Terminology
This is a list of what we're calling things here at Dreamwidth.
For right now, this page is almost-but-not-quite definitive. That is, some things may change, but most items are certainly what we will always use.
See the Discussion page for discussion about what to call things that haven't been named yet.
Contents
User Relationships
Instead of using the single term friend we use two terms:
- Users you are Watching are called subscriptions. Posts you can read on their journal you can watch appear on your reading list.
- Users you are Trusting are called access. You trust these users to view some (or all) of your protected content.
The reading page is the equivalent of the friends page.
For example:
- When you subscribe to a journal it will become a subscribed journal, or, you will be subscribed to that journal.
- This journal will then appear on your subscriptions list, and you will appear on their subscribers list.
- When you grant access to someone, they appear on your access list, while you will appear on their access to list.
There are access filters to control who has access to your content. There will be reading filters to show who appears on your reading page, but these will not be available during beta.
Relationship is a generic term including both subscriptions and access.
Your circle is all people with whom you have a relationship.
Your network is your circle's circle.
Thus, the equivalent of the friends' friends page is read your network and the equivalent of popular with friends will be popular in your network.
Other
Archive
Use archive instead of calendar.
Email Confirmation
On Dreamwidth, we will confirm email addresses rather than validating them.
Entry or Post
- Entry
- The proper noun form is entry (entries rather than posts or postings).
- Post
- The proper verb form is post.
The only exception to this is the verb to make: You post an entry to your account; you make a post to your account; you write an entry in your account.
Feeds
When it is necessary to distinguish the Dreamwidth account from its originating feed, use the term feed account. Do not mention syndication or syndicated accounts.
Interactions Menu
The little menu that appears on the top right of the profile with options like modify, access, send message, track, etc. will be referred to as the Interactions Menu.
The preferred term is Navigation Strip or Nav Strip for short. Do not refer to it as the control strip.
Profile
The correct term is profile. Do not use user info.
Tracking/Notifications
Tracking specifically refers to tracking of comments/entries.
Notifications refers to a more general sense.
- You would receive a notification when someone adds you to their circle.
- You might receive a notification when someone comments on an entry you're tracking.
- You wouldn't track people adding you to their circle.
- The inbox would still be referred to as the inbox, so all notifications would go to the inbox, and you also have the option of having them emailed to you.
Do not refer to this feature as subscribing or as Event Subscription Notification (ESN).
User Icons
Refer to these as icons generally, and as user icons if necessary for clarity or to distinguish from other icons.
