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Apple and the Gun Emoji

(blog.emojipedia.org)
59 points firloop | 5 comments | 06 Aug 16 23:36 UTC | HN request time: 1.15s | source
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dade_[dead post] ◴[07 Aug 16 02:48 UTC] No.12240826[source]▶
This doesn't matter. Under no circumstances are normal people saying bring a gun to a park with Emojis. Only in the US is this even a possibility, and even then, good gunlovng Americans would specify which type of gun to bring. If I need an automatic, a shotgun, a rifle, a good American friend always provides clarity! This article is silly. If you use a gun in a emoji you are not being serious, which means a toy gun is the perfect icon. Americans, please go deal with your lunatic sociopath running for office. For the love of God and all that is holy, my anus is bleeding!
1. morgante ◴[07 Aug 16 02:53 UTC] No.12240832[source]▶
The issue isn't that people are necessarily seriously asking people to bring guns.

It's that people might use a toy emoji which others interpret differently.

These two messages would be interpreted very differently:

> I'm going to get you back. :toy_gun:

> I'm going to get you back. :real_gun:

replies(1): >>12240835 #
2. dade_ ◴[07 Aug 16 02:54 UTC] No.12240835[source]▶
No, they won't. This article is classic faux Reddit hivemind outrage. I have never even used the gun emoji once. have you?
replies(1): >>12240845 #
3. morgante ◴[07 Aug 16 03:00 UTC] No.12240845[source]▶
First of all, I don't think the article is outraged. I'm certainly not. I think it was a well-intentioned move by Apple with unforeseen consequences, not some grand evil plan.

Secondly, you're entirely missing the point of my comparison. I have never used the real gun emoji, but I might certainly use a toy gun in fun. The problem is that the composer might be trying to send a fun message, but it would be received negatively.

To be clear, I really don't care either way about the existence of a gun emoji. If Apple wants to remove it from the keyboard, that's fine and if they want to keep it that's also fine by me. My concern is with silently introducing a non-compatible change: it's analogous to silently making a dramatic change to the side effects of an API method without changing the name or announcing the change.

Why are you so defensive of this move? What advantage is served by switching out the emoji instead of simply removing it form the keyword?

Do you think this emoji exists on the Apple keyboard without ever being used?

replies(1): >>12240881 #
4. mcphage ◴[07 Aug 16 03:12 UTC] No.12240881{3}[source]▶
> I have never used the real gun emoji, but I might certainly use a toy gun in fun. The problem is that the composer might be trying to send a fun message, but it would be received negatively.

Is there a class of people that you're both (a) comfortable enough joking about shooting with toy guns, yet also (b) slightly nervous about them coming after you with a real gun?

replies(1): >>12240895 #
5. morgante ◴[07 Aug 16 03:17 UTC] No.12240895{4}[source]▶
I could easily imagine it happening.

Maybe you played a prank on your boyfriend. It's entirely possible that he would get you back by shooting a water gun at you. But it's also possible that he might get really mad about it and threaten you.