Continuing the discussion from a topic in the Lounge:
Pulling this out to a public topic for follow-up.
Definitely please take this into account. I have already had to do this with a theme component so I cannot confuse them.
fa-user-lock is a good icon you could use?
Example below:
6 Likes
I agree on that. One of my clients made me hide the padlock icon on āprivateā categories because it was confusing.
2 Likes
On an instance with mostly private categories, it can also be an eyesore. I removed all the padlocks from the private categories and instead placed an āeyeā icon in front of the few public categories we have.
5 Likes
What would these symbols be? As I recall, I donāt think there are any clearly better alternatives from the last time this bike shed was painted @stephen ā¦
6 Likes
Iāve used the eye symbol in the past, and experimented with the open lock, but thereās nothing wrong with just removing the icon all together. Itās down to the community owners to emphasize the purpose and audience for each category, a padlock icon doesnāt achieve that really, it just indicates that the everyone group isnāt present on the category.
Many systems with ACLs donāt indicate the ACL visually on the object. File sharing services will indicate that an object is shared, but not the level of permissions associated. If I have access to a folder over a network share then I can see it, if I donāt have browse rights it just doesnāt appear. Even Exchange relies/relied on visibility to indicate whether the user has access.
Is the concern that a user wonāt realise the category has a limited number of watchers? In that sense I would be more worried about indicating which categories have a broader or public audience than less.
1 Like
Category Icons component uses fa-key and it even offers to replace padlock with key for private categories (and retains padlock for closed ones), but itās not consistent as of yet.
https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-icons-component/104683/50?u=md-misko
fa-user-lock for private categories
fa-lock for closed topics
1 Like
This is one thing I customized at my Discourse instance in my previous job.
A closed topic is closed for everyone, and no-one has access to it, so the icon keeps being 
, aka Font Awesome
A secure category is closed for other people, but open for you, so the icon was 
, aka Font Awesome
6 Likes
If we can decide on the bikeshed color in a way that doesnāt go on forever, Iām fine with the change 
5 Likes
I do like the idea of fa-user-lock for this.
5 Likes
Can we just confirm the intent of the symbol?
It is just ālacks the everyone permissionā? That seems to be the only time where it appears. Even categories secured to TL0 show a padlock.
2 Likes
Correct. It indicates that not everyone may be able to see it.
It still appears on login required forums (where the everyone permission is irrelevant) even if TL0 can see.
1 Like
Ok and if weāre using categories how regularly is that a factor?
Is it there still because thatās how itās always been? Does it influence posting?
Iām just being clear it isnāt impacted by other site settings. As in on a login required forum, even if āall usersā can see a topic, based on TL0 permissions, the padlock still appears due to the lack of the specific everyone permission.
Why? What is the difference between a padlock and a padlock with a user next to it? I donāt think this will aid comprehension at allā¦
5 Likes
The only point of doing this is making it so people donāt mistake a topic in a secure category as being a closed topic. The icons are right next to each other! Iāve had far too many double takes slowing me down while reading Meta recently.
Anything that changes the silhouette / visual weight / āvisual hashā, if you will, of the icon is acceptable to me (so is not OK, still very close to a lock).
1 Like
If we are painting bikesheds hereā¦ I would like an opinion from @Johani and @awesomerobot
Also ā¦ my 2 cents, no eye being slashed by a knife please ā¦ that is not on the table.
7 Likes
Awww no Luis BuƱuel fans in the house?! 
2 Likes
Is it because it looks like the current lock icon , or because it looks like a padlock? On Font Awesome, the closed and open padlocks are a bit more distinctive from each other:
3 Likes