones...!

I would like to have Steve Jobs with a halo back again.

Also, can we have a different icon than the Anonymous mask for anonymous posts. They're not the same thing.

Also, can you put a block on Bob Vistakin using the Linux logo? Some of us Linux users find it embarrasing.

[Andy 115]

Re: Bring back the old ones...!

Surely the Anonymous icon should be a chicken?

[jonathanb]

Re: Bring back the old ones...!

And a flying chair

[Anonymous Coward]

@h4rmony

Most Linux users have a lot more to be embarrassed about then Bob Vistakin ...

As for icons - ditch the whole thing. It's just irritating and childish.

[sabroni]

Re: It's just irritating and childish

Yup!

[Joe K]

Re: Bring back the old ones...!

Another vote here for bringing back the old ones, they were much better.

The angel/devil ones now are awful, the fanboi one makes no sense, troll guy is from 4chan, and we really REALLY need the El Reg gravestone back.

[Mint Sauce]

Playmobil

For when only a re-creation of an incident will do :-)

[Psmiffy]

Re: Playmobil

Definitily a Playmobil icon ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Definitely need icons for

ennui and schadenfreude.

[frank ly]

Re: Definitely need icons for

You're thinking about Apple/Samsung aren't you?

[mhoulden]

Re: Definitely need icons for

Wouldn't a Tweedledum and Tweedledee one be more appropriate for out of control lawyers?

(One change I'd like would be to change "Anonymous Coward" back to "Anonymous Vulture". This is not Slashdot and sometimes there are good reasons to post anonymously)

[g e]

Re: Definitely need icons for

'Buddy Jesus' perhaps as in 'That's karma for ya' ?

[wowfood]

Trollface updates

Add in other trollface type meme images, including but not limited to

Cereal guy

poker face

rage face

me gusta

Facedesk (possibly animated)

popcorn

lolipop

rotten apple / apple core

broken android (best example http://www.iadea.com/sites/www.iadea.com/files/images/broken-android.jpg )

[Harvey Trowell]

Ooh, ooh! Please sir, can we get our hand grenade back?

I miss the hand grenade icon. It allowed a warmer and more personal response than nuking from orbit.

Also, how about a "Where's the bacon angle?" icon, possibly featuring a perplexed pig.

Finally, perhaps an icon of a toilet obscured by a red ring with a diagonal slash, indicating an objection to toilet humour etc, to be used whenever that Hard Reg chap feels the need to squeeze a peurile and lunch-ruining bodily functions gag into a console review and we need to remind him that El Reg isn't Viz.

[Fred Flintstone]

we need to remind him that El Reg isn't Viz.

Spoilsport. After me trying to encourage that view..

[Tom 13]

Re: Ooh, ooh! Please sir, can we get our hand grenade back?

Oooh! oooh! Not just any hand grenade. The Holy Hand Grenade. As an animated gif.

[bag o' spanners]

A maggoty apple. (All purpose)

A bowler hat to represent the establishment view.

A Shoreditch Triangle...in case of breakdowns.

[dotdavid]

<- And there I was thinking this was a Shoreditch Triangle...

[Anonymous Coward]

And one for rank, steaming hypocrisy. I favour a picture of Tony Blair.

[Anonymous Coward]

" I favour a picture of Tony Blair."

Wearing a bishop's mitre - or a halo for those Teflon moments?

[I ain't Spartacus]

I wish to second (or is it third?) the Tony Blair/hypocrisy icon idea.

For some reason I felt it was appropriate to post my choice of new icon here. Can't think why...

I would like a vomit icon please. The new keyboard please is more coffee than sick. For those times when the sanctimony or 'think of the children' are getting to me, or when some bootnotes story comes along involving penis self-surgery or the like.

A man laughing his head off would also be nice, for those times when Apple have to re-post an apology 17 times, because they were just too childish to get it right first time. Or for when someone custard pies Larry Ellison.

[g e]

Sixgun icon

For, well, when various states/organisations are riding into people's metaphorical towns shootin' their sixguns in the air...

[Magister]

Really 18 months?

Perhaps we should have one to indicate the passing of time (Dinosaur?)

Definitely need a new one for all the political debates - crossed pitchfork and flaming torch?

