I was checking the latest pre-Alpha of haiku. It was the first time I actually installed a post-BeOS Built (I dont know if I should called like that). The last time I used BeOS was almost 8 years ago, and the feeling is still there, is like when you have a new girlfriend and you enjoy everything about her. But then something break that feeling and it was the firefox icon of the browser, I dont know, for some reason it doesn’t fit in the GUI. I know is just an icon and there are more important things to worry but there should be some kind of guidelines to icons. It was the same on the early days of Mac OS X with its aqua icons and some software that used a very different icon style.
I also think that Firefox’s icon needs to be changed to to fit in with haiku, and its guidelines. But I would hope that no one would just do a quick copy, edit, paste; and use the icon from net+ .
Anyway the icon guidelines can be found here:
http://api.haiku-os.org/icon_guidelines/
Admin Edit: Updated link.
Do I understand that you want a completly different icon? If it’s just that you want it to be scalable it is in the works for the Haiku builds thanks to stippi.
No is not about being scalable, it is about simplicity. BeOS/Haiku icons have always been kinda simple and fun. Firefox logo is kinda complex. Of course is a pretty cool icon but it doesn’t fit in the Haiku style. Well of course thats just my point of view.
O good idea for the firefox icon could be a small fox similar to the tracker dog jumping over a flame.
How is that simpler and less “complex” than a fox wrapped around a globe (which is probably more recognizeable for a web browser)? There are probably some branding issues here as well, but if possible, the best thing would be to just “Haikuify” it making it comply to the HVIF guide lines, something like what’s have been done for making the Firefox icon follow Tango rules: ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs
Another point is that the Firefox logo is pretty well known on computers all around, just like the IE logo. I don’t think changing it is a really good idea. Making it a bit more Haiku, so that it looks more integrated, would be fine though.
Not only that, but there are definitely branding restrictions for Firefox that sort of prevent deviation in the artwork… I would guess that a scalable version of the same icon would be acceptable, but changing it entirely probably violates some branding restriction with Mozilla, and thus would likely force the Bezilla guys to name the browser something other than Firefox for official builds. I’m not sure that this tradeoff is worth it for such a minor blemish 
Haiku will eventually have its own native browser, likely based on webkit, which would probably be the appropriate time to design a custom icon.
I don’t think we should mess around with icons for other apps. Also, native apps will look and act like they belong on haiku and legacy apps like firefox won’t. Changing the icon won’t change the fact that firefox wasn’t designed for Haiku in mind.
Second that
I actually like the Firefox logo, don’t get me wrong. But the firefox logo is very detailed, it has many elements like the earth geography the hair chunks and strands over the fox, it is not as plain as the tracker dog. And those details get lost in small icons like in the tracker bar or in a list view.
Henceforth I shall call him Walter!
Walter? Who? Me? Why?
I guess he has replied to URIAS who wrote: “[…] but changing it entirely probably violates some branding restriction with Mozilla, and thus would likely force the Bezilla guys to name the browser something other than Firefox for official builds […]”
Why is Firefox called -most of the time- Bon Echo in haiku?
IceCat could alway be used aswell.
Yes, seems replying got messed up because I needed to login.
Walter was a joke for one of the new names for Haiku before it became Haiku.
Actually, it seems it places replies whereever it wants to.
When the build is not doing according to how official builds should be done, the name is BonEcho. This includes all builds which have one or more patches in them. Usually it means you are using a better build when it comes to Haiku.
CVS builds lags behind a lot due to the many hoops we have to jump thru to even get code commited.
(Replying is totally messed up. Now it even thinks I’m replying to myself.)
I will be rather honest, the internet itself is rather complex… so there is method to the madness to having the Firefox icon a little compicated by design.
It’s the codename to what became FireFox 2… you would happen to see that term if you where running a build of Firefox Mindfield (the testing builds of Firefox X.Y).
Well, I am sure that there is some restrictions to how the icon should be handled and guideline to such… If anything, I would at least voice something about it to the Mozilla Foundation and/or the Mozilla Corperation for claifation on if icons would also validate as logo’s (which I doubt, but again the policy is not clear on that), and/or another other trademark matters.
These questions still remains; Could the icon be made scaleable using the HVIF standard? (probably) Could it be altered to follow the HVIF guidelines (colors, perspective), without altering it too much?
Even changing the logo colors or orientation is definitely a violation of Mozilla’s logo policy and is specifically noted.
It’s kinda funny. I never thought this post would get that much attention. It made it to the headlines!!!
Hehe… It probably has to do with the fact that the Haiku community is kind of picky (at least me). I understand how the current firefox icon could be regarded as a thorn in the eye. It’s probably not a good idea to spend too much resources on this, though I believe that Haiku will benefit from this “pickyness” in the end. 