End of Article Symbol

[jcb]

In English, in magazines, sometimes there is a symbol that is placed at the end of an article, because of the irregular layout that most magazines have, it's not always clear when an article ends, unlike when a chapter ends in a book, which is usually clear.

But, what I find most interesting about this phenomenon, is that there isn't a single standard character that's used, unlike other punctuation. The most common choice seems to be a symbol derived with the company name or logo. ... The closest thing to a standard character that I can think of is the end-of-proof symbol ( ∎ or □ ) used in math proofs. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_(typography) ), but this character is mostly limited to math.

So, my questions are:
(1) Do other languages also use such a symbol ?
(2) If so, is there a standard symbol that is used ?
(3) If you could suggest/create a symbol to be standardly used, what would you suggest/create ?

[Emily]

the most common non-logo version i see is what i guess is supposed to be a leaf or something but looks like a radish to me

fake edit: this guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleuron_(typography)

[jcb]

the most common non-logo version i see is what i guess is supposed to be a leaf or something but looks like a radish to me

I thought fleurons were used more as a section break symbol ?, which isn't really the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_( ... ion_breaks

Also, section breaks seem to be somewhat more standardized. Sure, books do often still make their section break symbol fancy, but there's also many that just use a straight line (as html's <hr> tag does by default) or 3 asterisks (***) (which markdown turns into a an <hr> tag). RIP to the asterism (⁂) though. The last book I that I read that I remember having one was over 100 years old.

Also also, while looking up punctuation recently, discovered this cool looking character: ߷ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%DF%B7 Wiktionary says """The gbakurunen, a punctuation mark used in the N’Ko script to indicate the end of a major section of text; similar in function to an asterism: ⟨⁂⟩ or coronis: ⟨⸎⟩."""

Answering my own question (3), I've thought about how the coronis could be simplified into 5 lines that form a diamond, instead of it's 7 lines, 2 commas, and a circle that make up the glyph now. But even 5 lines still seems too cumbersome.

[bradrn]

But, what I find most interesting about this phenomenon, is that there isn't a single standard character that's used, unlike other punctuation. The most common choice seems to be a symbol derived with the company name or logo. ... The closest thing to a standard character that I can think of is the end-of-proof symbol ( ∎ or □ ) used in math proofs. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_(typography) ), but this character is mostly limited to math.

I’ve certainly seen this character in other contexts (e.g. science magazines), so it’s not that limited.

[WeepingElf]

But, what I find most interesting about this phenomenon, is that there isn't a single standard character that's used, unlike other punctuation. The most common choice seems to be a symbol derived with the company name or logo. ... The closest thing to a standard character that I can think of is the end-of-proof symbol ( ∎ or □ ) used in math proofs. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_(typography) ), but this character is mostly limited to math.

I’ve certainly seen this character in other contexts (e.g. science magazines), so it’s not that limited.

Yes. Tombstones (funny name; I hadn't heard of it before) are not uncommon as end-of-article marks in magazines at least in Germany. There are other options, though; my favourite music magazine, for instance, uses three asterisks.

[jcb]

I’ve certainly seen this character in other contexts (e.g. science magazines), so it’s not that limited.

A science magazine is still STEM, where you can expect the audience to have a higher than average knowledge of math notation. But, I wouldn't expect the end of proof character to be used to end an article in a fashion magazine, for example.

There are other options, though; my favourite music magazine, for instance, uses three asterisks.

Cool ! What magazine ? Do you have an image ?

[WeepingElf]

There are other options, though; my favourite music magazine, for instance, uses three asterisks.

Cool ! What magazine ? Do you have an image ?

It is Eclipsed, a German rock magazine, and I don't have an image, but it is simply three asterisks in a row: ***.

[xxx]

???

[WeepingElf]

Yes, that one.

[bradrn]

I’d call that a ‘byline’, which is something quite different.

[alice]

Some of us, raised in a different tradition, might interpret those three Asterixes as a rating, and wonder why everything is so mediocre.

[Richard W]

I’ve certainly seen this character in other contexts (e.g. science magazines), so it’s not that limited.

Halmos said he borrowed the tombstone from magazine articles!

[Travis B.]

Some of us, raised in a different tradition, might interpret those three Asterixes as a rating, and wonder why everything is so mediocre.

I for one have never seen an article ended with three Asterixes! Maybe three asterisks, though.