How about one "the end of the world as we know it" - suitable for any new release of software, iDevice, Daily Fail readers etc.

[Asiren]

Re: Really 18 months?

Maybe a pitchfork-wielding mob silouette for riled up comments?

[Oninoshiko]

Re: Asiren

I kinda like the thought here, but it needs to be fairly small. I dont think the mob would work. OTOH just a pitchfork and torch would be good!

[Fatman]

Re: crossed pitchfork and flaming torch

I second that one!!!

[Pedigree-Pete]

Re: crossed pitchfork and flaming torch

Perhaps we could just go with the White Pointy Hat/Mask with 2 holes in it.

[g e]

Anti-freedom icon

For stuff like MAFIAA activities, censorship, etc...

Perhaps the old Monopoly face-behind-bars jail image or a taped-over mouth, etc

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Anti-freedom icon

hmmm.what about the guy with the top hat from the monopoly game to represent out of control business practice?

[Michael Thibault]

Re: Anti-freedom icon

Handcuffs.

Gun barrel and sight, as seen from the business end.

Reticle over blurred/blurry subject/target/object of affention.

YTF? (in addition to the WTF? sign)

Pram/Carriage (for nanny-statisms).

Hand grenade (consider ripping off/riffing on Diane Arbus: http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/boy-with-toy-hand-grenade/)

Better pedant, Big Brother, Think of the children, Windows icons.

A cheerleader (not discernibly one, the other, or the other other gender) in lieu of a Fanboi icon.

A caravan (trailer/mobile home) with trash can.

'Hands off, bitch!' (this one is mine, and I'm already in the process of patenting it.)

...

In addition to work on the icons, I think some thought should go into parallelisation of the text equivalents/analogues.

It might also serve to have an option for multiple images where, for each image checked at the moment the post is submitted, a smaller icon appears in the top line of the post, suitably spaced, rather than just one icon in the left-hand margin. In this instantiation, the multiple icons could (possibly) be read as a shorthand summation of the overall thrust of the 'tards view on the subject(s) at hand.

[Field Marshal Von Krakenfart]

Re: Anti-freedom icon

How about the old Home Cooking Is Killing The Restaurant Industry icon.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4381726392_ecf7e0b162.jpg

[Steve Davies 3]

May I humbly suggest the following

A Dinosaur

A Fanboi (Apple Varity)

A Fanboi (Android Variety)

A Fanboi (Windows Variety)

Geek

WTF?

I thank you.... me hearties

[GregC]

<-- we already have a wtf

and a geek, sort of.

Agreed on the fanboi tirumvirate, and the dinosaur.

[Lockwood]

Re: <-- we already have a wtf

I always thought this was part of that triumvirate, along with Tux and spiky guy

[sebacoustic]

facetweet plus

some sort of web2horrea or social networking related icon would be good

[Gordon 10]

Re: facetweet plus

Yes. We need a TwatBook Icon or similar.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: facetweet plus

a "2.0" would cover this and the OP's suggestion?

[Lockwood]

Re: facetweet plus

Lockwood, Anonymous Coward and 3 others like this

[Uncle Slacky]

Re: facetweet plus

Maybe use an image from the IT Crowd "FriendFace" advert?

[NomNomNom]

i would like to see an end to the war in syria and also a clear strategy for dealing with the euro debt crisis

[Gordon 10]

So a "Ghandi holding a fist full of dollars" Icon should cover both?

[Anonymous Coward]

You've got an icon for both, and its the same one as Gordon 10's chosen below.

[Anonymous Coward]

So then you're looking for the pony

icon?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bring back...

The dead vulture.

[Code Monkey]

Down with this sort of thing

Careful now

[oddie]

may I be the first to....

Can we please have a 'in my day....' icon? seems nearly half the comments to any given technology thread are by people complaining how difficult something was back in their day... or how hardware never broke back in the old days (in IT that would be what.. 4 years ago?)

I think it should have an icon with a hole-punch-card in it..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: may I be the first to....

or a steam engine? (pretend it's driving a "difference engine" for the IT angle)

[Admiral Grace Hopper]

Re: may I be the first to....

