How formal do you want to address your users (Dutch translations)

[Barbara]

Hi guys,

As validator, I’m struggling to choose between two forms of addressing the plugin users. The formal way is to address ‘you’ would be ‘u’. This would be something you say to unknown people, your (grand) parents, the king, and so forth. The informal way to address ‘you’ would be ‘je’.

The latter, informal, way of addressing users seems much more in tone with your way of addressing your users via all communication channels like the forums and help center pages. After all, you prefer to say ‘Howdy’ rather than “Dear sir, madam”.

Currently, some string translations are using the informal way of addressing the users (my preference), but other string translaions are using the formal way of addressing the users.

Please let me know which way you want to use across all translations, and I’ll try to find some time to change it all to either way you prefer. Again, I would prefer the informal way, which seems much more fitting.

Cheers,
Hans

[George]

Hey Hans,

Thanks for reaching out – this is an interesting question.

I don’t know the best option myself, so I’ve reached out to some of our lead developers and managers for some insight on this. I will post another update as soon as we’ve arrived at a conclusion.

In the meantime, in your experience do you find that most software in Dutch goes with one form or another? I could see the “formal” tone being more common in software, but am not sure if this is accurate – is it? Or do most products go informal?

Thank you for your insight on this, and for your continued contributions with translating and validating – it means to a lot to us and to our other Dutch-speaking users! 🙂

Sincerely,
George

[Hans]

Hi George,

Most software tends to avoid using it in the first place (like “An update is needed” rather than “You need to update”).

Google Chrome is using the informal way to communicate, for instance. And my gut feeling says that their way of communicating (open, friendly, and with a pinch of fun) is very much comparable to the way you guys would want to communicate, right? Apps like Spotify use the informal way too.

Microsoft Windows and Office applicaties mostly use the formal way, but I think that wouldn’t be a good comparison.

Best regards,
Hans

[George]

Hey Hans,

Thanks so much for your insight here – the informal tone definitely sounds like the right one for The Events Calendar and our other plugins. 🙂

Thank you!
George

[Barbara]

Hi George,
Just to be sure, is this an official GO for changing it to the informal way where needed, or do you still need to wait for a GO from management?

Hans

[George]

This is an official GO 🙂 Thanks for confirming Hans! [Sorry for not making that clearer earlier.]

Thank you,
George

[Support Droid]

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