doc: clarify text about internal module changes

[ghost]

For a non-English native speaker it's hard to understand what it means.
So make it a common and more clearly speaking.

• make -j4 test (UNIX), or vcbuild test (Windows) passes
• tests and/or benchmarks are included
• documentation is changed or added
• commit message follows [commit guidelines]

[Trott]

"These are subject to change" is correct. The word subject is a verb here, not a noun. A more wordy way of saying it would be "These may be subjected to changes". However, probably for historical reasons, subject to change is the natural, idiomatic way to say it for native speakers.

(Aside: This is actually really interesting for me. I've never thought twice about the phrase subject to change and so I'm now realizing that I never really thought about exactly what each word means.)

[richardlau]

subject to change is a phrase so this change is incorrect.

[Trott]

If you want to clarify it for people unfamiliar with the subject to change idiom, how about changing from this:

These are subject to change at any time.

...to this:

These can change at any time.

Seems both clearer and more succinct to me.

(I'm also 👍 on eliminating the emphasis on any if you want to do that too.)

[Trott]

And I'd also be 👍 on making it clear what these refers to, so maybe this?:

These modules can change at any time.

[richardlau]

(Aside: This is actually really interesting for me. I've never thought twice about the phrase subject to change and yet I'm now realizing that I never really thought about exactly what each word means.)

I think this is one of those times that being a native speaker is a disadvantage when trying to explain things. You know whether a phrase is correct/incorrect but you're not exactly sure how to explain why.

[ghost]

@Trott & @richardlau：
It's not the problem whether you are using a native English statement or not, but just as what you said above, this isn't clear so I feel a little missed up and puzzled. So I've changed according to what you suggested to me, which makes it clearer and better.

[Trott]

The commit message is hard to understand. How about this?:

doc: clarify text about internal module changes

Simplify phrasing for clarity and succinctness.

no objection to new change; holding off on approving until commit message is 👍

[ghost]

No problem. For a Node lover I hope I can make it better according to our suggestions and ideas.

[gireeshpunathil]

Looks like a thin boundary between clarity and expressiveness. Agreeing to all the comments above, and in addition acknowledging the doc improvement if it helps easy consumption for wider audience.

[Trott]

Lite CI: https://ci.nodejs.org/job/node-test-pull-request-lite-pipeline/381/

[vsemozhetbyt]

Node.js Collaborators, please, add 👍 here if you approve fast-tracking.

[vsemozhetbyt]

@richardlau Do you still object to this change?

outdated

[vsemozhetbyt]

Landed in be322bd
Thank you!

[ghost]

Thanks all!