Terminology Recommendations

This page is being used to revamp the terminology recommendations currently found in the GNOME Documentation Style Guide. When it is complete, these recommendations will be merged into the Style Guide. The recommendations are being reviewed incrementally with our Word-a-Day program. Each day (more or less), Shaun will send a term or a group of related terms to the gnome-doc-list mailing list. When he does, he will place those terms here under Pending Terms. When a consensus is reached, the terms will be moved to Completed Terms.

Please do not edit this page with comments. Make your comments on the mailing list.

A rough list of terms that will be considered can be found under RoughList.

Pending Terms

• screencast: 2008-04-03

• email: 2008-04-05

• instant message: 2008-04-07

• toggle: 2008-04-08

• log in, login, log out, logout: 2008-04-09

• capplet, preference tool: 2008-04-10, revised 2008-04-11

• button, command button, toggle button: 2008-04-23

• progress bar, progress indicator: 2008-04-25

• cancel, stop: 2008-08-06

• cursor, insertion point, pointer: 2008-08-07

• checkbox: 2008-08-15

Completed Terms

back up (v.), backup (n., adj.) 2008-04-04

• Copy files to another location as a precaution in case of loss of the original files. Spell with two words as a verb, one word as a noun or adjective. Do not split back and up when used as a verb.

  • Correct:

  • Back up your files regularly.
  • Create a backup of your files.

  • Incorrect:

  • Back your files up regularly.
  • Backup your files regularly.
  • Create a back up of your files.

screenshot 2008-04-03

• An image showing the display of the screen or an area of the screen. Spell as one word; do not use screen shot or screen-shot. Do not use screen grab, screen capture, or any other term.

  Do not use screenshot as a verb. Write take a screenshot instead. Do not use screenshoot or any variant.