I'm busy updating the TDE handbook files. Right now I'm working on the user guides. I'm progressing nicely. Revising text, submitting patches and new images to the bugzilla, repairing web links, etc. Eventually I'll post the user guides for reviews.
I'm writing notes to explain the processes used. Eventually I'll post that information too, either at the wiki or directly in a handbook help file.
As a technical writer, for many years I have grimaced every time I read the expressions "left mouse button," "right mouse button," "click," and "right-click." I frown when I read the word "click" rather than "select."
I'm not anal about language. I'm not a purist. I embrace the fact that languages and usage evolve. Yet I strive for technical correctness because communicating ideas is challenging. Skilled communicators say what they mean and mean what they say. :)
Those mouse related terms bother me from a technical correctness perspective. Why?
Because the terms are technically incorrect for people who use a mouse configured for left-handed use. That is, with the mouse button roles swapped. I should know --- I have used my mouse that way for almost two decades. I have a pretty good laugh every time people try to use a computer desktop I have configured. Swapping the buttons of the mouse confuses people like crazy because they never pay attention to the fact that my mouse is on the left side of my keyboard. :)
I have wondered through the years how such lazy street language terms translate into other languages.
The challenge most people counter is what terms to use as replacements?
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Should we talk about people who use three button mice? In the days before scroll wheels such mice existed --- I have one in my junk box. :) How about five button mice? Seven? When does "left" and "right" become meaningless? Should those terms be used at all?
I realize conventional usage often prevails but that does not mean those terms are technically correct. :)
I'd like to hear some other thoughts and opinions about the subject.
Darrell
Should we talk about people who use three button mice? In the days before scroll wheels such mice existed --- I have one in my junk box. :) How about five button mice? Seven? When does "left" and "right" become meaningless? Should those terms be used at all?
Just to interject one comment, yes, people still use mice with three or more buttons. Usually the scroll wheel can be pressed down to select with the third mouse button, and gaming mice have even more buttons next to the primary and secondary buttons.
One of the strenths of TDE is the fact that all three buttons can be used to interact with an on-screen element, each having a separate function bound to it. This is one of the things that I miss most when using Gnome or a Macintosh system, and KDE4 had some of the same problems when I last tried it.
Tim
Click and alternate-click? Primary and secondary makes sense.
Best regards, Tiago
On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 4:23 AM, Darrell Anderson humanreadable@yahoo.comwrote:
I'm busy updating the TDE handbook files. Right now I'm working on the user guides. I'm progressing nicely. Revising text, submitting patches and new images to the bugzilla, repairing web links, etc. Eventually I'll post the user guides for reviews.
I'm writing notes to explain the processes used. Eventually I'll post that information too, either at the wiki or directly in a handbook help file.
As a technical writer, for many years I have grimaced every time I read the expressions "left mouse button," "right mouse button," "click," and "right-click." I frown when I read the word "click" rather than "select."
I'm not anal about language. I'm not a purist. I embrace the fact that languages and usage evolve. Yet I strive for technical correctness because communicating ideas is challenging. Skilled communicators say what they mean and mean what they say. :)
Those mouse related terms bother me from a technical correctness perspective. Why?
Because the terms are technically incorrect for people who use a mouse configured for left-handed use. That is, with the mouse button roles swapped. I should know --- I have used my mouse that way for almost two decades. I have a pretty good laugh every time people try to use a computer desktop I have configured. Swapping the buttons of the mouse confuses people like crazy because they never pay attention to the fact that my mouse is on the left side of my keyboard. :)
I have wondered through the years how such lazy street language terms translate into other languages.
The challenge most people counter is what terms to use as replacements?
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Should we talk about people who use three button mice? In the days before scroll wheels such mice existed --- I have one in my junk box. :) How about five button mice? Seven? When does "left" and "right" become meaningless? Should those terms be used at all?
I realize conventional usage often prevails but that does not mean those terms are technically correct. :)
I'd like to hear some other thoughts and opinions about the subject.
Darrell
To unsubscribe, e-mail: trinity-devel-unsubscribe@lists.pearsoncomputing.net For additional commands, e-mail: trinity-devel-help@lists.pearsoncomputing.net Read list messsages on the Web archive: http://trinity-devel.pearsoncomputing.net/ Please remember not to top-post: http://trinity.pearsoncomputing.net/mailing_lists/#top-posting
On 02/08/2012 10:23 PM, Darrell Anderson wrote:
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Primary and secondary work. Click, depress? 'Select' is what the mouse does to an object, not really what you do to the mouse.. From the technical writing standpoint it is almost useful to have an intro or synopsis at the beginning. Something along the lines of.
The following reference will use the terms X, Y, Z to refer to the mouse buttons which control axis-1, axis-2, ... On a typical right-hand mouse configuration the left-button is primary, the right-button is secondary, etc..
What you will run up against are the non-technical terms frequently used in mouse operations, i.e. click, shift-click, click & hold, click & drag, right-click, etc.. There is just no easy off-the-shelf set of terms that properly refer to that.
