Every publication develops its own shorthand. Ours borrows shamelessly from the unofficial markings of the road: symbols that let one reader tell another where to rest, where to avoid ceremony, and where the weather of administration is likely to worsen.
These are not merely decorative glyphs. They are editorial weather reports. A triangle does not simply mean danger. It means danger of the specifically modern kind: a room in which everyone is busy and no one is present. A circle does not simply mean safety. It means the rare company of people willing to talk before optimizing.
△
Industry ahead
A warning that the next room, street, or platform is dangerously overcommitted.
○
Philosophical currency accepted
A place where conversation may proceed without the usual proof of utility.
⌂
Brief shelter from urgency
A table, bench, or waiting room suitable for recovering a sentence.
☽
Nap possible
A location permissive toward the horizontal interval and its benefits.