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

[Matthew East]

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