Author: Diddly-Squat Date: To: tails-ux Subject: Re: [Tails-ux] Help needed: Nautilus Wipe progress dialog title
On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 12:42:38 +0000
sajolida <sajolida@???> wrote:
> Diddly-Squat:
> > In fear of being a thorn, I've made clear what IMO the verbs should
> > be. I will cease my discussion and yield to whwatever the decision
> > may be. BUT, I must say that term "available" (as I believe someone
> > else said) is absolutely critical in the menu lable context.
>
> I'm answering to this email because it's the last one in the thread.
>
> I must say that I've been most convinced by the arguments and
> professional background provided by Diddly-Squat, who said in
> <20150306080757.29c53e09@???> that he was in favor of keeping
> the "wipe" terminology. I was also convinced by the argument of
> Colomban that the "secure" notion is ambiguous here and not good.
>
> If we also listen to intrigeri (with agreement from Diddly-Squat),
> then keeping "available" has to be mentioned in the case of disk
> space. I think that spencerone misunderstood that this features only
> wipes the free disk space, the disk space that is not occupied by
> actual files.
>
> So in the end we are not proposing to change much to the actual
> interface. Hurray! Maybe only:
>
> 1. To go back to the initial concern from intrigeri, the title of the
> dialog shouldn't be "nautilus" but "Wipe Files" instead (as suggested
> initially by intrigeri. Plus, we get rid of "third-party" names. Or
> maybe "Wipe" only in both cases (wiping files or disk space) to be
> shorter. The message in the dialog box would remain the same.
>
> 2. Change "diskspace" to "disk space". Unless someone provides a
> better reference.
>
> 3. Change the "Wipe" option of the right-click menu for files to "Wipe
> File" for a single file and "Wipe Files" for folders or multiple
> files.
>
> 4. Discuss whether "empty" is better than "available" in "Wipe
> available disk space".
IMO "available" as is currrently used in Tails for the menu selection
works quite nicely.
Changing "Wipe" to "Wipe files", changing "Wipe available diskspace" o
"Wipe available disk space" (because there is no English word diskspace
as MS rightly contends), leave only the task or eliminating the
coompletely unnecessary term Nautilus. A term that because of it's
juxtaposition amongs the UI adds to confusion.
Also, the fact that
when selecting help for the Nautilus Disk Wipe it states "configuring"
which makes it sound much more daunting than simply telling the user
what the selection mean.
>
> PS1: Diddly-Squat, GNOME people spell it in full caps. Don't ask me
> why but I've heard that they get pissed off otherwise :)
Yes, they get pissy about it because they've trademarked the acronym
(GNU Network Object Model Environment) by adding TM after it.
Maintaining and defending a trademark requires consistent usage I((as
well as the TM indicia). In litigation, if you haven't consistently used
your mark, and defended its use, you can lose protection.
Someone should
trademark Tails (all it requires is the indicia (TM) after it (and you
seem too be using it consistently). Actually a professional writer
would just do it and notify management, or at least question why it
wasnlt being done. A registered trademark uses the letter R in a circle.
But registering trademarks is another issue, and I believe country
specific.
>
> PS2: Diddly-Squat, I would be very interested in reading more style
> guides. You mentioned that you don't like the one from Microsoft and
> that's the one I've been using when GNOME was not enough. Feel free to
> send me more pointers in private (or on tails-ux for the pleasure of
> everybody).
In all truthfullness I have never studied the MS style guide. I do know
some companies use it. I'm sure it's a fine guide. A quick look up
shows its about 500 pages or so in length, so it must cover some
depth. If you've been using it, I woud suggest continuing so as to
not have major rewrites due to style issues - you not being a
professional writer I won't hold it against you personally!
My only dislike of it is
based upon my personal disdain for the company. I am prejudice
against MS, I'll confess! But, in all reality it's probably excellent.
After all, it's not about what is right or wrong, it's very simply about
(consistent) style. One can actually make one's own style guide.In
fact I have recently (a small one, then I defaulted to the technique
decscibed further down).
Any style guide is primarily used for consistency. Journalism has it's
own "standard" styles, one being the AP (Associated Press) style guide.
But, journalistic writing is very different from technical writing.
Most often in the tech realm, companies make their own style
guide for things that they deem better for their corporate or
industry specific needs. They go into as much depth as they can
with their resources - or until they just can't stand the tedium of it.
Larger comppanies have a Style Committee.Then, everything not covered in
their guide, they tell the writers to refer to another style guide, very
often the Chicago Manual of Style. I wouldn't be surprised if even MS
states that for anything not covered in their style guide you should
refer to the Chicago Manual of Style. The Chicago guide is about 1000
pages in length, last time I checked.
When I get a chance I'll send some more info in private.
>