I woudl like to second this proposal, but with the suggestion that you use paper tape rather than a punched card; this will avoid arguments about whether the holes should be round or square.

[TeeCee]

Re: may I be the first to....

We could compromise.

Square holes with rounded corners......

[Fred Flintstone]

maybe..

.. a Zimmerframe instead?

[Haku]

Re: may I be the first to....

A picture of a meadow for "I remember when all this was just fields"

[Uncle Slacky]

Re: may I be the first to....

A picture of a lawn? (As in "get off my...")

[Martin Budden]

Re: may I be the first to....

or a picture of whatever it was they cut off Multics to make Unix... ouch!

[Pedigree-Pete]

Re: may I be the first to....

...or punched tape.

[Andy 115]

Something linked to departing executives…

Apple, BBC, Microsoft - they're all at it!

[Jan Hargreaves]

Re: Something linked to departing executives…

P45 icon seems heavily appropriate for when fail or facepalm just isn't enough. Would we keep having to explain this to our cousins over the ocean though? Maybe make it pink?

[Anonymous Custard]

Re: Something linked to departing executives…

The exit door or a parachute perhaps?

Although it does go along the lines of the coat icon (<----- that one) which I guess it could perhaps replace.

[John G Imrie]

Re: Something linked to departing executives…

If it's a parachute it would have to be golden.

[Code Monkey]

Also

Linguine/jub/elephants per second for the inevitable complaints* when an article fails to use the correct Reg units.

* admittedly mostly from me

[John 211]

Omnishambles

In light of the recent OED entry, I suggest an icon to represent 'onmishables'

Not sure what though.

[Amonynous]

Re: Omnishambles

That's easy, just need the Greek Alpha and Omega symbols in the wrong order. Should cover all eventualities up to and including the universe reaching a state of maximum entropy.

[hplasm]

Re: Omnishambles

A TIFKAM screen?

[Dave 126]

Re: Omnishambles

>In light of the recent OED entry, I suggest an icon to represent 'onmishables'

>Not sure what though.

A coffee machine.

In the original context, Malcom Tucker continued to express his exasperation thus: "You're like one of those coffee machines... from bean to cup, you f*** up!"

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Omnishambles

Nope, because you'd then need icons for polyshambles, multishambles, trishambles and the like.

[flashdba]

Handbags at Dawn

How about a handbag icon for use when a comment thread descends into petty a tit-for-tat hair-pulling bitchfest?

The way I see it is that party A and party B slug it out getting increasingly off-topic until innocent bystander C pops up with the handbag icon to say "you girls get a room", at which point A and B are embarrassed into silence and we can all get on with our lives.

Only problem is I see it getting worn out very quickly...

[Darryl]

Re: Handbags at Dawn

Yeah, like A and B would actually be embarassed and shut up. You new around here?

[Chris 171]

More options to berate apple please, many more.

And didnt there used to be a ROTM icon? or is that the bizarro 'your foster parents' one nowadays?

[Vic]

Re: More options to berate apple please, many more.

> or is that the bizarro 'your foster parents' one nowadays?

Yep. Say the phrase in an Austrian accent, and it makes a bit more sense...

Vic.

[Valeyard]

gremlin

A gremlin in a microwave, for software bugs/gremlins of fail, and to represent my smouldering and probably irrational (it's hard to tell anymore) seething bubbling-beneath-the-surface everytime sir runcipal spoon uses "Sir" as a title to a reply, I feel as if he's going to ask for more porridge

[Valeyard]

Re: gremlin

And some sorta of crazy doo-lally icon for when manfrommars1 posts of course ;)

[moonface]

Re: gremlin

Dr Hans Zarkov icon for jake, for knocking up that old spaceship from bits of kit, found around the ranch. You too would scoff at new fangled technology only capable of low earth orbit, when you can easily commute to Mungo.

[moonface]

Re: gremlin

D'oh! it's the planet Mongo not Mungo!

Serious suggestion: Ming the merciless for being the bringer of anthropomorphic climatatic calamities. (though stickly speaking he isn't human)

[Longrod_von_Hugendong]

We need

a bullshit icon

[richardcox13]

Re: We need

Unicode already has its 'PILE OF POO' (U+1F4A9), so this isn't much of a stretch.

http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f4a9/index.htm

[Martin Budden]

Re: We need

Only one font has implemented that unicode, but it's a goody (I mean doody): http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/font/symbola/u1F4A9.png

[JimmyPage]

Please fix the forums first

before adding icons (unless you add a "please fix it" icon).

