zlacker

A green cross definitely means marijuana dispensary to my eyes. Is it actually used elsewhere?

>>xvedej+(OP)
In Europe, it's sometimes used to identify an ordinary pharmacy.

>>xvedej+(OP)
It is ubiquitous in Italy. Maybe blue would be better in the US, if it can be made different enough from the insurance company logo.

>>xvedej+(OP)
I always thought green cross means pharmacy.

But I also spent a lot of my youth in France, where it means exactly that.

>>xvedej+(OP)
Pharmacy in Australia

>>xvedej+(OP)
Yes, it's used in many places. It's very commonly used to indicate pharmacies throughout Europe. I've also seen it used in the US on various medical supplies and defibrillator stations.

>>bilbo0+f1
And pharmacy in Spain also.

The red cross had issues in the past with the symbols. Muslims didn't wanted to be treated for them (seeing the cross as a symbol for christians), so they needed to create the 'Red crescent' symbol exclusively for Muslims. But then jews, hindi and asians felt excluded also, so a third symbol was necessary, the red crystal, that aim to represent humanitary work without being assimilated to one of the bands in conflict. The red crystal is used in delicate cases to not upset anybody.

The red cross should be named now the red crystal, to hide that it was created in an European context, by a christian, and also that is just the Switzerland flag with inverted colors (he was from Geneva).

Is a good example of how politics and ideology can spoil anything.

>>xvedej+(OP)
There's a pharmaceutical company in Korea that's literally called "Green Cross". (Looks like they recently changed their logo to... a rainbow cross! While keeping the name. Not sure why they thought it would be a good idea...)

>>bilbo0+f1
I am still waiting for a hackernewsque article explaining why French pharmarcy have the blinking green crosses showing the time and temperature and often a whole complicated LED show.

>>xvedej+(OP)
I've seen green crosses used to signify healing in video games enough times that I wouldn't question it.

>>xvedej+(OP)
In Mexico there are a group of public state owned hospitals with the "green cross". It is the place where they take you when you get in an accident and don't have anywhere else to go. There's also the red cross, but that's the same as the one in the article.

>>schoen+p
Same in North Africa.

>>xboxno+Za
I always saw it as green 'plus signs', as in your health (or hit points) are increasing.

I've literally used them when developing a video game before, and that's what I was thinking as I implemented them.

I've also used the red cross when making a game before without even thinking about a possible trademark or protection, it was already a generic symbol to me. Come to think of it, I just used it again in the art for a board game I was making. I guess I should change it, but I'm not sure to what (I guess a green cross?).