[Savannah-dev] [Bug #499] Awkwardly phrased FAQs

[nobody]

=================== BUG #499: FULL BUG SNAPSHOT ===================
http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?func=detailbug&bug_id=499&group_id=11

Submitted by: alexl                     Project: Savannah                       
Submitted on: 2002-May-28 23:58
Category:  Content                      Severity:  3 - Ordinary                 
Priority:  Later                        Bug Group:  None                        
Resolution:  Fixed                      Assigned to:  yeupou                    
Status:  Closed                         Effort:  0.00                           

Summary:  Awkwardly phrased FAQs

Original Submission:  Several of the FAQ questions are rather awkwardly 
phrased, I would suggest changing:
 
"How is the registration process?"

to:

"What is the registration process?"

Similarly 

"How to upload my project?" 

would read better as:

"How do I upload my project?"

The following questions also make some minor grammatical errors, mainly 
relating to misusing the plural form of a verb or noun:

"Is there some delays on update?"

-> "Are there some delays on update?"

"Is there some places on internet to get more informations ?"

-> "Are there places on the Internet to get more information?"

"Are PHP and MySQL availables?"

-> "Are PHP and MySQL available?"

That's it!  Mostly minor, but the site would read better if they were fixed.  
Keep up the good work!



(Also there is a typo in the answer to this question "Regitration 
prerequisite.." should be "Registration prerequisite")


Follow-up Comments
*******************

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-May-31 04:17             By: alexl
Thanks for making the changes.  However, I have to say that as a native English 
speaker, "How is the registration process?" is inappropriate in this context.  
Whilst not, strictly speaking, grammatically incorrect, it is semantically 
incorrect, because it is the wrong form of the question for the answer that is 
given.  An answer to the question "How is the registration process", would be 
"it's easy, really a breeze".  Usually the "How is" form of a question is used 
to ask a question about the state of a person, e.g. Q: "How is Jane?", A: 
"She's fine".  If asked about an inanimate object or process, it would be 
similar, e.g. Q: "How is the class?", A: "It's pretty difficult, the professor 
is a jerk"
i.e. people would be surprised if the answer was given: "It's a ten week class, 
with one mid-term and final, and a long paper." (which is the equivalent of the 
answer given).  The correct form of the question for the latter answer would 
be: "What is the class syllabus?" or somesuch.  I understand what you are 
trying to say, but "What is the registration process?" would be taken to mean 
"what is the registration process like?" *not* "what is a registration 
process".  To be completely unambiguous perhaps you could say:  "Could you 
please outline the registration process?" or "What is the registration process 
like?" or perhaps, "Can you give me a preview of the registration process?".  
All I can say that given the answer, the current wording of the question would 
look very strange to a native English speaker.

There are also a couple of errors still present:
Are there some places on internet to get more informations ?
should be:
Are there some places on the Internet to get more information?

There is also still a typo in the answer to the registration process:  
"regitration" should be "registration".

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-May-31 04:08             By: alexl
Thanks for making the changes.  However, I have to say that as a native English 
speaker, "How is the registration process?" is inappropriate in this context.  
Whilst not, strictly speaking, grammatically incorrect, it is semantically 
incorrect, because it is the wrong form of the question for the answer that is 
given.  An answer to the question "How is the registration process", would be 
"it's easy, really a breeze".  Usually the "How is" form of a question is used 
to ask a question about the state of a person, e.g. Q: "How is Jane?", A: 
"She's fine".  If asked about an inanimate object or process, it would be 
similar, e.g. Q: "How is the class?", A: "It's pretty difficult, the professor 
is a jerk"
i.e. people would be surprised if the answer was given: "It's a ten week class, 
with one mid-term and final, and a long paper." (which is the equivalent of the 
answer given).  The correct form of the question for the latter answer would 
be: "What is the class syllabus?" or somesuch.  I understand what you are 
trying to say, but "What is the registration process?" would be taken to mean 
"what is the registration process like?" *not* "what is a registration 
process".  To be completely unambiguous perhaps you could say:  "Could you 
please outline the registration process?" or "What is the registration process 
like?" or perhaps, "Can you give me a preview of the registration process?".  
All I can say that given the answer, the current wording of the question would 
look very strange to a native English speaker.

There are also a couple of errors still present:
Are there some places on internet to get more informations ?
should be:
Are there some places on the Internet to get more information?

There is also still a typo in the answer to the registration process:  
"regitration" should be "registration".

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-May-30 12:43             By: yeupou
Ok, fixed.

The first case not really convince me since the goal of this 'question' is to 
give a preview of the registration process, not to explain the meaning of the 
registration process.

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-May-29 02:15             By: yeupou
I'll fix this soon, while enhancing the whole FAQ system.




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