Unity Terminology

[Jeremy Bicha]

The terminology for the new Ubuntu Unity interface is confusing, even more
so with the design changing over the months and the developers not having
providing much user documentation yet. So that we're not tripping over each
other with different ideas of what to call things, I think we should try to
decide what are the best names for stuff and discuss changes as they
inevitably will come up.

This link has been the near-official Natty terminology guide:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/10228/whats-the-right-terminology-for-unitys-ui-elements

I think we should follow it, but there is one big change I'd like to make.
While reading through the "Welcome to Ubuntu 11.04" section of the new help
for the first time, I got confused when it mentioned the "Home button",
especially since the illustration showed the much larger Home folder button.
Home button is an overloaded term, and the button does not look like a home
at all, nor should it since it has nothing to do with the home folder. I
have always called the "Home button" the "Ubuntu button" and I believe that
is the best name for it.

Other terms:

* Top panel -- Although we could call it just the panel since there is only
one panel now, adding the extra identifier "top" will give a clue to readers
the general area of the screen we're talking about. Gnome 3 calls this the
"top bar." I actually prefer that term even for Unity, but panel is the
historically correct choice.

* Application menu -- only refers to the part of the panel containing the
traditional "File, Edit, View, Help, etc." menus.

* The applications place and files place have been renamed to Applications
lens and Files lens (or is it Files & Folder lens?). I think "lens" is a bit
awkward, but it does tie in with the magnifying glass icons used.

* Launcher items -- the shortcuts in the launcher (the big thing on the
left). Previously, I called the things launchers but that seems like too
easily confused with launcher.


Jeremy Bicha
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