Name: KUA5 Words & Phrases Description: Lists what words and phrases which should be used instead of others, and those which shall be avoided completely. In order to select good words to be used in documentation and interfaces, and do it consistenly this KUA exists to coordinate this. Apple has a similar document, called "Apple Publications Style Guide", which covers several hundreds phrases, although it is primarily ment for publications. We could copy its phrases right into this document, but it would not be of much use, since it is not tailored to the usability dilemmas open source/KDE has. This KUA is not as extensible as it needs to be, and the cure is that you, the reader and most likely developer, is not passive, but actively reflects on the development, and folds back discoveries into this document so it can be of use for other developers. Drop a line on mailinglist kde-usability, in case you think corrections or additions needs to be done. The reader perhaps wonders how a long list of phrases should be useful. Should it be read and all of it remembered? If texts are designed consciously, the usage of this article comes by itself since situations will be encountered where it is unclear what words are preferred, and how consistency with the rest of KDE environment is achieved. When doubt over what words to use is prevalent, this article is used as a dictionary. This article dictates words, phrases to not use at all, or use instead of others; a matter subjective and conventional, dependent on what the targeted user audience is. The userbase defined in KUA2 is used as background, resulting in a language tailored for regular users. For example, a common word like "link" is preferred instead of the exact technical equivalents - URL or URI. However, in seldom cases another userbase is targeted, for example a web development program can be expected to have a more technical compentent userbase, and another language is more suitable - in the example above, using URL or URI can be fruitful since the targeted audience can make sense of them(know their meaning). TODO I find this interesting, found on AskTog: "Do not use the word 'default' in a program or service. Replace with 'Standard,' 'Use Customary Settings,' 'Restore Initial Settings,' or some other more specific terms describing what will actually happen. Should we cook something up? TODO Decide on programs' vs programs's TODO lets vs let's TODO Do or Do Not adress the user with "you"? TODO... * Preferences/Configuration/Settings * Use double quotes(") instead of single quotes(') when phrases needs to be isolated in texts. * CD Writing - CD Burning * Program - Application Period - dot When referring to the letter(".") * Folder - Directory Folder is metaphorical and less technical. * Administrator - Root Root (user), is a technical word and have no metaphorical meaning, as opposed to administrator. However, references to the administrator, in the sense "ask your administrator to ...", should be avoided since the user usually is the administrator. Instead, explain where/how the user can perform the administration. When referring to the "root" in the file hierarchy("/") the term TODO toplevel? should be used, for the same reasons as above. * Monitor - Display When referring to the physical monitor, the "view" the user has, use Monitor instead of Screen/Display or any other synonym. * Polarity Avoid polarity since it is a scientific word. Use plain English, perhaps "direction" is suitable? * Mapping Too scientific. Perhaps "order" is suitable? * Parse A too scientific - is the information you provide useful at all? * Restart - Reboot Avoid technical jargon * Start computer - Cold/Warm boot When referring to starting, turning on, the computer. * Details - Advanced Use "Details" instead of "Advanced" on expanding dialog windows("Details >>" button) or advanced dialogs("Advanced..." button). The content in such areas are usually technical, "advanced" and not often used. "Details" explicitly tells it is not important which "Advanced" does not - something may well be advanced but still important. "Advanced" is descending on the user since it implicitly say the other is the easy, obvious and regular. "Details" does not emotionally prevent the user to explore, since it is not necessary to know about "Advanced" computers. * PID Leave it out. A fraction of the userbase knows what it means, and finds the information useful. Print it in standard out, if absolutely necessary. * When doing contractions use [...], not (...) or just ... * GID Leave it out. A fraction of the userbase knows what it means, and finds the information useful. Print it in standard out, if absolutely necessary. If it is strictly necessary to know the group, show the name instead of the internal ID which is ment for implementation use. * UID Leave it out. A fraction of the userbase knows what it means, and finds the information useful. Print it in standard out, if absolutely necessary. If it is strictly necessary to know the user, show the name instead of the internal ID which is ment for implementation use. * APM - Power Management * ACPI - Power Management * URL - link