There have now been ~ 75 emails on wp-hackers mailing list on whether “bookmarks” or “links” is the better term in the WordPress experience.
As Mark Jaquith wrote some months ago, “It takes less effort to take a deep breath and ignore an annoying thread (hit “m” in Gmail [to mute endless threads] ) than to get angry and feed the flames.”
Since a lot of time I haven’t seen a fruitful discussion about WordPress development on wp-hackers.
Now the list serves more as something like second-level support (for them hacker users), and not for talking where and how WP should be heading tomorrow. Any of the recent attempts for a brainstorming grows into those endless threads you are and Mark are talking about.
The trac list gains more and more respect in my eyes, these days. The comments there are more focused and on a narrower topic.
P.S. I like your spacy comment fields.
Lloyd, I have been getting these list emails too about bookmarks or links, their have been polls, and endless repetitive discussion. Regardless of my opinion, I think it the big scheme of things, you won’t set usability back any for the new user by renaming blogroll to links or bookmarks. Neither of those terms can be more confusing to new users than blogroll currently is. I know developing opensource/free software is supposed to be a democratic process, but I think this one of the situations where one of the lead developers on WordPress needs to step in, and say we are going to either change it or not change it and this is why. There will never be an absolute consensus on the topic so someone might as well either come out and say there is going to be a change or there isn’t or the problem will never get solved.
I’m with you. I don’t see why it matters. The WP leads need to decide and rule with an iron fist. I do think that the closer to plain english you can be, the better (hint hint drupal).
I agree with Mike. IMO either “Bookmarks” or “Links” would be less confusing to newcomers than the word “Blogroll”.
I also agree with his position on having a lead wp developer step in. For, IMO there does not appear to be a constructive dialog heading toward a decision that everyone can “live with”.
As a paralegal I have found that consensus is workable in groups of 25 and under but, in larger groups setting a majority rule vote as a default is preferable to dragging out the decision-making process and creating bad feelings.
I have also noted that it is critical that the definition of “success” be made clear from the beginning of any consensual process.
Granted that most consensus-building efforts set out to achieve unanimity. However,we all know there can be “holdouts” who believe their interests will be better served by resisting the proposed agreement and who become dead set on spoiling or derailing the process.
In contemplation of the foregoing IMO, it is acceptable to settle for overwhelming agreement that gets as close as possible to meeting the interests of the majority.
One way of ensuring a consensus-building process does not become excessively long, drawn out and emotional is for the “lead” person to set a timeframe for consensus-building negotiation and a deadline for the decision.
If consensus has not been reached at deadline then a vote is called and majority rule becomes the decision.
I fee so strongly about this that I no longer participate in any consensus-building process where a timeline and deadline have not been defined and, a democratic vote set as the default for final decision making.
Thanks for an opportunity to share my viewpoint with you and your readers.
i think WP should print a menu script with definitions to all WP terminology, when i only arrived to the scene i saw “blogroll” and many other words the confused me. i often wandered why no individual as taken the task on him self
so true… you almost never see an multi-page thread of people all getting along agreeing
I agree with “ouch”.
I was in the same boat of not knowing what a blogroll was when I first started my blog. A few other term were confusing as well. I don’t remember them now, because that was some time ago….. but I am sure others are dealing with it everyday.
I have to wonder if people had any problems identifying “Bookmarks” and “Favorites” when shifting from one browser to another. Why would this be any different? Besides anyone using a browser should have an easy understanding of both “Bookmarks” and “Links” and it seems just one of those many conversations just for the sake of conversation.
I agree with the fact that new terms are confusing for newcomers but WP is no longer a new kid on the block.
It just keeps getting more confusing I agree they are the big kid even compared to blogger