# What is this symbol? Is there any factual reason for it's ubiquity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2004, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156 "2004-11-05T11:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/21 "2004-11-05T19:54:21Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Speaking of ellipsoid shapes, how about [UPS’](http://www.ups.com) newish logo? Some designer took the classc string-tied package off the top of the [old logo](http://www.courier-journal.com/business/news2003/03/25/03-25-2003_biz-front_UPS_brown_logo.jpg), diddled with the type face and slid that … that … shape … into the logo. It looks like they got the guy who designed the new Air Force logo. I think it’s supposed to represent a shield. I have no idea why they’d choose that, but that’s how it appears to me. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/22 "2004-11-05T23:20:04Z")
I absolutely hated logos like that when I was a trade mark examiner in the UK Patent Office in the late 80’s, before the days of computerised device searching. They fell into the extremely vague category known as “Curvilinear - various” and the worst was an application Class 9, which covers all electrical and electronic instruments and apparatus. Effing nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/23 "2004-11-06T00:04:23Z")
Speaking as someone who once created just such a logo for his own company, I can say that the reasons for me were: 1. Easy to do 2. Sorta techno-future-modern looking 3. Easy to do All I had was a copy of paint shop pro and a budget of zero. So I made this: [Archive link of website](http://web.archive.org/web/20000310143855/http://businessvelocity.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/24 "2004-11-06T02:02:38Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Is there some reason for it’s ubiquity Fnord It’s pretty! ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/25 "2004-11-06T02:18:45Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > The one I’ve noticed a lot lately is the variation of the @ symbol, except with some other letter instead of the ‘a’. There’s this bar/lounge/club/whatever in this city that is called **@tmosphere**. It drives me crazy. If they were going to use the commercial “at” symbol, and use it correctly, wouldn’t it be “@mosphere”? At present, isn’t it really “attmosphere”? I feel like a jackass for complaining about this. ::slinks away:: ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/26 "2004-11-06T02:45:25Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > The one I’ve noticed a lot lately is the variation of the @ symbol, except with some other letter instead of the ‘a’. Kevin Pease did a three strip long arc on that very topic in his comic [Absurd Notions](http://www.absurdnotions.org/), and with reader help compiled an alphabet of “things in at signs other than an ‘a’”. The only missing letters are j, l, q, t, and y. The first two comics and the alphabet are on this page: [http://www.absurdnotions.org/page70.html#ats](http://www.absurdnotions.org/page70.html#ats) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/27 "2004-11-06T03:27:25Z")
Then there’s [the classic “meatball” from 1959](http://www.thespacestore.com/nalost.html). Swooshy, sinuous ribbon/arrow thingie? Check. Futuristic ellipse? Check. Suggestion of movement? Yep, both kinds – rotational and linear! Yet it’s grounded (no pun intended) in a certain retro charm. Check out that short, chunky serif-laden font and the earnestly overdetailed visual busyness of the image… almost as if it was designed by a rocket scientist who couldn’t wait to return to his “real” job in the Mercury program. **NASA**. The \*sine qua non \* of swooshy, elliptical, dynamic and yet somewhat cheesy logos. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/28 "2004-11-06T03:30:56Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Fnord It’s pretty! I was gonna say, I think it’s Arabic for “fnord”. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/29 "2004-11-06T07:15:46Z")
> [@Barrytown](#): > > There’s this bar/lounge/club/whatever in this city that is called **@tmosphere**. It drives me crazy. If they were going to use the commercial “at” symbol, and use it correctly, wouldn’t it be “@mosphere”? At present, isn’t it really “attmosphere”? > > I feel like a jackass for complaining about this. > > ::slinks away:: I believe you are incorrect. I’ll check the next time I’m on the Clark Street bus, but my girlfriend recalls noticing the sign and remarking on how they did it right. Also, the [Andersonville Chamber of Commerce](http://www.andersonville.org/) listing has the name listed correctly. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/30 "2004-11-06T08:55:56Z")
Designers move in packs–funny, given that their job is to move apart from the pack. The swoosh is just one trend. See also: the “Se7en” look (highly distressed, barely legible) and the Flash look (very simple, clinically clean, lots of outline elements and late-90’s colors). Lately I’m noticing a lot of vaguely carnival-like design, using aged browns and ornate typefaces, maybe brought about by Carnivale on HBO. Not sure if it’s a full-blown trend just yet. Once it shows up in local news promos or a Ditech spot, it’s officially ubiquitous. Nike’s swoosh logo is a different animal from the dot com swooshes all around. It’s much older, more original in its day, and unique. It’s not just a couple of ellipses overlapping, it’s a form of its own. The rest is hack work, inspired by client demands or creative laziness. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/31 "2004-11-06T19:44:55Z")
> [@Wikkit](#): > > The only missing letters are j, l, q, t, and y. Actually, I’ve seen t used as well, by a friend of mine. He started up a short-lived web design company called Tariax, and used the t in a circle for the logo. But they’re long since defunct, so it’s not online anymore. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/32 "2004-11-06T19:47:01Z")
> [@initech](#): > > The rest is hack work, inspired by client demands or creative laziness. Hey, thanks! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/33 "2004-11-06T20:55:52Z")
My company has a double orbit swooshy thingie, and a planet. The planet dots an “i.” I’m actually kind of proud if we’ve managed to be even moderately with it for once. Of course, we’ll keep this logo until way past the time we should’ve changed, but hey, you can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/34 "2004-11-06T21:01:57Z")
I just noticed that the shirt I’m wearing right now has [this logo](http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/isss/title.gif). Yep, two crescents and a circle. At least it fits the application. (It’s less jaggedy on the shirt.) ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/35 "2004-11-08T09:30:54Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > Hey, thanks! :dubious: No offense intended there. I’ve used this technique myself, many times. Just 'cause it’s hack work doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay the bills! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/36 "2004-11-08T11:01:35Z")
> [@Barrytown](#): > > There’s this bar/lounge/club/whatever in this city that is called **@tmosphere**. It drives me crazy. If they were going to use the commercial “at” symbol, and use it correctly, wouldn’t it be “@mosphere”? At present, isn’t it really “attmosphere”? > > I feel like a jackass for complaining about this. > > ::slinks away:: Actually, I’ve been in that joint, and it ought to be @MO’sphere. it’s a gay bar, see. and I didn’t know that when i went in, plus i was with my wife, and we…oh nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/37 "2004-11-10T00:51:22Z")
I beliebe these arcs can be defined as “oblate cresents”. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/38 "2004-11-10T02:48:07Z")
The wave logo is worse for lack of imagination. The “swoosh” and “oblate cresent” are used more in technical products. The wave logo (a sine wave of one wavelength) is even more ubiquitous, with the focus seeming to be on food products. There are many logos that use this exact wave shape. Did Coca Cola call it the “power wave”? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156/39 "2004-11-10T12:01:55Z")
> [@fighting ignorant](#): > > Speaking as someone who once created just such a logo for his own company, I can say that the reasons for me were: > > 1. Easy to do > 2. Sorta techno-future-modern looking > 3. Easy to do > > All I had was a copy of paint shop pro and a budget of zero. So I made this: > > [Archive link of website](http://web.archive.org/web/20000310143855/http://businessvelocity.com/) You didn’t do [this](http://www.inkandstuff.co.uk/) one too, did you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol-is-there-any-factual-reason-for-its-ubiquity/273156.md?page=1)