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    Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

    (www.reuters.com)
    386 points italophil | 11 comments | 10 Dec 25 00:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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    zzo38computer ◴[10 Dec 25 06:40 UTC] No.46214792[source]▶
    Calibri font has "I" and "l" the same, according to Wikipedia. A better font should avoid characters being too similar (such as "I" and "l" and "1").

    Another issue is due to the font size and font metrics, how much space it will take up on the page, to be small enough to avoid wasting paper and ink but also not too small to read.

    So, there are multiple issues in choosing the fonts; however, Times New Roman and Calibri are not the only two possible choices.

    Maybe the government should make up their own (hopefully public domain) font, which would be suitable for their purposes (and avoiding needing proprietary fonts), and use that instead.

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    jazzyjackson ◴[10 Dec 25 22:57 UTC] No.46225182[source]▶
    > Maybe the government should make up their own

    They have, public sans, courtesy of USWDS, and it does distinguish between l and I with a little hook/spur on lowercase el

    https://public-sans.digital.gov/

    https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Public+Sans?preview.text=1...

    replies(3): >>46225686 #>>46226214 #>>46227683 #
    1. wombatpm ◴[11 Dec 25 04:32 UTC] No.46227683[source]▶
    Is USWDS still a thing? I thought they were DOGED out of existence.
    replies(2): >>46227731 #>>46228273 #
    2. jazzyjackson ◴[11 Dec 25 04:39 UTC] No.46227731[source]▶
    Good question, with a little searching I found that, in true DOGE fashion, there exists an executive order announcing a new "National Design Studio" which is tasked with updating USWDS

    So why fonts are being managed by Rubio and not the Chief Design Officer is anyone's guess

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-pr...

    replies(1): >>46227920 #
    3. sailfast ◴[11 Dec 25 05:14 UTC] No.46227920[source]▶
    Yeah it’s fascist looking as hell, and they’re the ones that have been registering all these rando program domains. So, so dumb - if only because it’s redundant and wasteful.

    https://ndstudio.gov/

    With such inspiring copy as “What's the biggest brand in the world? If you said Trump, you're not wrong. But what's the foundation of that brand? One that's more globally recognized than practically anything else. It's the nation…where he was born. It's the United States of America.” how can you go wrong?

    replies(1): >>46228443 #
    4. ycombigrator ◴[11 Dec 25 06:23 UTC] No.46228273[source]▶
    I think the whole US is being DOGED out of existence tbh.
    5. Terr_ ◴[11 Dec 25 06:55 UTC] No.46228443{3}[source]▶
    For anyone sharing my confusion: Yes, that cringetastic text (and borderline Hatch-Act violation) is up there, but it's a different linked domain:

    https://americabydesign.gov/

    replies(4): >>46229503 #>>46230000 #>>46231752 #>>46232258 #
    6. jrjeksjd8d ◴[11 Dec 25 09:57 UTC] No.46229503{4}[source]▶
    The funniest part of this site is talking about how important design is, and then having one bad quality video of a US flag and a bunch of giant text fading into view while scrolling. It's giving "graphic design is my passion"
    7. zimpenfish ◴[11 Dec 25 11:15 UTC] No.46230000{4}[source]▶
    I'm no expert but "We've been conditioned to accept that mediocre in government is normal." reads terribly.

    Surely it should be "...that mediocrity in..." or even "...that mediocre government..." or even "...that being mediocre in...". All of those are better!

    edit: this text is a mess. "It's time to upgrade, and fix the nation's digital potholes." That comma is nonsense.

    replies(1): >>46231586 #
    8. NekkoDroid ◴[11 Dec 25 14:12 UTC] No.46231586{5}[source]▶
    > edit: this text is a mess. "It's time to upgrade, and fix the nation's digital potholes." That comma is nonsense.

    I assume they wanted to look smart in the sense "look at us, we used the oxford comma" without actually understanding that the oxford comma needs 3 or more elements listed to be an actual oxford comma.

    9. sailfast ◴[11 Dec 25 14:24 UTC] No.46231752{4}[source]▶
    Yes thank you for posting the click-through. Just about every site they make is hot garbage unfortunately. It’s depressing.

    The Hatch Act is a law, but is effectively dead under this administration as it is never enforced and often violated brazenly.

    10. sorenjan ◴[11 Dec 25 15:04 UTC] No.46232258{4}[source]▶
    > AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

    > What's the biggest brand in the world? If you said Trump, you're not wrong.

    This is beyond satire by now, it reminds me of Idi Amin and his official title:

    His full self-bestowed title ultimately became: "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"

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    11. ◴[11 Dec 25 15:37 UTC] No.46232691{5}[source]▶