On Fri, 2008-04-11 at 12:26 -0500, Shaun McCance wrote: > On Thu, 2008-04-10 at 22:45 -0400, Curtis Hovey wrote: > > On Thu, 2008-04-10 at 15:52 -0500, Shaun McCance wrote: > > > ====================================================== > > > capplet > > > Do not use. Use "preference tool" instead. > > > ====================================================== > > > preference tool > > > A small application that allows users to change their > > > preference settings. Refer to a specific preference > > > tool using its title and the phrase "preference tool". > > > If the title ends with the word "Preferences", drop > > > this when used with the phrase "preference tool". > > > > > > Do not use the word "capplet". > > > > > > Correct: > > > To adjust the handedness of your mouse, open the > > > *Mouse* preference tool. > > > > > > Incorrect: > > > To adjust the handedness of your mouse, open the > > > *Mouse Preferences* tool. > > > To change the appearance of the applications on your > > > desktop, open the *Theme* capplet. > > > ====================================================== > > > > > > There currently seems to be about equal usage of > > > "preference tool" and "preferences tool". My pick > > > is "preference tool", because I think it sounds more > > > natural. > > > > I have some misgiving about the use of 'tool', which is often used to > > produce something, and it is an indirect means to making a change. I > > think 'manager', 'control', or 'panel' are better words that users will > > understand. Perusing several appliance manuals, 'control' and 'panel', > > and 'control panel' are used. The only 'tools' I see is the special > > wrench used to unlock my sink's garbage disposal, and the jack to my > > automobile. > > Hmm. Well, I just went with our current usage. We don't > have any current recommendation, but "preference tool" and > "preferences tool" seem to be what gets used the most in > our documentation. > > I'm not fond of the term "control panel", if only because > we don't ever use it. It would be odd for our documentation > to see "Mouse control panel" when "control panel" doesn't > appear anywhere in the interface. > > We could use "preferences window" and "settings window" > when referring to them generically, but not use any term > when referring to a specific one. So: > > To adjust the handedness of your mouse, open the > *Mouse Preferences*. > To change the primary language your computer uses, > open the *Language Settings*. > The *Preferences* submenu of the global *Settings* > menu provide access to open various preferences > windows. > > Or we could keep the currently common word "tool", but > still go with the recommendation of only using it to > refer to thing generically. These terms sound/read natural. Users have generally learned what a window is. I think this is a good rule. -- __C U R T I S C. H O V E Y_______ Guilty of stealing everything I am.
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