On: How a comment on Hacker News led to 4½ new Unicode...

[shakethemonkey]

>The scope of the Unicode Standard (and ISO/IEC 10646) does not extend to encoding every symbol or sign that bears meaning in the world.

Until Unicode has a half-star character, it won't even be able to encode the average newspaper.

[kens → shakethemonkey]

Somebody should propose the half star (used in star ratings) to Unicode. Seriously.

[namaemuta → kens]

Multiply your rating system by 2 and you won't need half stars :)

[sullyj3 → namaemuta]

This makes subitizing much more difficult though.

[alanh → sullyj3]

This comment taught me a word. Separately, you are completely correct and this is extremely valid in the design of rating systems.

[ape4 → kens]

Only the star with the left side filled in. And an outline on the right.

[mjevans → kens]

I think something like an occlusion mask modifier (slice off this much from this side/corner) would be more useful.

[Bromskloss → kens]

And two thirds, and three fifths, …

[dagaci → Bromskloss]

good idea

[nkrisc → kens]

What if my products are rated in smiley-faces?

[agumonkey → kens]

This is the role of digits I believe.