News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

July 27, 2007

geekery

Consider your option

Posted Jul. 27, ’07, 8:54 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Geekery

Option KeyJust proof that even having been a Mac User for about sixteen years now, there’s always something new to learn. In the past we’ve discussed the origin of the command key symbol (the cloverleaf that represents a “place of interest” in some countries). But not long ago, as I was browsing through a menu, a thought struck me: what about the other modifier keys?

Well, shift uses an uppercase arrow (⇧), which is pretty straightforward. Control is also an up arrowhead (⌃), similar to a caret. If not as obvious, it at least conveys the idea of “shifting” the functions of the keys that are pressed in conjunctions.

But what about the option key’s symbol: ⌥. I’d never really taken the time to look at it, but once I did it was pretty obvious: it’s a switch. I thought of a railroad track, but the Wikipedia entry says it’s a microswitch for electric currents. Still, it makes perfect sense: what is a switch if not an option?

For those of you are rolling their eyes and muttering that this is so blindingly obvious, you may now take solace in the fact that you’re officially smarter than I am. Enjoy the moment, before I whip out a postmodern analysis of the works of Naguib Mahfouz and put you back in your place.

[Picture borrowed from 43 Folders]


3 Comments

Fletcher said:

That's funny. I always kind of thought it was a diagram of where on the keyboard the Option key was, but not a very good diagram. A switch makes a lot more sense.

Ever since the symbols were added to the menus I have found it odd that they aren't actually shown on the keys (except for Control). I wish they'd either print the symbols on the keys or just use "opt" and "ctrl" in the menu when they show the shortcut.

July 27, 2007 10:12 AM
Stacey said:

Well, that clears it up for me... I wondered about that for the longest time. Thanks!!

July 27, 2007 10:31 AM
DBL said:

No I have never perceived this as a 'switch' until you mentioned it, and even after you did, it took me about thirty seconds to figure out in what specific way that symbol portrays a switch. (One can easily get sidetracked by focusing on the user interface of switches rather than their internal design, and the user interface is of course what most people experience, so this is another reason I think this was not very obvious at all.)

July 27, 2007 5:27 PM

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