[Suggestion] Change wording from YOUR towards MY
- Thread starter erich37
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Grover
Well-known member
My makes it sound personal. "Your" makes it sound like they're talking to you... though XF is a pretty amazing piece of software that does talk to you
The more I use XenForo (which I am gonna to do less in the coming period), the more I find myself agreeing with the above statements. I have the exact same experience that James is expressing... if it would be 'My'... then it gives you a more personal/direct feeling... (don't know how to express it clearly in English). 'Your' comes across as more 'distant'. Since XF is all about the social aspect, I would think using 'My' instead of 'Yours' makes also that part of the UX more personal. 'Your' sounds in-direct ... indeed like 'you are talked to' or something... whereas with 'My' you have the feeling you make it more 'your own' ... don't know if I explain it clearly.
'My' just fits the XF experience better I think. Curious to found out what the conscious decision was to go for 'Your' in this product.
(not a big deal obviously, we have the phrase manager indeed)
PS to XenMods: this discussion belongs more to Tweaks & Small Features.
*me presses [Like] on first posting
This was the subject of intense debate and we did not come to our decision lightly. 'Your' is our preferred usage when the page is giving you instructions or displaying your content. 'My' seems distinctly less professional, even the great 'My' advocate, Microsoft has now veered away from its use.
If we were going to make any changes, it would be to drop the personalization completely, but I'm strongly against the use of 'my' in the majority of cases.
If we were going to make any changes, it would be to drop the personalization completely, but I'm strongly against the use of 'my' in the majority of cases.
DSF
Well-known member
Remember: You read/hear it with a "Geman/Austria Ear".yes, the "My" is much more intuitive.
When it says "Your Content", I always think who is this "You"-person ? Is it myself ?
For me with german-swiss dialect sound the english "Your" in this case better and more logically as "My"
erich37
Well-known member
Grover
Well-known member
Thanks -as always-
, for your feedback.So if I understand it correctly you are strongly against the use of 'my' in the majority of cases, mainly because it seems distinctly less professional?
Not trying to get a debate out of it... just interested to get a clear insight in the reasons behind some UI/UX decisions to understand them better. Obviously, we as end users express what we feel/experience using XF from the frontend and don't have knowledge about reasons behind things
.
anotheralias
Well-known member
I prefer 'your.' The "my" this and that always felt condescending to me, like the software thought I was too stupid to get that it was "my" account unless they dumbed it down.
DSF
Well-known member
Your solution is easy! Change the phrase
Facebook is all over the place with it. Look at the front page alone:
- Keep me logged in
- Forgotten your password
- Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life
- Your email address
- I am
- Why do I need to provide this?
Jason
Well-known member
I always use "your" when labeling objects in a social context.
The way I see it, "your" reinforces the social interaction taking place here. As others have already mentioned, it is how another person would most likely address you when talking about your stuff. "My", on the other hand, imitates the user's point of view. It's as if the user went around their room with post-it notes labeling various items: my monitor, my chair, etc. Except, in this case, the user hasn't done this, the UI designer did it for them.
The whole point of XenForo is to encourage people to open up and converse with other users on the site, so it makes sense to avoid introversion -- and avoiding the use of "my" is just but one way of trying to accomplish that goal.
The way I see it, "your" reinforces the social interaction taking place here. As others have already mentioned, it is how another person would most likely address you when talking about your stuff. "My", on the other hand, imitates the user's point of view. It's as if the user went around their room with post-it notes labeling various items: my monitor, my chair, etc. Except, in this case, the user hasn't done this, the UI designer did it for them.
The whole point of XenForo is to encourage people to open up and converse with other users on the site, so it makes sense to avoid introversion -- and avoiding the use of "my" is just but one way of trying to accomplish that goal.
Grover
Well-known member
Yeah, I can see now why this subject can cause intense debate
, because... exactly because of the points you have stated, I would go for 'My'...Exactly... but there isn't another person talking to me about my (<---- this is a good word in this context, isn't it?) stuff. I am using software which gives me the ability to access my stuff. I am the user, so yes... 'My' imitates the user's point of view (you've explained it very clearly) and this is exactly what is so fitting about it. Since I am the user, wanting to access my stuff.
Ah! Yes, this can go on forever...
