I very much enjoyed your commentary regarding typefaces, etc. As a logo/advertising/publication designer I think I can speak for our industry when I say, “Yes. Typefaces matter.” –Maybe not to everyone, but to anyone with an eye for design.

It felt really good to me to read what you had to say. I thought, “somebody noticed; somebody cares” about readability and appropriateness of use. Thanks for your interesting commentary.

I agree the point of writing & speaking is communication, and I’m not going to call out someone who uses irregardless in casual conversation. On the other hand, if I see irregardless in formal communication, it will negatively affect my opinion of the communicator. It’s just part of my personality to think there are proper and improper ways of doing things, and prefer the proper ones. Hence my distaste for Comic Sans.

Isn’t the point of communication as follows: someone says something and the person listening understands? If that is true, I think we all understand what it would mean if “irregardless” was a word.

I have many people in my life that mispronounce words, and say phrases incorrectly on a daily basis. This does not mean these people are unintelligent. It means they either, were not taught how to use these phrases correctly or just plain don’t care.

I am no better, I have terrible writing skills. But I am sure you at least know what message I am trying to spit out.

I also understand your frustration, I really hate people that don’t use there blinkers while driving. But I don’t think that people need to use their blinkers when no one is around.

The font by itself is hard to read and a sign that I myself would not take serious or give a second eye too.

Webster’s is famously descriptivist, which is more or less the opposite of prescriptivism. Common use of a word doesn’t make it correct. The entry for irregardless in Garner’s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage begins: “irregardless, a semiliterate PORTMANTEAU WORD from irrespective and regardless, should have been stamped out long ago.”

And ends: “careful users of language must continually swat it when they encounter it.”

My 1974 dictionary, ‘Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, a Merriam-Webster print, has on its page 612 the word ir-re-gard-less as an adverb [prob. blend of irrespective and regardless] nonstand : REGARDLESS

Eddie R.

I’m sorry you didn’t like the post. The sign was in the Universal City Walk (I was in line on my way in to a Rush concert), one of the most highly designed spaces this side of Disneyland. The rest of the signage was obviously thoughtfully designed & coherent, so this one stood out (and is permanent, not ephemeral).

Why am I discussing my personal views on a typeface? Because this blog serves two purposes. One is to show some of the personality of the creators of the Earth Observatory (I hope the rest of the team will start complementary blogs). Part of that personality is that I’m somewhat of a prescriptivist (some may call me dogmatic)—I don’t like the use of a hyphen in place of an em dash, “irregardless” is not a word, I won’t take you seriously if you pronounce “nuclear” as nuke-you-lar, and I think typefaces have their proper place.

The other reason I’m writing this blog is to engender a discussion of good data visualization, and good data visualization requires good graphic design. One of the easiest ways to teach good design is to show examples of bad design, hence my picking on Comic Sans.

I’m rarely one to comment publicly, but I love my Earth Observatory info and was actually startled to see a near rant on the perceived mis-use of a typeface.

If this use was in conjuction with an informal event – such as a live music concert – then the use might have been intentional. Not to prohibit easy reading of the posted information, but to be in keeping with the tone of the event.

If the event was a law enforcement convention, a gathering of engineers to discuss new concepts, or a symposium of scientists – then the use of the Comic Sans typeface might seem less than appropriate.

I’m truly perplexed that this use was important enough to warrant a long entry in a blog associated with an innovative and constantly fascinating site located at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

The space is yours to use as you wish I suppose – but the subject matter presented in this bit was so unexpected, in the context of this site, that I am still surprised.

I appreciate your bringing new images forward for visitors enjoyment and education, plus your opinions on new technologies is valuable to me.

But, to be honest, I don’t want to read – here – a public condemnation of a one time use of one typeface.

But most of all thanks for the succinct definition of “font” – when people at offices I was in started using computers, I took issue with their use of “font” when they meant typeface, and I see by this definition I was right! But it has become common parlance, and now if I have an issue with it I can quote this and feel better about it!

Comically yours,

Lou