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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: Too technical terms in PO's
From:       Marc Mutz <Marc.Mutz () uni-bielefeld ! de>
Date:       2001-12-04 22:51:19
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On Tuesday 04 December 2001 22:16, Claudiu Costin wrote: 
<snip> 
> > That's helpful how? It doesn't provide more accurate information 
> > for the author (after all, I supposed the author knows the meaning 
> > of current messages) and it certainly won't make things less 
> > cryptic for users. 
 
ACK. 
 
>   If numbers are so hated, how can you explain for average user 
> difference between image & pixmap. How about things more complicated. 
> Joe user send this number to author if it feel to be cooperative. But 
> Joe will not bother to send long long error message happned in 
> KSuperApp::mangabanga() virtual method... :) 
 
When we're talking about error messages: 
- - The best way to go is to provide a non-technical error messsage that 
  makes clear to the user that it's _not his fault_, but the  
  programmer's. 
- - The dialog box then provides a "details" button that shows technical  
  information and a "save" button to save the error details to disk. 
 
This way, if the user get's this error message he 
1. knows that it's not him who did something stupid 
2. It's a problem with the program that he may report to the authors. 
 
 
If we're talking about options in a configuredialog, there are some 
methods to work with this: 
a. Put these technical options on a tab/page "advanced" or "technical" 
with other technical options. 
b. Add extensive What's this help, possibly with a label that points the 
user to the fact that what'sThis help _is_ available (cf. Message-ID 
setting in KMail->Configure->Composer->Headers), becuase normally it 
isn't. 
c. Make it clear to the user that this program will function 
independently of what he does or does not choose in that tab (and make 
sure that that is really the case!) 
 
In the special case with kcmbackground, one could label the checkbox 
"use speed optimization for background painting" and explain in the 
What'sThis help _first_, that this can gnerally be left switched on as 
long as one doesn't see display errors and if one sees them, one should 
try if disabling this option fixes it. Only _then_ tell the interested 
user how that optimization is accomplished internally, but so that Joe 
User knows that he doesn't need to understand that last part. 
 
Marc 
 
- --  
History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of 
urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure. 
                                  -- Justice Thurgood Marshall, 1989 
 
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