Package: t-prot
Version: 2.101-2
Severity: wishlist
Tags: patch
The package description for t-prot has a couple of typos and language
issues. While fixing them I've reshuffled it quite a bit.
> Description: display filter for RFC822 messages
That's not a helpful way of saying it, especially when the man page
points more correctly at RFC5322 and then explains it as "internet
messages", which is what this synopsis should say in the first place.
> This program is a filter which shall improve the readability of messages
Un-English use of "shall".
> (email and posts) by *hiding* some annoying parts, e.g. mailing list footers,
s/posts/newsposts/, or promote it out of the parentheses: "improve the
readability of email and newsposts".
> signatures and TOFU as well as squeezing sequences of blank lines or
> punctuation.
Mentioning TOFU here in passing and then not explaining it until the
following paragraph is unnecessarily obscure. I would suggest moving
the reference to "TOFU Protection" and then the explanation much
closer to the top.
"Signatures" gives the wrong impression; say "long signatures". And I
had no idea what the "or punctuation" was about until I read the man
page; say "exclamation marks, etc." (The alternative of giving an
example would be clearer, but annoying!!!!)
> .
> TOFU is an acronym that stands for "Text oben, Fullquote unten" (German
This is a rather longwinded way of saying it, and "German language"
is... well, for a start not all of the bits *are* German, exactly.
How about "TOFU is a German abbreviation for..."?
> language) which means the style of sadly so many people that just leave all
Unidiomatic - for a start it fooled me into expecting the following
relative clause ("that just...") to have the style as its subject, not
the people. Instead say "the regrettably widespread reply style that
leaves..."
> the quotes in a reply and add some own lines above. This acronym is what gave
"Own" is not an adjective. Say "leaves all the quotes untrimmed and
just adds some text at the top."
> the script its name - TOFU Protection.
Cumbersome; integrate it into the introductory "This program provides"
line.
> .
> It currently offers hints how to include it within mutt, slrn or inn2. It
^^^^^^^^^
Given that it has "currently" offered that since at least Woody I
think it's time to either update it or stop pretending it's breaking
news.
"Hints" needs a preposition, "on"; and since we don't mean "within
the /usr/bin/mutt binary" we should be using the "upstream brand
names" for these pieces of software: "Mutt", "slrn", and "INN 2".
(I'm also applying debian-l10n-english "house style" by adding
"Harvard comma" in lists like this.)
> should be possible to do similars with other programs that allow to have a
^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No such word: s/similars/likewise/
And another grammar error: "that allow to have". Say "that allow a
message to be passed through a filter before being displayed".
> message run through a filter before it's displayed. If you use such a program
> we'd be interested if you could send in your setup.
(Did anybody ever do this?)
My suggested version:
| Description: display filter for Internet messages
| This program provides "TOFU-Protection" to improve the readability of
| email and newsposts. TOFU is a German acronym for "Text oben, Fullquote
| unten", meaning the regrettably widespread reply style that leaves all
| the quotes untrimmed and just adds some text at the top. This script
| filters annoying mailing list footers, long signatures, and TOFU, as
| well as squeezing sequences of blank lines, exclamation marks, etc.
| .
| It offers hints on how to apply it within Mutt, slrn, or INN 2. It
| should be possible to do likewise with other programs that allow a
| message to be passed through a filter before being displayed. If you use
| such a program we'd be interested if you could send in your setup.
--
JBR
Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
diff -ru t-prot-2.101.pristine/debian/control t-prot-2.101/debian/control
--- t-prot-2.101.pristine/debian/control 2012-07-12 19:56:56.000000000 +0100
+++ t-prot-2.101/debian/control 2012-07-12 22:22:22.723392352 +0100
@@ -15,18 +15,15 @@
Recommends: mutt (>= 1.5.5.1)
Enhances: mutt, slrn, inn2
Suggests: mail-transport-agent
-Description: display filter for RFC822 messages
- This program is a filter which shall improve the readability of messages
- (email and posts) by *hiding* some annoying parts, e.g. mailing list footers,
- signatures and TOFU as well as squeezing sequences of blank lines or
- punctuation.
+Description: display filter for Internet messages
+ This program provides "TOFU-Protection" to improve the readability of
+ email and newsposts. TOFU is a German acronym for "Text oben, Fullquote
+ unten", meaning the regrettably widespread reply style that leaves all
+ the quotes untrimmed and just adds some text at the top. This script
+ filters annoying mailing list footers, long signatures, and TOFU, as
+ well as squeezing sequences of blank lines, exclamation marks, etc.
.
- TOFU is an acronym that stands for "Text oben, Fullquote unten" (German
- language) which means the style of sadly so many people that just leave all
- the quotes in a reply and add some own lines above. This acronym is what gave
- the script its name - TOFU Protection.
- .
- It currently offers hints how to include it within mutt, slrn or inn2. It
- should be possible to do similars with other programs that allow to have a
- message run through a filter before it's displayed. If you use such a program
- we'd be interested if you could send in your setup.
+ It offers hints on how to apply it within Mutt, slrn, or INN 2. It
+ should be possible to do likewise with other programs that allow a
+ message to be passed through a filter before being displayed. If you use
+ such a program we'd be interested if you could send in your setup.
