I couldn't agree more - and I've also complained to the BBC and UKMO
about the new-style graphics, on grounds that have been more than amply
expounded on this ng and elsewhere.

However, I'm continually astounded at the ability of large
organisations to get these sort of things so wrong and, the larger they
are, the bigger the clanger they appear to drop. Who on earth do they
talk to when they canvass these sort of changes? Which planet are
*they* on and where do they derive their taste and commonsense.

The original wafty BT logo, the paint on the British Airways tailfins,
"Consignia" for "Post Office" etc. were all patently NAFF from the
moment we clapped eyes on them, and our views didn't really change with
time. In the end, those large corporations had to swallow their pride
(and extrordinarily large bills) and quietly bow to mainstream opinion.
More recently, the Abbey National name change and logo has come in for
the same sort of public pasting and the company is about to change back
to something more palatable.

People have decided the same is true of these new graphics and no
amount of tweaking is going to do anything about that. Those who are
telling us all to "give it a chance" and "allow it to bed in" are
really hoping that, after an initial gust of heat and dust, the great
British trend towards apathy will set-in, it'll all blow over and we'll
quietly accept it.

Sorry, guys - it's the wrong subject for that to happen. This has got
very long and very strong legs, and it'll run and run.

To use that immortal phrase - I think you'd better think it out again.


- Tom.