I think this is a ridiculous change by Apple, going completely against the idea of Unicode and consistent character displays across different devices. Author's suggestion is good, but I don't think that this was a necessary change by any means in the first place.

Unicode only says that it's a gun, and only recommends how it should look. IME's are free to make the emojis look however they want at their discretion. Note Samsung's saltines instead of chocolate chip cookies for "U+1F36A Cookie". Consistency is laudable, but we live in a world with multiple cultures, meanings, and contexts, so in the end consistency might actually be more harmful and reductionist.

The unicode code chart¹ actually says “PISTOL = handgun, revolver”, and the reference glyph (with a larger version on page 4) is pretty clearly a Beretta M9.²

① http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf#14

② http://www.beretta.com/en/m9/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_M9

I can't figured out why you're getting downvoted. The reference seems valid.

Apple is not alone though. On windows i get a colorful lasergun: http://i.imgur.com/bOC6M6H.png

http://emojipedia.org/microsoft/windows-10/pistol/

Additionally, your pointing out that the example glyph looks like a beretta only has any kind of weight if you can also point to guidance that specifies to what level it should be followed.

I would operate on the condition that the standard denotes that items representing the unicode can be flavored/styled to the producers desires, but should not misrepresent the item/object being conveyed. A water gun != a pistol and a laser gun != a pistol. Both are altogether different items/objects. If Windows/Apple want unicode for those objects they should appeal to the standards board to make it happen. It would be acceptable to hide the pistol emoticon in their UI while still allowing it to display correctly when used. Masking it as something it is not is just misleading though.

That is your preference, however the question here is what the unicode consortium thinks.

Why have a standards body at all if it's just going to be up to the 3rd parties to determine what is going to be displayed then? Like I said before, they should be free to display each unicode item/object artistically how they see fit, they should however not be free to change what item/object is to be conveyed entirely.

That is your opinion and you are free to hold it but what matters here is what the Unicode Consortium thinks.

Interestingly, the bomb, sword and dagger emoji remain in their natural form.

Apple should probably also thoroughly cleanse the iTunes Store for movies showing guns, lest some unsuspecting child has his purity irrevocably tainted by the image of a firearm. Such stimulation might lead him to commit homicide, such is the simple relation between the two. Sigh.

Edit: sarcasm guys, geeeez

Can we stop with this hyperbole anytime something is changed? What do emoji have to do with the iTunes store? You're assuming an awful lot about Apple's intentions with stuff like "such stimulation might lead him to commit homicide, such is the simple relation between the two".

Can we stop with this hyperbole anytime something is changed?

No. Monkeying with the language and symbols we use for self-expression is defensible only if you think of 1984 as a progressive manifesto.

Yep, changing the look of an emoji is tantamount to state-sanctioned censorship and oppression. Ridiculous statements like these only spawn more ridiculousness. Try grounding your arguments in reality rather than an Atlas-sized persecution complex and that stupid Orwellian meme. Private companies are free to do what they want, the first amendment only applies to the government.

Pick one, it's important or it's not. Anti-gun people seem to posit it's an important move to change the lexicon by removing the symbol and replacing it with a water gun as that will have an effect on the public consciousness. Someone points out that this sort of looks like newspeak from 1984 (replacing words that make people feel bad with things that are incomprehensible) and all of the sudden it's a trivial unimportant move that will have no effect.

Question for those who are fine with what Apple did: What if Apple had implemented a text filter which changes all occurences of the word “pistol” to “water pistol”. Would that be fine too?

Also, what if the Unicode Consortium later adds an emoji for “WATER PISTOL”? How should it be distinguished from the “PISTOL” emoji? Or should they be identical?

A text filter is very different from the visual representation of an emoji which the unicode consortium gives a lot of leeway to IMEs to implement.

Everyone is only angry about this change because it was a normal pistol first and changed to a water pistol later. What if it was the inverse? Then we'd have people complaining the other way. My point is that people expect the emoji to represent what they've been taught it to represent, but in actuality the IME is the one who chooses how exactly it should look. Just look at the saltine cookie vs the chocolate chip cookie.

As for your last point it's quite unlikely that they would add that because it's too redundant to the pistol emoji. Though for facial expressions, the consortium gives specific recommendations on how to differentiate them and the IME would have to consider those.

Have a look at http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf to see how much guidance they actually give on the looks of each. For most they list synonyms for searching and related emoji. For some they go more in depth on the look such as for U+1F4DE Telephone Receiver.

Everyone is only angry about this change because it was a normal pistol first and changed to a water pistol later. What if it was the inverse? Then we'd have people complaining the other way.

You say that as if it's a counter-argument, but it's really further proof that changing it is bad. Yes, it is confusing to change emojis that used to be one thing to be another thing, so it shouldn't be done, regardless of direction. Opposing all such changes is entirely consistent. If Apple wants a water pistol emoji they should add a new one, not replace an existing emoji that means something else.

I don't think this is a slippery slope towards text modification.

Note that there are already problems with emoji being different across platforms. Here is a short article from the GroupLens people at the University of Minnesota: http://grouplens.org/blog/investigating-the-potential-for-mi...

I'm not a huge fan of Apple's general "safe" content approach either despite being an Apple user, but to me this is a tiny and insignificant political statement relative to all the issues they have with the app store/iTunes content and Beats 1 censorship.

I don't think this is a slippery slope towards text modification.

Well that's good, because that's not what he was asking.

He was asking if this WERE done in text rather than pictures, would the outcry be any different?

It's not the same.

I'd love to know who made this decision, apparently giving it less thought than what they were going to have for lunch. Whoever it was doesn't understand how communication works, and should probably not be in charge of decisions like this.

Interestingly, it's a giant middle finger not just to gun nuts, but to millions of people on both sides of debates about gun control, the militarization of law enforcement, etc. (Not to mention a kinda creepy form of infantilization.)

Probably came straight from the top, i.e., Tim Cook. (I say this without knowledge or evidence, but it is the kind of thing he would care about and do.)

Next up someone then sends an invitation to a pool birthday party asking people to bring some water toys. They look through list of emojis, pick what looks like a water gun. Everyone with non-Apple devices wonder why is their host asking them to bring guns to a pool party.

Is there even logic behind this kinda of change? I just do not get it. It's easy to say that's just Apple shoving PC down their users throats, but what does a representation of a gun and PC have to do with each other? A gun is a real thing, in the real world, and has real world consequences, masking it as a water gun won't change this fact. Does Apple just want to be every ones big brother and decide what is best for us by coddling everyone into a land of rainbows and unicorns?

This change was actually a community suggestion: https://openradar.appspot.com/26897761

(Source: https://twitter.com/rjonesy/status/761223785076797442)

And they're certainly not the first to do so, and in great company: http://emojipedia.org/microsoft/windows-10/pistol/