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Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

(www.reuters.com)
386 points italophil | 2 comments | 10 Dec 25 00:08 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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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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bulbar ◴[11 Dec 25 06:47 UTC] No.46228391[source]▶
Nothing is more inefficient than the secretary of state thinking about and conducting meetings about the font used in documents. It just doesn't matter in the sense that it "doesn't move the needle".

I expect the leaders of a government deciding on matters that have a real impact on people's live, not on stuff that from a practical point of view is totally irrelevant.

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nailer ◴[11 Dec 25 06:54 UTC] No.46228439[source]▶
The global impression of the US is worth thinking about. The font is part of that.
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1. seanhunter ◴[11 Dec 25 10:59 UTC] No.46229899[source]▶
Speaking as someone who is not from the US I can say that the global impression of the US is not helped by the secretary of state bikeshedding about fonts. There are important issues of foreign affairs that need thought and attention at this time.
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2. nailer ◴[11 Dec 25 19:18 UTC] No.46235851[source]▶
I don't think it really took much time.

"Use a better font in all documnts from now on"

There you go.