Re: [Tails-ux] Terminology for the web assistant: clone

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Author: sajolida
Date:  
To: Tails user experience & user interface design
Subject: Re: [Tails-ux] Terminology for the web assistant: clone
Ok Google:
> Hello, I was reading the introduction to this discussion that sajolida
> previously alluded to in this thread...
>
>> sajolida:
>>>>>>>>> Please make sure you've read the introduction to this discussion
>>>>>>>>> before
>>>>>>>>> answering this email:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     >>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-ux/2015-April/000370.html

>>>>>>>>>
>
> ...and the following excerpt resonated: "we should consider that the user at
> this point has very little knowledge of what Tails is because she probably
> never used it yet."


Thanks a lot for joining this discussion!

> With this in mind, "copy" is going to be a much more prevalent computer term
> that a user would be familiar with the first time they encounter Tails. In
> any given day, a computer user is often copying a file, copying some text,
> copying a link or any other number of scenarios.
>
> The word "clone" on the other hand, is a term a much smaller subset of new
> users might be familiar with in relation to their computer, those who might
> have experience cloning a git repo, for example.


Yeah, that was my issue with the word "clone" but then several people
said that "clone" was probably ok. It's clearly not as prevalent as
"copy" but I thought it would work as a metaphor here.

I'm also wondering whether "copy" could be too generic and ambiguous in
some cases. Until now when you "clone" a Tails you get a full-feature
Tails (with automatic upgrade and optional persistence), while when you
only "copy" the ISO image on a USB stick (for example using `dd` in
Linux) you don't get those properties.

To summarize, I agree with you that "copy" is less jargon but on the
other hand "clone" is probably ok and might be useful in some cases.

So I'm torn.

By the way, to see how this will look like in Tails Installer in Debian,
see https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/8866. But that's not set in
stone yet.

> Perhaps we should assume the least amount of familiarity possible in this use
> case and use the word "copy" to improve usability and reading comprehension
> across as many users as possible. Also keeping in mind translation management
> with Transifex across various languages as well and people using Google
> Translate to auto-translate content they are browsing, cloning may be a term
> that translates more closely to a genetic replication process in non-English
> languages rather than a computing process of copying data from one form of
> media to another.


Then I'll send an email to translators about that.

> Secondly, regardless of which term is used, it may be better to remain
> impersonal with any subsequent text following the term and stick to the basic
> use case. We cannot assume that one is copying from a friend, nor a coworker,
> nor a colleague, or a fellow research, professor or student. Maybe it's
> another use case and they are copying from no one. Perhaps it's better not to
> assume beyond the basic process, that they are going to "Copy from Existing
> Tails Media" - or something to that effect. This not only offers utility to
> the new user, but one who is new to the process of copying as well - perhaps
> someone who created an ISO but didn't use the Tails Installer, and now they
> want to make a copy for the first time so they can take advantage of updating
> with each release as opposed to a complete download from scratch.


Agreed, I create a ticket to tackle this phrasing issue. See
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/9433. And took note of your ideas.
We were anyway already considering rephrasing all this.

--
sajolida