Hi All,

I'm in a bit of a dilema at work, and in the name of surfing EF with a purpose I would be grateful for your help on the following language check:

Which one sounds right to you, as a native speaker?

"Demographics definition"

OR

"Demographic definition"

The context: One of these is the name of a subcomponent in a software application where you can set up the format in which a person's demographic information appears. This format is then available for selection in another part of the application.

I have a clear idea of what sounds right to me, but I've been here so long even Denglish is starting to sound OK . The other EN speakers in the office are in the same situation.

Thanks in advance for your help
Puddy

__________________
I didn't lose my mind. It was mine to give away - Robbie Williams

As a fresh of the boat English lawyer... I'd go with Demographic rather than demographics... it is an individual's demographic information rather than general information about a group of people's differing demographics.

To me, you are describing the section that allows people to define how users put their information on demographics in.

So "Demographics definition"

However, is definitions the right word, e.g. wouldn't something like configuration would be better?

"Demographics configuration"

(need poll )

First one is my guess? Second one relates to the action of defining actual demographic information. Even though it sounds wrong.

Interesting point and something I wondered about, but for this reason...

...I'd go for plural, as you are not actually reporting the terms for a particular person, but rather altering the demographic parameters and how these are set up...

This is like another "problem" I've never understood. Why do people write "table of contents"... surely it should be "table of content", as the word content describes whatever is inside said document?

I agree it should be "Demographics configuration" +1

Ahh but Carlos... you are altering demographic parameters (singular demographic)... the info relates to an individual and the parameters of that individual. You wouldn't refer to an individual's demographics criteria so I would go for singular demographic.

As for table of contents it is to do with the type of content.... content singular suggests one content i.e. the content of this box is cotton wool... the plural suggests multiple contents i.e. the contents of this box is cotton wool, keys and a horse.

A table of contents is needed when there are multiple sections therefore lots of things rather than just one section.

I'd go with "A/S/L?"

Poll added

Indeed, but it's actually setting up the format of the demographic info, not the demographics themselves...

Yes, it does 'sound' wrong but because it's not defining the demographics themselves it doesn't quite work.

Exactly, it's the parameters we're defining. But I am trying to make it sound like normal English that non-technical people would consider correct. The question is whether using the plural implicitly implies that it's the parameters we're defining and not a person's demographics...

Table of content indeed. Content is theoretically uncountable and the dictionaries I quickly browsed deny its existence. A search for "table of content" turned up 1.8 million results, but table of contents turned up 87.7 million. The former appeared to be used by contrary scientists and mathematicians .

Puddy

__________________
I didn't lose my mind. It was mine to give away - Robbie Williams

Yein. I fully see where you are coming from... but... ()... if you are altering the demographic parameters, the full title should be "demographic parameters definition". (Omiting my point about the appropriateness of definition)

Having removed the "parameters", I would use "demographics", i.e. the plural, as you are changing many different single demographic entries and how these are presented, again vs. reporting them for a single person once the template is set.

But we're talking about a document and not a box of cotton wool. Usually documents only contain letters and words, or at a push Chapters, which themselves are all the same (i.e. balls of cotton wool if you will). Indeed, Fowler's suggests the following:

Figures of course are covered by the "Table of Figures", for which I can see the need to be plural.

__________________
Never let right or wrong get in the way of a good opinion

...Could the person who would suggest something different let us in on it, pls? Thx

I would also echo Carlos' point about the use of "definition". What's wrong with "Demographic information"?

I did...

"Demographics configuration"

OK for a bit more background:

E.g.
In the "Demographics definition" component, select a demographic characteristic that you want to define the format for, e.g. a person's B'day (this changes according to country) e.g. DD.MM.YY, dd/Mmm/yyyy etc. This task is performed by an administrator and depends on how they want to set up different installations of the software. One office in Germany might need it set up one way, but the office in Spain has different date formatting requirements.

Now in the "Demographics assignment" component this predefined format can be applied by normal routine users.

I personally would prefer to go for something else completely, and if I have a good argument for it, I could possibly get it through. It needs to be short but include the concept: The place where you can select individual demographic characteristics, (e.g. age, date of birth, address), and select the format in which each of these should appear to routine users.

It was decided (by a German speaker) that the plural should be applied, but only (I suspect) because they do that in such cases in German...

__________________
I didn't lose my mind. It was mine to give away - Robbie Williams

Banging the same drum: this screams "configuration" at me... so I'll stick with my original (modified) suggestion...

Yep, noted.

I will suggest the full "Demographic parameters configuration" and see how much they scream...

Thanks to you all and especially Carlos R

Puddy

Where do I send my bill and CV to?

Don't believe this person. He clearly doesn't even know the difference between 'of' and 'off'.

www.caron.ch Check out the job posting I made today

As for the bill... Please accept a thousand "Swiss Thanks (STH 1000)" for your efforts

And if you get a job here, I'll shout you a beer

Puddy

Well spotted