# A Universal "GO" icon **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120 "2009-07-06T20:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/1 "2009-07-06T20:07:51Z")
I’m building a sciency instrument that will be used around the world. What would be a good simple icon to put on the “go” button to make it “go”. I currently have a [COLOR=“SeaGreen”]green Check[/COLOR], but I’m absolutely dissatisfied with that. How about a [COLOR=“seagreen”]green arrow[/COLOR]? is a [COLOR=“seagreen”]green button [/COLOR]all I need (without an icon)? So dopers what’s your opinion. What would be a nice Universal GO Icon? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/2 "2009-07-06T20:25:00Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > What would be a nice Universal GO Icon? In the past I’ve used a green version of the PLAY button on a VCR/DVD Player. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/3 "2009-07-06T20:26:13Z")
I had vague memories that the check mark means something else in the Nordic countries, and Wikipedia seems to [bear me out](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_mark): > [@](#): > > In some European countries, (e.g., Finland and Sweden), the tick can be used as an error mark and indicates “no” rather than “yes”. In Japan and Korea, an “O Mark” (in the appearance of a circle, unicode symbol “◯”), also known as “丸印” marujirushi, is used instead of a tick to mean “yes”. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/4 "2009-07-06T20:54:14Z")
I’ve seen the green circle **O** (open or filled) to mean go, as opposed to the red **X** or slash/O for stop. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/5 "2009-07-07T01:03:26Z")
Granted, I’m not a well traveled individual, but on travel television shows traffic lights all seem to have green for go and red for stop. I don’t think you can go wrong with a green button. A lot of items have a system that looks like it was inspired by binary code, with a 1 for on and a 0 for off. (I don’t like that system though because for some reason my brain wants to think O for on and / for off, so I have to stop and think about which button to hit. This could just be me, though, and everyone else in the world has figured this coding out.) ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/6 "2009-07-07T02:22:34Z")
Definitely skip the check mark- a red check mark was the “incorrect” mark in my elementary school, and I’m not even from any of the countries **Sunspace** mentioned. I think a green circle or button is probably the way to go, with the VCR/DVD play button as a second choice. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/7 "2009-07-07T07:50:57Z")
[Here’s](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-9364689-arrows-web-icons-green-glossy-circle-buttons-series.php) [Some](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-9445365-basic-web-icons-green-glossy-circle-buttons-series.php) [Ideas…](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-7109753-main-functions-buttons.php) ---
**Author:** ![Other\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Other\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Other_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/8 "2009-07-07T08:03:22Z")
How about you use an Eye? Like, a green ring with a big round circle in the middle… No? O.K., then. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/9 "2009-07-07T08:56:15Z")
Green button. I didn’t encounter checkmarks until I went to the US (I’m from Spain). If the “stop” button is a different one, make it a red X. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/10 "2009-07-07T09:01:12Z")
The Buddy Christ. I have no idea what “off” would be though. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/11 "2009-07-07T10:29:33Z")
Perhaps a green version of a [computers on button](http://www.mrcheapstuff.com/images/computer_on_button.jpg) would be a good idea. They seem fairly universally understood these days. Maybe a [sideways one](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2400498080_c1fc18a255.jpg?v=0) with an arrow attached to the horizontal bar. Alternatively you could use the common browser [reload button](http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_125/11726011173L9LVk.jpg). Of this [style](http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_126/1172718169Xmpew4.jpg). I suppose it depends if your application “runs” when it “goes” or “sends” when it “goes” etc. Things can “go” in very different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/12 "2009-07-07T14:34:52Z")
If I saw a reload/refresh button I’d assume it meant “reset”. I think the green Play arrow is probably your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-go-icon/502120/13 "2009-07-07T15:00:29Z")
I agree with the idea of PLAY/STOP as I think it’s pretty universal at this point, so a right facing green triangle and, if needed, a red square. I’d avoid anything potentially ambigious, even a circle (which could mean stop or off, if it were paired with something that might indicate that). I’d also avoid just color in the event that someone is color blind.