[Ubuntu-manual] top bar, menu bar, panel or top panel

[Tom Davies]

Hi :)
I thought part of the whole point of Gnu&Linux is that we disagree about such issues but that we don't let that stop us from driving forwards.  (Hopefully many people will disagree with that!)  "Release early and release often" means we can come back and 'fix' the issue another day after the 'first' release has gotten out there into the world and received feedback from weeus.  I think the issue should be raised with the team that designs Ubuntu's UI but make it clear we don't expect them to change the name of the thing, just to allow us to make it clearer what and where it is as simply as possible.  

I think we have to stick with the decision as it stands even though i disagree with it.  Ideally documentation would sprinkle a few explanations such as things like:
1.  menu-bar / top-bar
2.  menu-bar (=top-bar)
3.  menu-bar (at the top of the screen)
One of those every page or so should be plenty to help people find it.  

Of course i would prefer it the other way around in documentation aimed at noobs and only this way around for stuff aimed at experts.  I think that helps people develop skills and understand without being rude to them (ie by under or over estimating their knowledge).  

If the word was clickable or had a mouse-over tool-tip then that would achieve 2 things;
1.  shows there is something worth looking up
2.  keeps text tidier and less confusing while still conveying useful information  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFBOQzSk14c

Regards from
Tom :)  


--- On Thu, 12/7/12, Matthew East <mdke at ubuntu.com> wrote:

From: Matthew East <mdke at ubuntu.com>
Subject: Re: [Ubuntu-manual] top bar, menu bar, panel or top panel
To: "Barry Drake" <ubuntu-advertising at gmx.com>
Cc: ubuntu-doc at lists.ubuntu.com
Date: Thursday, 12 July, 2012, 12:26

On 12 July 2012 11:49, Barry Drake <ubuntu-advertising at gmx.com> wrote:
> On 12/07/12 11:12, Matthew East wrote:
>>
>> The problem is that, as per Jeremy's earlier email, the language we use
>> should be consistent with the wording used in the UI, which is "menu bar".
>> This appears in the system settings, and also in some of the menus
>> themselves. Any proposed change to this terminology needs to be taken up
>> with the team which designs Ubuntu's UI.
>
>
> Pedantry is a wonderful thing - until it gets in the way of communication.
> The bar at the top as I am looking at it currently has no menu.  Sometimes
> it has; sometimes it hasn't depending on what is running.  Similarly, the
> bar at the side ('Sidebar') is not obvious when we call it a 'launcher'.  It
> has bee called a 'dock' - again not obvious.  Please let's approach
> terminology from the viewpoint of someone who is looking at Ubuntu for the
> first time. If you want to be pedantic, please spend some time working on
> one of the help forums (fora?) .....

I'm not sure whether you are saying that my email contains pedantry,
but if so I don't understand what.

If you read my email, you'll see that I haven't expressed a view on
whether either term is more or less appropriate. I've just expressed
the view that it is essential that the user is presented with
consistent terminology and that any change to the existing terminology
has to happen at the level of the people who design the user
experience for Ubuntu. If the documentation diverges from the language
used in the UI, the user has no chance, and the aim of the discussion
- which is to ensure that the user understands what is meant by the
different terms that are used - is completely circumvented.

-- 
Matthew East
http://www.mdke.org
gnupg pub 1024D/0E6B06FF

-- 
ubuntu-doc mailing list
ubuntu-doc at lists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-doc
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-doc/attachments/20120712/a376fa25/attachment.html>