You *used* to be able to "view post in context" when reviewing your own posts. Click that link and it took you - amazingly - to see your post in the thread.

You took it away over a year ago - and looking in the user forums, I'm not the only one who misses it.

Please ?

Please ?

Please ?

[Simon Harris]

Re: Please fix the forums first

and how about an option to nest posts in a thread so that it's obvious that the scathing post below mine isn't slagging me off, but the person I was replying to!

... unless they actually were slagging me off!

[Fred Flintstone]

.. and an "edit" option

I rather like the ability to only edit your posts for a short time (otherwise the comments can become meaningless). Especially when I'm using a system where my pet hate (Autoscrewup Correct) has been left on, posts develop errors only when you click the "post" button, which is why you get so many delete-and-repost entries.

[Anonymous Coward]

My posts / .posting in context - your wish is granted.

Not just for reply tos anymore. Click on the "posted" timestamp link when in my posts to see in action.

[Z-Eden]

I like the current Oatmeal style Icons.

Need a dead computer icon

Where's the Paris/Lohan angle?

[Anonymous Coward]

firing squad

Somebody being put against the wall and shot (useful for any patent lawyer related comments, or government ones come to think of it).

[Thomas 4]

A Patent Wars icon is needed

Perhaps a picture of Lucy Koh facepalming might be appropriate, or possibly a crying toddler.

[richardcox13]

Re: A Patent Wars icon is needed

A crying toddler. or rather having a strop would cover many a report of legal posturing.

[Captain DaFt]

Re: A Patent Wars icon is needed

Yes, YES! definitely a tantrum baby icon!

Suitable for patent suits, inflated egos, DRM pushers, and clueless self entitled mouth frothers of all ilk.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: A Patent Wars icon is needed

"A crying toddler. or rather having a strop would cover many a report of legal posturing."

How would you be clear that this is an American baby?

[Vulch]

Rocket Science

For when the Boffin just isn't enough...

[Simon Harris]

Brain Surgery

For when Rocket Science just isn't enough...

[Darryl]

Re: Brain Surgery

This ain't rocket surgery, ya know

[GrahamT]

Re: Rocket Science

A rocket in a road sign with a diagonal line through it for: "It's not rocket science..." ?

[Bob Vistakin]

Android / Apple / Microsoft

Android taking a much bigger bite out of Apple.

A wrinkled old Apple full of maggots

Microsoft - just a broken window with rats leaping out of it will do

Nokia - similar, since it's just a microsoft department now, but make that a sinking ship sailing away from a burning platform..

[Flakey]

Forget Apples...

..give us a bacon sarnie icon

[Blitheringeejit]

Brown trouser icon?

For being afraid, very afraid...

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one...

What about a "I for one welcome our ????? Overlord"?

Showing people on their knees bowing...

[NoneSuch]

The prudish snake covering the naked coffin model would be a nice NSFW icon. Not that it would be used for that, mind you.

[Fred Flintstone]

A bit redundant..

When you see the icon it's probably a tad late not to look at the entry :)

[Simon Harris]

corners...

How about an old piece of bread with rounded corners that's gone a bit dry and is curling up at the edges...

... because jokes about rounded corners and patents are getting a bit stale now.

(and yes, I'll admit, I've joined in with the masses and made the odd rounded corner comment in my time!)

[Esskay]

couple of ideas

-Bring back the Steve Jobs icon - but turn it horizontal, and make it appear as though it's rotating.

-A patent lawyer hanging from a noose.

-With Windows 8 and WP8 hitting the scene like mr creosote doing a bellyflop, how about a Ballmer icon? To express general loud noises mentalness (maybe replace the megaphone with him).

-a "here's an idea..." icon would be nice - maybe a lightbulb, Einstein, etc

-I rarely use the ROTM/foster parents icon, but that's mainly due to an unfortunate lack of stories that require it, rather than an innate dislike of it.

