d2r: opml icon?

opml icon?

This webapp I'm writing for Nooked has, as one of its outputs, OPML (It outputs RSS as well of course). Now for the RSS output I'm using the common white-on-orange XML icon:

But for OPML there doesn't seem to be a common icon. I wanted something along similar lines, and I did this:

Now, my question is: Does this exist already? I have the strongest feeling of having seen this, somewhere... has anyone else? Why blue? I don't know. It seemed appropriate. One thing that bugs me a bit is that OPML is technically XML as well (although many OPML files out there don't validate) so you really have to look "beyond meaning" and just say "orange icon: RSS, blue icon: OPML" (or whatever) regardless of what they say. Maybe it's time to have an orange "RSS" icon? Or is the XML icon too ingrained by now?

Btw, there are many possibilities for this set of questions to spawn a flamewar, I'm really not interested in that. :) Mostly, I wonder: do people have a favorite way of representing OPML feeds, either in their own apps or as users? Any feedback will be appreciated!

Categories: soft.dev
Posted by diego on December 28 2004 at 12:32 PM

Comments (please see the comments & trackback policy).

The Coffee Cup with the Red Scribbled OPML Text is The Officially Sanctioned Non-Flameable Icon for OPML and All Derivatives. You would be avised to take down your barbarian and heretical "blue icon" as soon as possible.

http://monster2.scripting.com/blogs/pics/opml/opml.gif

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/images/icon_opml.gif

http://radio.weblogs.com/0001015/images/2002/03/11/fullcup.gif

Posted by: Russ at December 28, 2004 6:11 PM

:-) Actually, I did try with the cup. :) The reason I went the heretic road is that the Cup icon, while recognizable, is *too* distinctive--so much so that it grabs attention away from other things in the page, including the XML/RSS icon. The fact that it's alternate representation also points towards some generic formatting...

Posted by: Diego at December 28, 2004 6:20 PM

Why don't you go with Russ' second link? That doesn't seem too distracting and it has no cup.

Posted by: Rafael at December 29, 2004 5:01 AM

A quick Google search:

http://images.google.com/images?q=opml&imgsz=icon&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&start=0&sa=N

The blue icon is used at rollerweblog.org. ;-)

Posted by: Gerd Riesselmann at December 31, 2004 1:14 PM

Unbelievable: I did a google image search of course, but I looked for "opml icon" not just "opml", and my search returned no results. Anyway, rollerweblog must've been where I saw it! Thanks, Gerd.

Posted by: Diego at December 31, 2004 1:41 PM