Not so Subtle Subversion in the Cybersphere

I found this icon, which, apparently, is intended to be an identifier of sites that conform to the new Acid2 Test protocol, which is a best practices initiative geared toward standardizing the way webpages are rendered by Internet browsers. Although the development of the Acid2 Test is of little interest to most people, I could not resist making mention of it, due to its subversive figurative qualities. The icon that will be used to mark sites that do conform with the protocol, Acid2 Test, is embedded below:

I do not think it is must of a leap to conclude that something other than symbolic references to web design protocol is afoot in the use of this representation of Acid2 Test compliance.

For those of us - while in the throws of youth - who consumed hallucinogens - I think we can pinpoint immediately what is going on here. The dilated pupils, for instance, along with the unusually prominent smile, are clear give aways that the term, acid, here, has multiple semiotic significations. Whether the theme of tripping on LSD has symbolic value over and beyond merely expressing subversive content - such as a relationship it might possess with the individuals who are involved in constructing the Acid2 Test protocol - is something that is beyond my knowledge. However, it is refreshing to see that those who have been selected and have volunteered to contribute to this project are not in the conventional camp of corporate culture. In fact, the open source community, whom I suspect is involved in this project - since I have seen some names of people who participate in the Mozilla Foundation - continues to constitute a counter-culture - which can be inferred from the use of such subversive representations.

Russell Cole

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