[Fred Flintstone]

Re: couple of ideas

Actually, if you can do animated icons I'd like a chair throwing Steve Balmer, please..

[Simon Harris]

Re: couple of ideas

... and the Steve Ballmer 'Developers Developers Developers' dance please!

[Anonymous Coward]

One of these please

Beastie

Lest we forget that the penguin has a more refined, older relative.

[Michael Thibault]

or, to save some space...

Beastie with trident roasting the bird, the fruit, and whatever the fuck that blue thing is that Ms paid excessively for.

[Colin Millar]

A lamppost and Carter Pewterschmidt

For "When the revolution comes" and "Grumpy old man" (Yeah I know but I can't bring myself to use any of that bloody smiley crap)

And weed out the others

Smiley's (come on Reg - really - smiley's in 2012?)

Joke alert - cos if you use the icon it isn't

Paris - so noughties

Pingu, fanboi and wuser - just replace all of these with a zombie icon indicating braindeadness and fandroids, arsefacers, chromeheads and fans of korean and norwegian hardware can all get on board

[Big_Boomer]

A classic Cat line from Red Dwarf

Yes, I would like to propose a "What you talkin' about dog-breath?" icon. Yes, I do know that it's a variation on Colemans catchphrase from "Diff'rent Strokes".

As for what could go, "a divine being" and "the spawn of satan" along with the 3 smileys and "Your foster parents are dead". I agree with the need for Linux, Windows, Apple, and Android fanboi icons as well as changing Paris to Lohan.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: A classic Cat line from Red Dwarf

Do we really need individual fanboy icons for each type? Surely a general one will do.

Also I want a smiley face icon for when I'm being politely insulting. Instead of the few times when I get a bit more grumpy and tell some other commentard to get stuffed. Only used when justified. I hope...

[Don Jefe]

Badgers and Dinosaurs

I'd like to see the Badger icon returned.

I'd also like a dinosaur icon.

Also maybe a gun...

[Joe K]

Fanboi wars

Some "I *heart* MS" and Apple icons would really get things going, as well as show true allegiances amongst the foolishly honest.

[Haku]

Re: Fanboi wars

How about a picture of Harry Hill with "FIIIIIGHT!" on it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Grammar Police

Must have a grammar police icon surely :)

[TeeCee]

Re: Grammar Police

What's wrong with the existing "Pedantic Grammar Nazi alert" one?

Hint: There's hover text you know.......

[DJ Smiley]

Donkey...

Again, obvious reasons :D

[Ian 5]

That global warming lady's backside.

Class...

[Simon B]

A burning Apple!

A burning Apple would be nice to display a hatred towards apple's stupid 'we own copyright to rectangles' and 'you can only use our software to copy files to an mp3 player(!)' etc ;)

[h4rm0ny]

10 Downing Street

We need a black door with a 10 on it, for government business.

And possibly a Union Jack for British business.

And a hamburger for Americans.

[Bronek Kozicki]

a pair of large balls made of steel

need to explain?

[Fatman]

Re: a pair of large balls made of steel

NO,

a pair of large balls made of brass

a suggestion:

http://www.bulls-balls.com/large/bigbrass.jpg

[Aqua Marina]

Emoji!!

Nuff said

[moonface]

Icons

Pigs at the trough picture.

Monopoly banker.

Chinese army picture. thousands marching in unison for economic progress.

The most corporate and perfectly cheesy call centre staff picture you can find icon.

[Velv]

FAIL

You've suggested that you'll go to the pub AFTER the new list has been produced.

USELESS.

You should be going to the pub NOW to discuss the options - that'll produce a much more biting selection for commentard consumption and will avoid lots of Political Correctness rubbish (there's a point - a political correctness icon?)

[a cynic writes...]

"...a political correctness icon?"

A policemen wearing Napoleon's hat perhaps?

[Roby]

It's the only way to be sure

How about a "nuke the entire site from orbit" icon? Could be used in situations of security flaws, webSITES that people don't like, or just generally when the poo has hit the fan or someone thinks there is no hope for a certain technology/company.

It would probably end up looking a lot like the "Eat this" icon though.

[Big_Ted]

A couple I'd like

An Ostrich with its head buried in the sand

A pile of poo with steam and a fly abouve it

We also need something for patents.