.Another thing is... when you translate this 'Your'-concept into Dutch it becomes actually much less professional. 'Jouw account' (which means 'Your') is really rather odd compared to the common and widely used 'Mijn account' (which means 'My'). I don't quite get the relation between 'The whole point of XenForo is to encourage people to open up and converse with other users on the site, so it makes sense to avoid introversion' and the choice of 'Your'. Maybe someone can explain that, so I get it? I do however get the point that XF is so socially and user-centered that I would in this light expect the choice of 'My', because... it imitates/relates better to the user's own point of view indeed...
Funny how one can use the same arguments and come up with the opposite solution.
There's no reason why the Dutch translation can't use 'My' if that is the language preference.
I also fail to see a connection between the use of 'My' and the nature of XenForo as social software? The software is your vector to social interaction, it is not the social interaction in itself.
I also fail to see a connection between the use of 'My' and the nature of XenForo as social software? The software is your vector to social interaction, it is not the social interaction in itself.
Jason
Well-known member
Exactly... but there isn't another person talking to me about my (<---- this is a good word in this context, isn't it?) stuff. I am using software which gives me the ability to access my stuff. I am the user, so yes... 'My' imitates the user's point of view (you've explained it very clearly) and this is exactly what is so fitting about it. Since I am the user, wanting to access my stuff.
Ah! Yes, this can go on forever...
Another thing is... when you translate this 'Your'-concept into Dutch it becomes actually much less professional. 'Jouw account' (which means 'Your') is really rather odd compared to the common and widely used 'Mijn account' (which means 'My'). I don't quite get the relation between 'The whole point of XenForo is to encourage people to open up and converse with other users on the site, so it makes sense to avoid introversion' and the choice of 'Your'. Maybe someone can explain that, so I get it? I do however get the point that XF is so socially and user-centered that I would in this light expect the choice of 'My', because... it imitates/relates better to the user's own point of view indeed...
Funny how one can use the same arguments and come up with the opposite solution.
This is frequently debated as people have strong opinions on the subject, so it's not surprising mileage varies.
As I see it, the use of "My" reinforces a solipsistic state of mind, which goes against the very nature of XenForo as social software (as Kier put it). I don't know how to really explain that further other than saying XenForo is not a individual environment. Labeling objects as "My" on behalf of the user just comes off as robotic, impersonal, as if identifying them by proxy. If XenForo was meant to feel like your medicine cabinet, then sure, it would make perfect sense to use "My" to label your items.
XenForo acts on behalf of the people that use site. In that regard, it's much like a person, and as a human being would say, "Here are your preferences."
Neutral Singh
Well-known member
As much as I love toggle options, It's probably best not to rely on toggles for something as trivial as this. Just edit the wonderful phrasesHow about another little toggle option for admins to choose from?
Grover
Well-known member
Yeah, as I said... the phrase manager is our friend in this (trivial) case
.I understand your point about XF being the vector and not the social interaction in itself. My point was/is that XF excels in this area compared to other products on the market and since the aim of XF seems to be to provide social features in the best way possible, if I would follow that line I would go for 'My'. This feels more social for me, as explained in my postings above. Thus I see a connection between the nature of XF as social software and the way these social features are presented to the enduser.
Grover
Well-known member
And... again
... I can use exactly your reasons to come to the exact opposite conclusion. I see there is no end to this debate indeed, so this will be the last reply I make. A solipsistic state of mind? I had to look it up... http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solipsism . I believe this is taking it a bit out of proportion TBH... in fact... 'My' makes the experience more personal/social! Robotic... impersonal... I just don't get it, because it is so clearly exactly the opposite. Imagine... opening the door to your house and seeing labels on every wall or cupboard telling you that this is 'Your house'... how does it feel? It doesn't feel right. Because... this is my house. Mine. Not 'Yours'. I want to feel/experience it is mine, and not to be confronted with phrases on my wall that 'talk' to me in the second person. It is me (the first person in language) living here.'XenForo acts on behalf of the people that use the site', you say. Indeed. XF is so social... you want to create a 'home' feeling for your end users. So, functionality (the walls, the cupboard) that is their own, 'should' preferably mirror that and be referred to in the most personal way and that is...believe it or not
: 'My'. It has nothing to do with creating an individual environment really... not sure how one can see it that way (I am trying hard to understand it)?Amen.
Kim
Well-known member
Me too, the "my" is waayyyyy too twee and Microsoft-y and "your" seems a little un-necessary, but of the two "your" is definately less nauseating.
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