Re: [Usability] Inlined Evolution 2 feedback

[Shaun McCance <shaunm gnome org>]

On Tue, 2004-09-28 at 00:20 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Sep 2004, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > On Sun, 2004-09-26 at 23:34 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> > > A more likely probley is that Zip Code is meaningless in some English
> > > speaking locales and "Area Code" would be a much clearer more
> > > approriate
> > > and descriptive generic term.  (We do have very simple area codes in
> > > Ireland and the UK has more complicated ones but I dont think any of
> > > us
> > > describe them as Zip codes).
> >
> > It's called a postcode, and it doesn't really matter what it's called in
> > the C locale, it should be/will be translated anyway.
> 
> If the C locale can use a term that works equally well for all English
> speaking locales I would disctinctly prefer it.
> The reason is that en-GB translations dont always happen unless there are
> a few really obviously
> incompatible spellings like "colour".  As I use the en-IE locale rather
> than en-GB I sometime get stuck with en-US spellings because things do
> not correctly fall back from en-GB to en-IE.
> 
> It is a minor detail (but details usually are) but if it can be avoided
> entirely by a more careful choice of words in the C locale and save
> translators from unnecessary work then so much the better.

It should be noted that applications do use American English for the C
locale already, for better or for worse.  Having all applications use
American English means that we don't have to ship en_US translations.
The same would be true of en_GB if that's what we used.  But since we
already use en_US, it's probably best just to stick with it.

That said, if you want a term for "zip code" that will be understood by
all English speakers, I'd recommend "postal code".  Americans might roll
their eyes at you for having called it that, but they'll understand what
you mean.  Do *not* use "area code".  In the US, the area code is part
of the telephone number, and you will confuse a lot of people.

--
Shaun