Re: Fw: [Nautilus-list] Proposed string changes to the Nautilus UI

[John Fleck <jfleck inkstain net>]

On Wed, Apr 03, 2002 at 12:55:16PM -0500, Alex Larsson wrote:
> 
> 10. Location: Edit > Preferences > Windows & Desktop
> Replace: Use Nautilus to draw the desktop
> With: Use Nautilus to draw the desktop background
> 
> I dislike using background here. We use background everywhere to mean the 
> color or the image used for the background, not the whole desktop. Every 
> other os just calls it "the Desktop", I don't see what we gain by calling 
> it the "the Desktop Background".
> 
> 11. Location: Edit > Preferences > Windows & Desktop
> Replace: Use your home folder as the desktop
> With: Use your home folder as the desktop background
> 
> Same here. 
> 

"desktop background" vs. "desktop" seemed quite awkward to me
as well when I first confronted it in early drafts of the
documentation style guide. When actually using the terminology to
write documentation, however, I've come to realize that having the two
terms available solves an uncomfortable ambiguity in the term
"desktop".

For those who haven't read the style guide, in brief, it says:

"desktop - The sum of all the parts of your working environment. The
desktop includes all of your panels and windows, the desktop
background..."

"desktop background - The part of the desktop where there are no
interface graphical items, such as panels and windows."

The term "desktop", bare, is in such broad use in describing KDE or
GNOME as a whole that also using it to describe the blank bit where we
drag icons no longer quite works for me.

Cheers,
John
-- 
John Fleck
jfleck inkstain net (h) jfleck abqjournal com (w)
http://www.inkstain.net http://www.abqjournal.com

"You don't want to die with the music still in you."
 - John Gardner