[JoeAltmaier]

To revisit the 'file' idea: the 'save' icon is an idealized floppy disk. But generations(!) have passed who never saw one. So now its just an icon.

This seems to happen to all written symbols. They quickly lose representative form, and become symbols only. I don't think most Chinese characters look anything like a house or a sun any more; the question is moot.

[wlesieutre]

The 'save' icon is fading away pretty quickly in common usage. Modern software is trending toward changes saved in realtime (driven by phones, also seen on OS X and web). When I write a note, I just make a new note, type in it, and close the app.

My favorite example of old-timey icons is 'phone'. https://www.google.com/search?q=phone+icon&tbm=isch

Still used everywhere, but phones just look like ▯ now.

[benjarrell]

The phone icon is from AIGA: http://www.aiga.org/symbol-signs/

[kuschku]

Well, that doesn’t work everywhere, though.

[chc]

How many generations do you reckon have passed since the mid '90s?

[JoeAltmaier]

Well, 20 years, maybe 2? The kids I know have no idea what those icons mean; the young adults I know may have some idea but have never seen the items pictured outside of an old movie.