Admin triggered download of personal data export give notice of user sent link which is invalid

[garrett-eclipse]

In the list table for the export requests the admin can 'Download Personal Data' from a row action. This triggers a notice stating The personal data export link for this user was sent. which is misleading as no link was sent. Instead this message when the action is triggered from the row-actions should state The personal data export for this user has been downloaded.

[garrett-eclipse]

GIF illustrating the row action and it's resultant notice. The file is downloaded when the link it clicked and no email aside from the original confirmation email is sent through this action.

[garrett-eclipse]

Initial Patch to provide "The personal data export file for this user was downloaded." verbiage on download

[garrett-eclipse]

New notice verbiage on download which states download.

[garrett-eclipse]

I've uploaded an initial patch in 49319.diff to conditionally change the verbiage to be more appropriate when downloading. New verbiage;
The personal data export file for this user was downloaded.

Just needs testing, copy review and should be good for 5.6.

[bridgetwillard]

Original

'The personal data export file for this user was downloaded.'

In copywriting, we try to stay away from the passive voice.

With that said, if most of the notices in WordPress are in the passive voice, keep it.

Suggested Revisions

Passive Voice:

'This user's personal data export file was downloaded."

Active Voice:

'You downloaded this users's personal data export file.'

[garrett-eclipse]

Thanks very much for the feedback @bridgetwillard and for sparking a lively discussion in core. Until the team finalizes WP's specific guidelines I think we should look to Google developer documentation style guide for this one;
​https://developers.google.com/style/voice

Specifically this exception;

To emphasize an object over an action.
Recommended: The file is saved.

As the 'personal data export file' is the object we're emphasizing here I feel we go with what we have which make that the focus.

This also aligns with the string this new one is based off of;
'The personal data export link for this user was sent.'

Once WP settles on voice I'm sure we'll revisit the entire interface and these strings among them.

One further improvement I was going to make but feel is more an enhancement, as it requires updates to function signatures, is replacing this user with the users actual email. When I went to create a ticket I found we have #47491 which already has this suggestion as it will move the notice out of the row to it's normal position so there'll be more of a need to correlate which notice is for which request.

This is ready for commit in my eyes.

[bridgetwillard]

Agreed. I like Google's Dev Guide. We should go with the passive.

'This user's personal data export file was downloaded.'

Thanks!

Replying to garrett-eclipse:

Thanks very much for the feedback @bridgetwillard and for sparking a lively discussion in core. Until the team finalizes WP's specific guidelines I think we should look to Google developer documentation style guide for this one;
​https://developers.google.com/style/voice

Specifically this exception;

To emphasize an object over an action.
Recommended: The file is saved.

As the 'personal data export file' is the object we're emphasizing here I feel we go with what we have which make that the focus.

This also aligns with the string this new one is based off of;
'The personal data export link for this user was sent.'

Once WP settles on voice I'm sure we'll revisit the entire interface and these strings among them.

One further improvement I was going to make but feel is more an enhancement, as it requires updates to function signatures, is replacing this user with the users actual email. When I went to create a ticket I found we have #47491 which already has this suggestion as it will move the notice out of the row to it's normal position so there'll be more of a need to correlate which notice is for which request.

This is ready for commit in my eyes.

[SergeyBiryukov]

In 49289:

Privacy: Use more appropriate verbiage when downloading personal data export file from a row action.

Props garrett-eclipse, bridgetwillard.
Fixes #49319.

[garrett-eclipse]

Appreciated @SergeyBiryukov and thanks for catching @bridgetwillard's last copy comment there, I'd overlooked there was a refresh needed.