Hi :) Most documentation just confuses people so copying what they use probably wont help us. If we are going to look at documentation then a community edited one would be better, such as Ubuntu's but it would need to be regularly edited bynoobs rather than by geeks so perhaps Ubuntu's might be the best one to look at. Documentation for Windows apps tends to be the most confusing documentation for most people.
"Greyed out" is a very geeky term. Admittedly low-level geeks but still not an average user. "Check" is kinda American. In English it tends to mean a method of payment or "to stop and look around" or as described. Tick the option might be a good way to say it but "UNtick" confuses people. Select means to to choose and that seems to make sense to people. Regards from Tom :) ________________________________ From: Barbara Duprey <b...@onr.com> To: documentation@libreoffice.org Sent: Fri, 18 February, 2011 3:46:02 Subject: Re: [libreoffice-documentation] Re: Terminology: "selecting" is not enough! On 2/17/2011 8:36 PM, JDługosz wrote: > > Barbara Duprey wrote: >> I have another problem with the enabled/disabled terminology -- I think it >> can easily be >> misunderstood as modifiable/unmodifiable (available/"grayed out"). This >> terminology is not in common >> use and I think it would be more confusing than helpful. Often "click" >> would be a reasonable >> substitute, but I have no problem with "select" and definitely prefer it >> for options in a list, for >> example. >> > "select" is a synonym for "choose" and would be applicable for a drop-down > combo-box or a set of radio buttons. But for checking/unchecking a check > box, it is simply the wrong word. You are not selecting one option from all > of them on the page; you are individually turning each option on or off. > > I agree, "disabled" is used for graying out a menu item, at least in the > Win32 API. Popular use is just "grayed out" though. > > "clicking" a check box does not mean "ensure it is checked." The action of > clicking it will probably toggle it. It is correct to click a button, > though. > > How about "check"? Well, as a verb it means "hinder or restrain" so > un-checking the Foo option will check the operation of Foo. Or it means > "inspect" which will find out what it is; so you want to check your margin > settings when setting up the page. So, don't use "check" to mean "mark" as > a verb, in this context. > > The text in the document that you indicate by swiping the mouse is "The > Selection", and you select some text before hitting the "bold" tool, for > example. Selecting a named item from a combo-box is acceptable usage. > > I think we should focus on explaining what the various options indicate, > rather than directing the user to click on them or saying that the effect > would happen if the user enabled them. That is to be understood: just > state the effect itself! > > I just went to another program at random: the context help for the Options > page on Firefox reads, "When this option is enabled, Firefox will..." > > On Notepad++, "Check the option to ..." > > On XYplorer, some don't use a state or verb, just lists the meaning without > preamble. Others use check/uncheck. > > 7-zip: on the file manager options, most of the time doesn't use any > preamble. E.g. "Displays gridlines around items and subitems." Some uses > of "select". The rest use "enabled". > > Foxit reader: on the printing help, "select" is followed by " from a list". > No preamble for options explanations, but they are mostly radio buttons. > > So, I think there is lots of competition against "select" to mean "mark on". > > --John Good points, I'll incorporate this into the terminology document for us all to collaborate on. As I said, I don't expect a single answer here, it depends on the type of UI item involved, and sometimes on the behavior resulting from the choice. -- Unsubscribe instructions: E-mail to documentation+h...@libreoffice.org List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/www/documentation/ *** All posts to this list are publicly archived for eternity *** -- Unsubscribe instructions: E-mail to documentation+h...@libreoffice.org List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/www/documentation/ *** All posts to this list are publicly archived for eternity ***
