Need help with international symbols and metaphors

[barkeraj]

As we are looking into internationalization and localization here at the church we are in need of some help in learning what different symbols mean in different countries.

For example, while the US uses a checkmark to indicate something as done other locations (Japan I believe) use circles to indicate done.

A "thumbs up" sign in the US could have no meaning or possibly a derogatory meaning in other cultures.

While earlier I posted that we were looking for people to do some international testing for us, this is open to anyone who has experience out of the US and has .02 to offer.

If you can think of any symbology, colors, signs, etc that are used differently then here in the US, please list it. If someone has already listed something please put it in your list as well so we can have confirmation of those differences.

Thanks for your help!!

[charly3358-p40]

Thumbs up in australia had a similar meaning to the single middle finger insult in the US. I say 'had' because this is slowly changing due to US influence from films and TV programs. But elderly australians will remember that 'thumb up' was an insult in yesteryear.

Today people here take issue with so called 'American spelling' forced on software in spell checks, for example, ameicans spell 'color' when here it 'colour', same with labor & labour, nite & night, and so on. Generally speaking australian/new zealand spelling is closer to British spelling (ie Kings english) than US spelling.

Another big issue is with metric v imperial. Some people have to use google to work out what a temp given in F is, equivalent to C.

Oh! worst of all is this US expression: "I'm rooting for you" ! Although one understands what americans mean by this, we have to remind ourselves that you mean that and not what it means in Australia/New Zealand.

[MayaML]

Norway is using about the same symbols. Finland used to have a check mark that is a obligue line with dots on both sides, but I think they are taking in use the same as in USA, also an x in a box.
Really USA could change to metric, Liters and Celcius!