Okay, trying to distil everyone's suggestions on this topic, how does
this sound for some menu item naming guidelines?
1. Sun applications are shown only by their brand name, e.g.
"NetBeans", "Java Web Start",
"StarOffice 8 Writer".
2. Core GNOME applications are shown by their functional name only
(e.g. "Calculator"),
unless either:
- JDS includes another application with a similar function
that also appears on
the Launch menu, or
- Sun offers an alternative application with a similar
function, whether or not it
is installed.
In those cases, the name is "appname function"[1], e.g.
"Evolution Mail and Calendar"
(to distinguish from "Thunderbird Mail and News"), or "GAIM
Instant Messenger" (to
distinguish from "Sun Java Instant Messenger", even though we
don't currrently ship that
with JDS).
3. Other applications are shown by their brand name if the function
is reasonably apparent
from that, or is otherwise well known, e.g. "Adobe Reader",
"Real Player". Otherwise
they are shown as "appname function"[1] , e.g. "Firefox Web
Browser", "GIMP Image Editor".
I /think/ point 3 ensures that both 'recognised brands' and 'stateful
apps' get the recognition they deserve, while interchangeable text
editors and calculators etc. go by their generic names by dint of
being core GNOME apps. But I'm open to alternative (preferably
concrete) suggestions...
Cheeri,
Calum.
[1] Precise format still TBD... personally, with these guidelines, I
think "appname function" does now make more sense than "function -
appname" or similar, but I'm still open to persuasion there too.
--
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum.benson at sun.com Java Desktop System Team
http://blogs.sun.com/calum +353 1 819 9771
Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems
