message-format-wg
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unicode-org
[FEEDBACK] Specify what kind of user
We use the term 'user' in many different ways (in the 47 instances in the spec):
- end users — eg, people seeing a message on their screen produced by MF
- message writers — eg, people composing messages with MF syntax (and perhaps custom functions)
- custom function writers — eg, people creating custom functions for use in their companies' localization systems
In practice, these are typically (but not always) disjoint.
We seem to use "implementations" and "implementers" contrastively, meaning an implementation of the MF framework and standard functions, but excluding the above.
Sometimes it is clear what the meaning of 'users' is. For example:
- "One of the challenges in adapting software to work for users with different languages and cultures"
- "An implementation MAY allow custom functions to be defined by users." seems to be directed at custom function writers.
But often it isn't clear. This is not a blocker, but I think we should clear up when we are talking to which kind of users.
My comment elsewhere was basically: there are different sorts of users, but I believe (perhaps incorrectly) that all of our uses are clear. Can you identify specific instances that are a problem? I mean, you quote two, but each of those seem clear to me?
48 okay?
Added LDML47 to the others for visibility, but let me know if that is not following your process, @aphillips
@macchiati Can you enumerate places you'd like to see changed or which you found unclear?
I agree it would be nice to reference different types of users a bit more explicitly. Some already are, as far as I've seen.
My two cents on the users that exist:
- End users - People who see formatted messages
- Translators - People who translate messages
- Authors - People who write messages
- Consumers - People who consume implementations
- Implementers - People who write implementations
And perhaps just "users" could remain more broad/generic where appropriate.
