# Alternatives to lock icon for categories

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/alternatives-to-lock-icon-for-categories/24815>\
**Category:** UX\
**Created:** [2015年二月4日 19:45 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/alternatives-to-lock-icon-for-categories/24815 "2015-02-04T19:45:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 13

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**Author:** ![thump](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/thump/32/38336_2.png) [@thump](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thump)\
**Post date:** [2015年二月4日 20:56 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/alternatives-to-lock-icon-for-categories/24815/13 "2015-02-04T20:56:31Z")

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> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> Lock is universally understood as permissions required, e.g. if you see the lock there are permissions required to view the category you are looking at. Same exact semantic usage on GitHub for private repos, hundreds of other sites.

I’m not sure thats true in all cases - lock can also indicate no-entry, etc. I’m not sure there’s much purpose in a glyph at all that insinuates a lock if the only people who can see it are already at the permission level to see it.

Maybe the solution is the ability to choose a fa icon within cat settings, similar to badges.

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