Good luck Darrell, glad you're on it :)
On 13 February 2012 23:04, David C. Rankin drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com wrote:
On 02/08/2012 10:23 PM, Darrell Anderson wrote:
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Primary and secondary work. Click, depress? 'Select' is what the mouse does to an object, not really what you do to the mouse.. From the technical writing standpoint it is almost useful to have an intro or synopsis at the beginning. Something along the lines of.
The following reference will use the terms X, Y, Z to refer to the mouse buttons which control axis-1, axis-2, ... On a typical right-hand mouse configuration the left-button is primary, the right-button is secondary, etc..
What you will run up against are the non-technical terms frequently used in mouse operations, i.e. click, shift-click, click & hold, click & drag, right-click, etc.. There is just no easy off-the-shelf set of terms that properly refer to that.
Good luck Darrell, glad you're on it :)
-- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
My thoughts are this:
Primary & Secondary instead of right/left ( people have different setups) and 3rd button as well.
Click = physical action
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 8:30 AM, Calvin Morrison mutantturkey@gmail.com wrote:
On 13 February 2012 23:04, David C. Rankin drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com wrote:
On 02/08/2012 10:23 PM, Darrell Anderson wrote:
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Primary and secondary work. Click, depress? 'Select' is what the mouse does to an object, not really what you do to the mouse.. From the technical writing standpoint it is almost useful to have an intro or synopsis at the beginning. Something along the lines of.
The following reference will use the terms X, Y, Z to refer to the mouse buttons which control axis-1, axis-2, ... On a typical right-hand mouse configuration the left-button is primary, the right-button is secondary, etc..
What you will run up against are the non-technical terms frequently used in mouse operations, i.e. click, shift-click, click & hold, click & drag, right-click, etc.. There is just no easy off-the-shelf set of terms that properly refer to that.
Good luck Darrell, glad you're on it :)
-- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
My thoughts are this:
Primary & Secondary instead of right/left ( people have different setups) and 3rd button as well.
Click = physical action
'Right click' sounds much shorter than 'Click the secondary button' and easier to read. 'Secondary click' sounds weird and misguiding. Suppose, that left-handled people get accustomed to 'right click' term long ago.
'Click & hold' sounds weird because to me 'click' means 'press & release'. Most natural words: click, press (press & hold), release.
I suppose, that good communicator is the one who is understood lightly. That in fact does not mean dictionary strictness. In fact, people that try to restrict their words to dictionary semantic are hard to understand. That is because human language is a lot more than just dictionary terms. And language makes dictionaries (which means they always will be incomplete), but not dictionaries make the language.
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:28:30 +0400 Aleksey Midenkov midenok@gmail.com wrote:
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 8:30 AM, Calvin Morrison mutantturkey@gmail.com wrote:
On 13 February 2012 23:04, David C. Rankin drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com wrote:
On 02/08/2012 10:23 PM, Darrell Anderson wrote:
The best I have conceived is "primary" and "secondary" buttons. Yet I realize some people might find those terms confusing too.
Primary and secondary work. Click, depress? 'Select' is what the mouse does to an object, not really what you do to the mouse.. From the technical writing standpoint it is almost useful to have an intro or synopsis at the beginning. Something along the lines of.
The following reference will use the terms X, Y, Z to refer to the mouse buttons which control axis-1, axis-2, ... On a typical right-hand mouse configuration the left-button is primary, the right-button is secondary, etc..
What you will run up against are the non-technical terms frequently used in mouse operations, i.e. click, shift-click, click & hold, click & drag, right-click, etc.. There is just no easy off-the-shelf set of terms that properly refer to that.
Good luck Darrell, glad you're on it :)
-- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
My thoughts are this:
Primary & Secondary instead of right/left ( people have different setups) and 3rd button as well.
Click = physical action
'Right click' sounds much shorter than 'Click the secondary button' and easier to read. 'Secondary click' sounds weird and misguiding. Suppose, that left-handled people get accustomed to 'right click' term long ago.
'Click & hold' sounds weird because to me 'click' means 'press & release'. Most natural words: click, press (press & hold), release.
I suppose, that good communicator is the one who is understood lightly. That in fact does not mean dictionary strictness. In fact, people that try to restrict their words to dictionary semantic are hard to understand. That is because human language is a lot more than just dictionary terms. And language makes dictionaries (which means they always will be incomplete), but not dictionaries make the language.
Indeed. This is a case in which I think precision might get in the way of clarity. "Primary" and "secondary" mouse buttons may be obvious to us, but I'm not so sure about non-technical users, who can get confused when they encounter anything unusual. The best solution would probably be to use "select" or similar device-agnostic terms whenever possible, the usual "right/left-click" labels when necessary, and programmatically change the button labels in the documentation if the user has selected a different mouse configuration; absent the ability to switch labels on the fly, the best thing to do is probably to insert a note about what remapped mouse buttons will do to the instructions at the beginning of the documentation, and proceed with the inaccurate-but-familiar labels.
-
Aleksey Midenkov -
Calvin Morrison -
Darrell Anderson -
David C. Rankin -
E. Liddell -
Tiago Marques -
Timothy Pearson