How about the poo sitting on a patent application.....

[PyLETS]

A muppet

As to which one, well Kermit or Miss Piggy ? To be used for responding to a comment or commentard so described.

[Fred Flintstone]

Flying pig?

OK, it's a tad more traditional, but a flying pig is still a current expression, and very useful in especially the debates about government IT, or the MPAA/RIAA giving up or ..

[Simon Harris]

Re: Flying Car...

For those 'why haven't I got my flying car/robot monkey butler/unlimited free electricity... yet?' posts.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Flying Car...

chitty chitty bang bang icon

[Alistair]

Some days I think

-- we could use a clueless tag. In both contexts.

-- t'would be apropos this post as I've no idea what we'd use.

[Keep Refrigerated]

Burning platform

Can we have an oil rig or similar kind of platform on fire - think it would suit a number of topics/posts regarding CEO's jumping ship; doing a Ratner.

[Tom 38]

I would love a "Are You Serious Face", from the popular intertube meme "Are You Serious Face".

Tide goes in, tide goes out, can't explain it.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/are-you-serious-face-seriously

[Anonymous Coward]

Vampire with a stake through it

There are so many things that need this treatment.

[Triggerfish]

Brazil

Some sort of Brazil icon (the Terry Gilliam film). This will be to signify that even though we fear we may end up like 1984..e.g gov creates massive id card database. The follow on story a few weeks later detailing the inevitable cock ups and overruns and idiocy of bureaucracy can then have an appropriate icon.

[Arthur the cat]

Fingers in the ears, going "la la la"

for things that are getting way too much coverage like the recent US election.

[Battsman]

A gigantic ass

A gigantic ass four times as large as all other icons. Why? Because donkeys are cool.

Alternately an FSM (Flying Spaghetti Monster) because his noodley greatness demands your undying worship.

[Anonymous Coward]

Prior Art icon

Something suitably old and well known to represent the lack of obviousness and originality in a patent - maybe part of a Da Vinci invention. Or a wheel. Roll over text could be "All this has happened before" (for the BG fans).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Prior Art icon

...or a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it.

[Charlie Clark]

For patent issues

A square with rounded corners.

[Silverburn]

No icons...

...but new features.

Being able to see who downvotes you. Maybe it will encourage to post more constructive votes (ie not "sour grapes") if your voting habits were public.

It would also cut the downvoting clicks by 99% too, I suspect...

[ukgnome]

Re: No icons...

I downvoted you, and will do so for ever more.

Does that make you feel better?

[Silverburn]

Re: No icons...

It does actually - a tiny bit of evidence at last that some people downvote simply because they're twats. Something I had long suspected.

[ukgnome]

Re: No icons...

And now I have had to upvote you for your sincerity.

[Anonymous Coward]

Goatse

For you're talking out of your arse.

[Anonymous Coward]

A spinning in his grave Steve Jobs icon for all the future Apple going down the pan news reports.

A pigeon icon for all the vacant minded London stories. Yeah, I'm looking at you Techcity.....

[Psmiffy]

FSM

We need a Flying Spaghetti Monster icon ... for all religions debates and other such exciting things, also for unexplained phenomena.

[Martin Budden]

Re: FSM

Seconded!

[Spleen]

A series of tubes

For all "public figure in less knowledgeable about technology than target audience of El Reg shock" stories. A picture of the old Windows screensaver would do.

[Risky]

First thoughs:

Beard'n'Sandles - instead of penguin for *nix types.

The silly "Prince" squiggle - for TIFKAM

Whale/Joss Stick - for when the Cetean Ambient is cranked up

An Armchair - for any long posts on military matters

[Anonymous Coward]

a blue 'hot' alien

Because everyone knows that asari are 'hot'.....

and the Pirate Queen of Omega needs an icon for her posts.........

Usefull for all those stories about alien weirdness and uncertainty principle machines which make female undergarments jump 3 feet sideways......

Just look for images of asari & Aria T'Loak if in any doubt.....

[Anonymous Coward]

A few ideas

-An "in it for the money" icon, could just be a Dollar or Pound symbol

-Bring back the alien overlord welcome mat

-Sadly, we should think about replacing Paris Hilton with a new high-profile minx.....the downside of Paris growing up finally, I guess.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bumper car

Could you make the satan icon look less like a happy bumper car?

