Just throwing something out for whoever. Labels are only as good as their usefulness in communicating a thought / interpreting the data. A label can be both too precise or too vague to be of logical / practical use.
Within the context of communicating to a child to look for cars before crossing the street I could take many different communication approaches. Here's three examples:
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a) Look both ways for cars when crossing the street.
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b) Pay attention.
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c) Look north and south at eye level for wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.[3]
The term motorcar has also been used in the context of electrified rail systems to denote a car which functions as a small locomotive but also provides space for passengers and baggage. These locomotive cars were often used on suburban routes by both interurban and intercity railroad systems.[4]
There are approximately 600 million passenger cars worldwide (roughly one car per eleven people).[5][6] Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007; they burn over a billion cubic meters (260 billion US gallons) of petrol/gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially in China and India.[7].
BEFORE CROSSING THE
paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable surface such as concrete, cobblestone or brick. Portions may also be smoothed with asphalt, embedded with rails, or otherwise prepared to accommodate non-pedestrian traffic.
Originally the word "street" simply meant a paved road (Latin: "via strata"). The word "street" is still sometimes used colloquially as a synonym for "road", for example in connection with the ancient Watling Street, but city residents and urban planners draw a crucial modern distinction: a road's main function is transportation, while streets facilitate public interaction.[1][2] Examples of streets include pedestrian streets, alleys, and city-centre streets too crowded for road vehicles to pass. Conversely, highways and motorways are types of roads, but few would refer to them as streets.
a) Just enough to get the point across based on the child's current experience.
b) The child might not understand why I am telling them to pay attention. This is an example of too vague. The point is missing because of a lack of information.
c) Too much information. Too precise. The point is missed in all the unnecessary information.
I see the same type of thing going on here on the board.
It seems (based on my experience) that the important part, is in the "getting the idea across". I try to keep this in mind when communicating. I ask myself what the purpose is of saying something in the first place and then what is the best way to communicate this to others.
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