On nearly every lynda.com page on the site, there’s a drop-down menu that is labeled as Vendor. We’re working on updating our site, and there’s been some debate about continuing to use the word Vendor to describe those companies that create the software that we have training for.
We need your input: Is it more intuitive to simply call them ‘companies’? Do you tend to recognize them as ‘publishers’? Or is ‘vendor’ the perfect word for our menu? Let us know what word you would pick.
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Those who create and make software available for use are “publishers.”
“Vendors” are the companies (e.g., Amazone, PC Connection, etc) that sell the software.
“Companies” could be almost anyone.
“Manufacturers” leaves out the creative process and would more accurately describe those folks who make DVDs, Manuals and packing for the product.
The most correct term is “Publisher.”
I like what Carl said. I can live with “company” but it’s a bit too generic. It doesn’t matter too much, because whatever you decide, I still love lynda.com!
We refer to the purveyors of books, magazines and music as publishers. I think the same term applies to software.
The best choice is “Company”, so that the search field can be easily understood by the greatest number of people.
While I personally agree that the term “Publisher” is most accurate here, it certainly represents a fair amount of disconnect for most people in this context.
“Vendors” also works, however, it certainly depends on your prespective.
The term “Manufacturers”, for me, inferrs a product made by hand or machinery.
While the most correct term is “Publisher”, the best term (from a usability standpoint) is “Company”.
Vendor, as that signifies last step in manufacturer and selling. A large company may outsource work to a small company to help with making of product, yet Adobe, Microsoft, etc. are the final guarantors of product.
I agree with Mark — from a usability viewpoint, “company” is the best choice. “Company” received more than half the votes, so in a way, it’s the “people’s choice.”
They are nothing more than COMPANIES who publish, vend, provide and/or manufacture stuff, like a million other COMPANIES who publish, vend, provide and/or manufacture stuff. There’s no need to sugar coat a definition beyond that.
I disagree with the majority here.
‘Companies’ is too broad a term and would confuse me as to what the options on the pull-down would be.
I agree with Carl Bechtold’s input.
Not a big deal either way, but I say go with “company.”
Publisher sounds like a book publishing outfit.
Vendor sounds like a vending machine or a guy who comes around selling stuff out of his truck.
Provider sounds like the person who bought the software and is giving it to you.
Manufacturer sounds like “the factory.”
Company says it best.
Why not use a different term “software producer”? I find the other terms too general. The company I work for is a publisher/company/provider , but we don’t produce software > Adobe or Microsoft did not come to mind when I first saw the discussion of “Vendor”.
Hi There,
If I am going to choose, It is better to use the word companies than the word vendors. All of the software are made by the companies not a vendor. It is not really important to be more specific in recognizing the owner or who builds the software.
Publisher is the correct term, the one that packages to software in a form that can be distributed tu users.
Company has no specific meaning! You might say owner (of the copyright)
Vendor is an old fashionned way of caracterising companies in the IT area software vendor, hardware vendor …
If you want to go a step away in the future, use Publisher.
(Author might also be used, knowing that the author company, might not be the publisher company, that might be different from the vendor company)
Generator pod is an interesting synonym for Vendor. : )
lynda.com is a boon for me and my business !
After reading all the posts, I had an aha moment when I read the term “software producer”. My first choice before reading “software producer” was publisher and my second choice was provider. Now, if there were “software producer” as a choice I would choose that.
Definition
software house noun n [C]
a company which writes and sells software
(Definition of software house noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)
Definition
house noun ( BUSINESS ) /haʊs/ n (plural houses/ˈhaʊzɪz/)
a business or organization of the stated type, especially one that produces books or designs clothes
a publishing house
a fashion house
I vote Software publisher then.
Vendor sounds like a vending machine to me. I always thought vendor sounds kind of sleazy, like a hawker.
Publisher sounds like books, newspapers and magazines. Not he right image here.
I think Provider has the feel of caring about what they supply and gives the feeling they are part of the value chain. Provider conveys respect and a feeling of warm relations. I just saw this warm relationships theme throughout your three company videos. Makes me want to move back to Goleta.
Provider also covers almost any kind of product or service and is not tied just to software or hardware or whatever. Provider is the classy way to go to give your “vendors” recognition and status in your value chain. Whatever is decided, definitely get rid of Vendor.