Document Font Toggle ( https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/document-font... ) helps for the few sites I use frequently enough that do this, but I still don't like the inconsistency in looks it gives across websites then.
The problem is that fonts are icons, in that they are arbitrary collections of curves, shapes, and symbols, which communicate meaning only to the end-user, and are highly dependent on the end-users understanding of what the thing is that they are clicking, will do.
An icon, a font symbol, a glpyh, a ligature - these are all mere lines in the sand. You want to make another file-format with that, kid?
If I don't get your symbol, I should be able to revert to a font that I do get.
On the other hand, using SVG to pre-load values, then modifying the decomposed stack, somewhere appropriate, in order to attain sustainable realtime SVG rendering performance .. seems as if its a matter of principle. Could it be the jury is out until someone says screw it, and bases the entire OS of their new device on SVG, alone, and not much else?
That is, arguing that symbols are random seems silly. The whole point is that there is a large base of agreed upon symbols affixed with meanings already. They can even be combined to form different already agreed upon symbols.
I'm not a fan.
I like the consistency of having the same fonts that I like and find readable in my browser as I have in every other window on my computer. Browsers give me the chance to aim for that consistency by picking one font for all sites, but then some sites look terrible because they rely on some particular font to show non standardized icons.
You mean in the same way that something that looks nice in one SVG icon becomes something completely useless when using another SVG icon in its place?
You are not meant to switch font-icon fonts arbitrarily, they are part of your page design, as much as a SVG icon is.