Cool Unicode and GNOME

[Simos Xenitellis <simos74 gmx net>]

Okay, it looks like a new fad is about to begin, and GNOME can be a bit 
lucky here, marketing-wise.
I am not talking about major marketing initiatives here, just something 
small and grassroots style.

First, see:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Gmail-Help-Discussion/browse_thread/thread/8a4a52e52c5613ad/bf61f4cbe16e1108
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Gmail-Help-Discussion/browse_thread/thread/327b39b22f180856/2d30fda4b789a55c
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Gmail-Help-Discussion/browse_thread/thread/cb89619736dff048/332fa24ce04ddff8

What's it about?
New software support Unicode, and Unicode offers a wide range of glyphs 
(~=characters), and if you have the fonts for them,
you can put them anywhere. Such as your name in Google Groups, your name 
in e-mails, your mail signature and so on.
It's like those Windows spyware for smilies, but without the spyware part.

What's in it for GNOME (actually it's GTK+)?
Comparatively, Windows users are "disadvantaged" in their way of adding 
those characters, while GNOME users are in a better position.
1. A Windows user would have to use Alt+xxx, where "xxx" is not the 
Unicode codepoint but some other ID. Apparently it does not cover all of 
Unicode,
see http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/accents/codealt.html
However, GNOME users can use Ctrl+Shift+<codepoint> and pick any Unicode 
character, even from Plane 1 (that's the ultra-exotic characters).
As a guidance for the codepoints, one can use http://www.unicode.org/charts/
2. A Windows user can use Character Map (in Accesories) to identify the 
character and copy/paste it without Alt+xxx troubles.
Character Map is a bit braindamaged as it will show you characters only 
if the selected fonts covers them. Else, it will not show any.
However, GNOME and Character Map (gucharmap) show you all the Unicode 
groups, filling together characters so that your list of chars is
much more complete. Then, you can copy/paste.

What to do then?
* Start using these and tell the world that, "Oh, I use GNOME and this 
is how I get them".
* Make sure the freefont package is included in your distro, as it 
covers quite a few of those interesting characters.
* More free fonts with better coverage of Unicode would be nice.

A sample:

*☰☃☂☣★☰
*
☎ me please so we can go out to the ☼ and play ♞ (that's just
chess☺). I am ♑ and I love ☮.

Simos/Σίμος