Nouns, Verbs, Prepositions & Logins

[Phred]

Just redirectiing nerdiness away from tech for a moment, in the light of the Microsoft grammarians' managing to influence Windows 10's Start menu - an item on the user's icon on the far left on the Start menu is now 'Sign out', 'Sign' being the verb, the action, that is offered as a choice, and 'out' is the preposition complementing the verb to indicate the type of action the signing would be: in, up, down, over, through, or out.

Many websites are persisting with the awkward name of a button/control - suggesting the function of the object, rather than presenting a choice to the user. Function rather than communication. 'This is a [whatever] button' versus 'You can do [this] here'.

Login and Logout named controls have been superceded by offerings: 'Sign in' and 'Sign out'.

'Logout' isn't an action; it isn't a verb. It is a name; a noun.

I suggest that the text of the 'Login' and 'Logout' controls on this discussion board be changed to 'Sign in' and 'Sign out'.

:)

[helmut]

... I suggest that the text of the 'Login' and 'Logout' controls on this discussion board be changed to 'Sign in' and 'Sign out'. ...

Thank you, Pred, for your suggestion. We use the widespread forum software and its terminology, here. The board's software can be manipulated in any way but typically we don't do this until there is really good reason. Thank you for your understanding.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explor ... ,sign%20in

[Phred]

Misconceptions in this wonderful language of ours obtain every day, like everyday, may or may not, aggravate, agreeance, infer, incredulous, disinterested, fulsome, irregardless, literally, criteria, simplistic, effect/affect, lie/lay, fewer versus less; many more..

With Microsoft's matured use of Sign in/out in Windows 10, I expect a greater understanding of the noun/verb distinction will develop. I put this on simmer. :)

Thank you for your understanding.

[Drahken]

"Log" is, among other things, a verb, originally referring to entering events or data into a journal or log book, and evolving into logging a person's entry into a building or job etc. While "login" is at best a name for the button, "log in" is what it does, it allows you to log in to the site, synonomous with signing in.

[Phred]

Indeed, a 'log book' was devised to record the passage of a number of logs - timber, wooden logs - tied to a rope that was dropped over the side of a ship at sea to measure speed. Logs tied at fixed spaces on the rope meant that in a certain period of time, measured by a sand-glass, I expect, a certain number of logs would pass by a fixed point - thus allowing speed to be inferred. A number of floating logs tied by knots would be recorded in the 'Log Book': "travelling at 10 knots" might be an entry.
Given that most of us today write, and authenticate ourselves with our signature - 'sign'ature - isn't it time that we left the ships at sea and became more universal? And ecumenical? ..by signing in.