New OPML Icon

RSS and Atom Web Feeds have had their own icon for a while now.

And as subscribing to blogs, news sites, and magazines has become more and more popular and more and more mainstream, usage of the (defacto) standard Web Feed icon (originally created for Mozilla Firefox) has been helpful and has improved usability.

Eventually, the Web Feed icon will be as recognizable and as understood as the stop sign and traffic lights.

Today, it has become popular to list the blogs, news sites, and magazines you subscribe to. (So that you can help others find good stuff to read.) One way of exposing this information is with OPML.

However, unlike RSS and Atom Web Feeds, OPML (and other outlining formats like XOXO) haven't had an icon of their own to use. That is, until now.

New OPML Icon

Chris Pirillo has created a new OPML icon.

And my first impression is.... I like it.

I think it is aesthetically good looking. It looks similar to the Web Feed icon, so it is consistent. And, IMO, it is easy to recognize and remember, so it is good in that respect, in terms of usability.

XOXO Icon Too

Now, even though the icon was designed just for OPML, I'd like to suggest that this be used for all kinds of outlining formats. Like XOXO and OML, in addition to OPML.

So that the icon becomes the universal web outline icon.

You Be The Judge

So, enough talking. Go an take a look at Chris Pirillo's new OPML icon and see it for yourself.

-- Charles Iliya Krempeaux, B.Sc.