This may be a strange one, but why is the word “deploy” used as a both a noun and a verb by Netlify? I find it very confusing when trying to learn, as I need to work out from the context which one is meant. The word “Deploy” is a verb. It has a noun form already: “Deployment”. By using the same word for both the site is making it harder to understand. Is Netlify trying to start a new thing by changing the meaning of the word?
Examples:
“Deploy Settings” : why would I want to deploy my settings? Should this be “Deployment Settings”?
“Trigger Deploy” : That’s 2 verbs together. Why not just use “Deploy” ?
“Deploy Previews”: Is this concerning deploying my preview, or the preview of my deployment? …and what does this sentence even mean??: “Any pull request against your production branch / branch deploy branches”. Branch deploy the branches?
Whenever I read the word “deploy” I have to try to work out if it means deployment, or deploy. “Deploy Key”…why would I want to deploy my key?
The incorrect use of the word is so frequent throughout the site that I doubt it can be easily changed. Does anyone else find this frustrating and unnecessary?
This practice is over a century old and not something invented by Netlify.
It is like shortening “website” to “site”. We are still referring to a website when we write “site”. In the same way were are referring to a “deployment” when “deploy” is used as a noun.
Your example says the noun form is a dated (ie old) military use, meaning a military deployment. That’s not what it’s being used for here.
I guess my overall question is why it’s being used when it creates confusion and misunderstanding, when we have suitable words already in the English language that do the job. Trying to reintroduce a dated military use of the term and twist it to this usage is unnecessary. It undermines the UX of the site, making terms less readily apparent than they would otherwise be. ie, a step backwards.
I disagree that it’s like the shortening of “website” to “site”, as they are both nouns and mean the same thing. Deploy is a verb, deployment is the noun.
You’re right that it is ubiquitous throughout the site, which is a shame as it’s unlikely that anything can be done about it.
@AndrewD, it is being shortened because most people (but clearly not all) find that to be helpful. It saves syllables when spoken and saves letters when it is text. Most people are not having difficulty understanding the meaning in context so this is all benefit without any downside for those people.
Your use of English appears to be far above that of the average English speaker to me. It seems to be your first language and you have a fairly complete understanding of it. I make this statement to make it clear that the following question is a serious and earnest question. (It is not sarcasm in any way.)
Is the shortening of the word causing confusion for you personally?
I ask because you may be more concerned about how this is impacting other people. For example, you concern may be for people for whom English is not their first language or people using our documentation with a language translation system. The translator might not get the “deploy” as a noun translation correct, for example.
Would you please confirm if it is impacting you directly or if your concern is about how this might impact others?
I personally find it confusing, and believe that non-native speakers of English would do so as well. Part of my role involves UX, both in terms of the graphical and UI aspects, but also the language side (UX Writing). You’re correct that I am a native English speaker. I have worked to create products for both native and non-native speakers of English, and in my experience it is very beneficial to make user-interfaces as clear and explicit as possible, particularly with the words we choose to names things.
Unfortunately conflating the noun and verb forms of “deploy” is a step in the wrong direction. I understand the desire to be more efficient with your copy, and shortening “deployment” to “deploy” may be doing that - but it comes at the cost of legibility.