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

Hi!

On 27.11.19 22:37, flapflap wrote:
> sajolida:
>> Curtis Baltimore via Tails-project:

>>> I would not recommend to use the german word "Persistenz". Even if it would be basically correct, it's too sophisticated for daily use. The best idea I got was something like "(verschlüsselter) Dauerspeicher". Not 100% appropriate but close enough. And quite easy to use.
>>
>> I don't know German so I'll stick to what you and wordreference.com
>> tells me. Being close to the English word can also be useful.

No. Because German is not latin based, like many other languages on this
beautiful planet. Hence I am a bit concerned about the translatability
of this term for all those other languages.

>> For example in case people with poor English have to read non-translated
>> strings sometimes, it would make it easier for them to go from
>> "Persistenzspeicher" to "Persistence", while still being clearer than
>> "Persistenz" only as Curtis is pointing out.
I think like Muri and flapflap that "Persistenz" or even
"Persistenzspeicher" in German sound waaay too technical, and might even
be ununderstandable per se. It's not a word one could look up on the
internet when being stuck, as then one would find the german term
"Persistenz" on Wikipedia which describes something entirely different.

So the correct German translation that carries the exact meaning is
indeed 'verschlüsselter beständiger Speicherbereich' or 'beständiger
Speicher' if we want to shorten it to a maximum, loosing a bit of meaning.

So one question would be: if the technical writers decide to use
"Persistence" in English, should there be a guideline to translate it
correctly to other languages? And if yes, where, and who takes care of
implementing it?

> I second Muri's comment. 'Verschlüsselter beständiger Speicherbereich'
> is kind of the best what I have heard so far. Yes, it is very long, but
> it carries the explanation/meaning. I would not use 'Persistenz'. As a
> single word (without more explanation, context) it sounds quite abstract
> and academic, unusual in daily life.

Absolutely.

Now, as far as the English term is concerned I feel like "the
Persistence" as a nounification of an adjective might also be something
which obscures technical understanding, as it's basically branding,
like in the examples you gave (Dropbox, Nextcloud). I personally don't
like this much, but I'm happy to be convinced that it works. Hence I
believe that it would be useful to do user testing using the term in the
documentation with native speakers and also people who are not native
speakers but want to run Tails in English and then see how many of them
understand it, with documentation, without documentation, in any other
setting. Is this part of your plan, or do you trust that it will be
understandable per se by people who don't know Tails yet for example?

Cheers!
u.