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posted by martyb on Friday April 27 2018, @06:50PM   Printer-friendly
from the set-emoji-on-stun dept.

The pistol emoji ― 🔫 ― is being phasered out, or turned into a water pistol:

Google is the latest company to ditch the pistol with a new emoji update for Android users. The switch to a bright orange and yellow water gun, rolling out now, mimics changes made by Apple, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Samsung over the last few years. That leaves Microsoft as the only major platform with the realistic handgun emoji. True, Facebook still uses it, but a spokesperson for the company confirmed to Emojipedia that it would also be replacing its gun emoji with a toy water gun. The Verge has reached out to Microsoft for comment.

[...] Ironically, Microsoft initially displayed the gun emoji as a toy, but changed it to a revolver in 2016 as part of its emoji redesign project. With Google's (and Facebook's) latest move, Microsoft's gun emoji puts it at philosophical odds with the other giant tech companies based in the US where gun violence is a major concern. As we previously noted, in 2016 Apple successfully pushed to remove the rifle icon from the standardized collection of emoji.

However, later on the day The Verge's article was published, Microsoft revealed that it is jumping on the trend as well:

We are in the process of evolving our emojis to reflect our values and the feedback we've received. Here's a preview: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DbqXVKBU0AAdXLk.jpg

Also at BBC and USA Today.

Previously: Apple Changes "Pistol" Emoji From Revolver to Toy Water Gun
Apple Urged to Rethink Gun Emoji Change
Twitter Changes Revolver Emoji to Water Pistol Emoji

Related: Kids Are Facing Criminal Charges for Using Emoji


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  • (Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Friday April 27 2018, @11:59PM (1 child)

    by fyngyrz (6567) on Friday April 27 2018, @11:59PM (#672848) Journal

    Back in the 1990's I used to carry a ridiculously large super soaker (this one [isoaker.com]) in a specially crafted gun rack in the back window of my pickup as humorous visual commentary on the gun-toting culture where I live (Montana.)

    I got stopped by a state trooper (not a Montana state trooper, interestingly enough... Pennsylvania) one time; guy asked me how I could see out the back window. He was about my size, so I invited him to sit in the driver's seat and observe the rear view mirror and the backup camera and the two side mirrors; my vision of the road was not in any way compromised — even through the back window, as the rack was low and the pickup was relatively high. He left shaking his head, no warning or ticket.

    I would not do this today. I have no wish to die in a hail of gunfire emanating from the jack-booted, trigger-happy thugs masquerading as lawmen annoy our heroic police officers.

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday April 28 2018, @01:50AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday April 28 2018, @01:50AM (#672872) Journal

    You, Sir, have an attitude problem*.

    Join the millions of the rest of us who have attitude problems.

    *As measured by our new, state of the art Attitude Measuring Meter, regularly recalibrated, reliable, sophisticated, and full of pseudo-scientific hype.