Anothe vote also for the ol' badger's paws icon.

[JimC]

Cute Puppy and Mandy Rice-Davies

A cute puppy or kitten or something to express that vaguely heart warming yet exasperating feeling that is brought by the sight of sweet and innocent but utter naivety...

And most of all, a Mandy Rice-Davies icon, for those who would say that wouldn' they...

[Trevor_Pott]

Picard facepalm.

[Martin Budden]

re. Picard facepalm.

Great idea, and a simple drop-in replacement for the current boring icon (see left).

[Trevor_Pott]

The extant one doesn't have the same cultural "baggage" as the Picard facepalm. "Facepalms" on the net have become a stratified thing. There are :layers: to their use. Which one gets used depends on the level of fail involved. We already have a "fail" icon. I posit that this is roughly the same "rank" as our extant facepalm icon. Thus they are completely redundant. "Fail" + Picard facepalm is two different layers of fail. The Picard facepalm has traditionally been used in between "regular facepalm" and the "Picard + Riker double facepalm" which is itself one layer lower than the "meta-Picard facepalm" made up of hundreds of smaller facepalms.

Memes!

[Blofeld's Cat]

A light bulb...

For those "I've got a cunning plan" moments.

[Old Handle]

It seems to me the current "fanboi" and "windows user" icons are not sufficiently clear. I think we need something that more unambiguously says "I love Apple!" (or Microsoft). Also I think Android deserves its own, separate from Tux.

[Petrea Mitchell]

"I am a geek wallowing in my geekiness"

For those comment threads that get taken over by obscure Doctor Who trivia, Goon Show references, etc.

Being a hardcore sf fan, the first icon that suggests itself to me is the multicolored propeller beanie, but I suppose you could go for wider mainstream comprehensibility (at least for British readers, anyway) with an anorak.

[CaptSmegHead]

Feed the troll icon

An extended hand offering food, for those times you can't help feeding trolls

[CaptSmegHead]

Sweatshop icon

For all those Foxconn stories

[Martin Budden]

Fingers in ears, going "la la la".

Would get used a lot for Lewis Page articles, by commentards from both sides of the Great Divide.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just give us proper indenting, please.

So we can easily see which comment is replying to which other comment. It's not rocket surgery.

[Anonymous Custard]

Three Wise Monkeys

How about a 3 wise monkeys icon (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil)?

Specificially at the moment for Apple/Samsung patent discussions, relating to "I don't give a **** any more, I'm fed up with it" posts?

[Anonymous Coward]

TM

Or how about a TM icon, for similar posts about patents, trademarks and other stuff we're now thoroughly sick of?

[Anonymous Coward]

Facepalm

For the times when an omnishambles becomes a FFS!

[M7S]

A love heart?

There's a huge amount of negativity going on here.

[Cliff]

A tool

if we can't have the male chicken, a tool would be handy and charmingly ambiguous

[Martin Budden]

Gotta have these:

Discworld

HHGTTG

Red Dwarf

[Risky]

Off- topic

I was thinking of a hat-stand icon for completely off-topic posts.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Off- topic

wibble

[CaptSmegHead]

Dad army

Corporal jones (RIP) icon. - don't panic !

Or

Private Fraser - we're doomed !

[CaptSmegHead]

Wooden spoon icon

[Pedigree-Pete]

Marvin

No not Hank, the Martian one. 'Coz I like him.

Icon, only one apropriate:)

[Gobhicks]

"My Mind is Blown" - Eraserhead pic would be good, but might have licensing issues.

"Are You Tripping?" - sunshine blotter design, maybe?

[Anonymous Coward]

How about an icon of a cannabis plant, or a bong, for all of those "I don't know what you're smoking, but can I have half a pound*** of it please?" moments?

***Or Grapefruit/Funbag/Insert appropriate El Reg Unit

[jukejoint]

Scissors snipping the head off ...

...for things that reek of male privilege rolling in its own smegmess.

And what about something for the blues: some type of idiot icon we can attach to whatever's getting everyone down, perhaps a mashup of the Israeli & Palestinian flags.