279 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
279 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
page.title=Writing Style
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@jd:body
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<p>When choosing words for your app:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Keep it brief.</strong> Be concise, simple and precise. Start with a 30 character limit (including
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spaces), and don't use more unless absolutely necessary.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Keep it simple.</strong> Pretend you're speaking to someone who's smart and competent, but doesn't
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know technical jargon and may not speak English very well. Use short words, active verbs, and
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common nouns.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Be friendly.</strong> Use contractions. Talk directly to the reader using second person ("you"). If
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your text doesn't read the way you'd say it in casual conversation, it's probably not the way
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you should write it. Don't be abrupt or annoying and make the user feel safe, happy and
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energized.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Put the most important thing first.</strong> The first two words (around 11 characters, including
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spaces) should include at least a taste of the most important information in the string. If they
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don't, start over.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Describe only what's necessary, and no more.</strong> Don't try to explain subtle differences. They
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will be lost on most users.</p>
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</li>
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<li>
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<p><strong>Avoid repetition.</strong> If a significant term gets repeated within a screen or block of text, find
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a way to use it just once.</p>
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</li>
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</ol>
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<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
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<ol><li class="value-1"><strong>Keep it brief.</strong> From the setup wizard:</ol>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">Too formal</div>
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<table class="ui-table good"><tbody><tr><td>
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Consult the documentation that came with your phone for further instructions.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">Better</div>
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<table class="ui-table good"><tbody><tr><td>
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Read the instructions that came with your phone.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="vspace size-1"> </div>
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<ol><li class="value-2"><strong>Keep it simple.</strong> From the Location settings screen:</ol>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">Confusing</div>
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<table class="ui-table bad">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th>
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Use GPS satellites
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>
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When locating, accurate to street level.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">Better</div>
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<table class="ui-table good">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th>
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GPS
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>
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Let apps use satellites to pinpoint your location.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="vspace size-1"> </div>
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<ol><li class="value-3"><strong>Be friendly.</strong> Dialog that appears when an application
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crashes:</ol>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">Confusing and annoying—"Sorry" just rubs salt in the
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wound.</div>
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<table class="ui-table bad">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th colspan="3">
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Sorry!
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td colspan="3">
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Activity MyAppActivity (in application MyApp)
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is not responding.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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<tfoot>
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<tr>
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<td width="33%">Force close</td>
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<td width="33%">Wait</td>
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<td width="33%">Report</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">Shorter, more direct, no faux-apologetic title:<br><br></div>
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<table class="ui-table good">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th colspan="3">
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MyApp isn't responding.
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td colspan="3">
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Do you want to close it?
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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<tfoot>
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<tr>
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<td width="33%">Wait</td>
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<td width="33%">Report</td>
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<td width="33%">Close</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="vspace size-1"> </div>
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<ol><li class="value-4"><strong>Put the most important thing first.</strong></ol>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">Top news last</div>
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<table class="ui-table bad"><tbody><tr><td>
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77 other people +1'd this, including Larry Page.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">Top news first</div>
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<table class="ui-table good"><tbody><tr><td>
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Larry Page and 77 others +1'd this.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">Task last</div>
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<table class="ui-table bad"><tbody><tr><td>
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Touch Next to complete setup using a Wi-Fi connection.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">Task first</div>
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<table class="ui-table good"><tbody><tr><td>
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To finish setup using Wi-Fi, touch Next.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="vspace size-1"> </div>
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<ol><li class="value-5"><strong>Describe only what's necessary, and no more.</strong></ol>
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<div class="layout-content-row">
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6 layout-with-list-item-margins">
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<div class="do-dont-label bad">From a Setup Wizard screen</div>
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<table class="ui-table bad">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th>
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Signing in...
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>
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Your phone needs to communicate with<br>
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Google servers to sign in to your account.<br>
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This may take up to five minutes.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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<div class="layout-content-col span-6">
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<div class="do-dont-label good">From a Setup Wizard screen</div>
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<table class="ui-table good">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th>
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Signing in...
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</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>
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Your phone is contacting Google.<br>
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This can take up to 5 minutes.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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</div>
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