Re: [Tails-project] #8948: Reconsider the terminology around…

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Author: moire
Date:  
To: Public mailing list about the Tails project
Subject: Re: [Tails-project] #8948: Reconsider the terminology around "persistence"
Hi,

sajolida:
> Hi,


[...]

> Background
> ==========


[...]

> In this email, I'm proposing to follow this recommendation and to use
> Persistence, a single word with a capital P. See examples below.


Interesting!

[...]

> I feel a bit ridiculous doing all these changes and debates around a
> single word but I'm unsatisfied with continuously struggling with this
> inconsistent wording in my new work (and the work of translators) and I
> think that now is the right time to solve (and simplify) this once and
> for all.


Thanks for this email!

As "Persistence" meaning is diverging from the common meaning of
"persistence" to become the name of a major Tails feature, I think an
autonomous reader of the documentation would benefit from an easy access
to definition and scope of "Persistence" while reading documentation.

[...]

> Usage
> =====
>
> I went through our website and custom software to check how using
> "Persistence" would work in practice. I've also used it myself for some
> time in my emails and in Redmine.
>
> Below are some examples of usage taken from existing strings.
>
> I'll use these practical examples to finish discussing this with you and
> especially with Cody. I will then use them to finally write new entries
> about Persistence in our writing style guide.


I feel like there are too many different cases/subtlties so I tried
quite naively in the examples below to only use the word "Persistence"
almost everywhere. Feel free to discard this proposal if it is silly ;)

> the Persistence / your Persistence
> ----------------------------------
>
> To refer to the encrypted partition (when there is one).
>
> For example:
>
> - Enter your passphrase to unlock the Persistence.


- Enter your passphrase to unlock Persistence.

> - Upgrade your Tails USB stick and keep your Persistence.


- Upgrade your Tails USB stick (Persistence is kept)

> - This method might in rare occasions break the file system of your
> Persistence.


Here "the" is necessary, as in "the OS file system"

- This method might in rare occasions break the Persistence file system.

[...]

> a Persistence
> -------------
>
> To refer to an non-existing or hypothetical encrypted volume.
>
> For example:
>
> - Create a Persistence (optional)


- Create Persistence

[...]

> Persistence
> -----------


I would use only this formulation and not make a difference between the
feature and the object.

> the Persistence feature
> -----------------------
>
> To refer to the feature and it's useful to clarify that it's a feature.
>
> For example:
>
> - The simplest way to carry around the documents that you want to use
> with Tails encrypted is to use the Persistence feature.


- The simplest way to carry around the documents that you want to use
with Tails encrypted is to use Persistence.

> the $FEATURE persistence feature
> --------------------------------
>
> To refer to the different data that can be stored in the Persistence.


Could be simplified by using Persistence again.

> For example:
>
> - To store your GnuPG keys and configuration across separate working
>     sessions, you can activate the GnuPG persistence feature.


- To store your GnuPG keys and configuration across separate working
sessions, you can activate GnuPG in Persistence.

> the Persistent folder
> ---------------------
>
> To refer to /home/amnesia/Persistent.
>
> For example:
>
> - Save the database as keepassx.kdbx in the Persistent folder.


- Save the database as keepassx.kdbx in the Persistence folder.

> persistent
> ----------
>
> To refer to the property of something that can be saved in
> Persistence.
> > For example:
>
> - Persistent Tor configuration


- Persistence Tor configuration

> - Only the data that is listed here can be made persistent.


- Only the data that is listed here can be kept in Persistence.

> - This option is useful if you want to make some specific files
> persistent.


- This option is useful if you want to keep some specific files
in Persistence.

Best,