Re: [Usability] HIG Clarification for "Close Without Saving" button

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

> Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 10:56:54 +0000
> From: Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>
> To: usability gnome org, gnome-doc-list gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] HIG Clarification for "Close Without Saving"
>     button
>
> On Tue, 2005-02-01 at 11:41, Patrick Costello wrote:
>
>
> > Therefore, the label in the original message would be:
> >
> > "Close Without Saving".
>
> I'd be happy to update the HIG to reflect that, too.  Although as it
> happens I prefer "Don't Save" anyway (contraction and all)-- if it's
> good enough for the Mac... :)

The use of a contraction goes against the Documentation Style Guide (which
I went to great lengths to read).  I have not found a specific warning
against the use of contractions in the HIG but using them in such a
prominant place will undermine any attempts to discourage developers from
using them elsewhere.

Why not just use 'Discard' like Qt and others do?  At least that has the
advantage of being consistant.

A terse one word imperative looks better and more consistant than the
terribly clunky phrase "Close without Saving".

Is this much of an issue in other langauges or is just us Anglo's being
difficult?

It is worth noting that the Mac puts dont save on the far left, keeping
the destructive action away from the Safe actions.

Besides where is the Autosave everything lobby shouting how this will be
obselete soon?

Can we please just go with Discard and encourage those who want to try and
improve usability in this area to look into using 'Autosave' instead?

- Alan