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Are names of groups of users better as singular or plural?

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ndemarco

Intuition says to name a group with the plural noun (13 accountants are in the accountants group). However, intuition often isn't reliable. In SQL databases, for example, a plural table name (e.g. users) leads to unusual query statements (instead of user_has_role, users_have_roles - awkward).

Is/are there similar concerns for naming IT groups and roles, generally?

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Sz. avatar
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Sz.
So sad that this got downvoted and closed... Everybody who cares deeply about the integrity of their system models, will, and, indeed, _should_ face this annoying question -- and sort it out properly, rather than just kick it out of view. Same goes for directory names of collections and DB table names, even class names etc... (There're subtle risks in the sloppiness of abstractions behind things like this, and professionals should be capable of conducting serious conversations about this topic without dismissing it as "opinions".)
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in flag
ndemarco
Good answers to these questions lead to conventions and standards, which improve readability and reduce errors.
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anx avatar
fr flag
anx
Somewhat related: [singular vs plural type names in urls](https://serverfault.com/questions/73682/standard-for-singular-vs-plural-type-names-in-urls/695283)
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slightly_toasted avatar Server
bd flag
slightly_toasted

While there is no industry-wide group naming convention, it helps to stick to a convention that is easy to understand and easy to remember.

Naming groups based on their broad purpose avoids the need to choose between singular and plural names. This way you won't have to reference your list of groups to recall a group's name.

E.g. accounting, hr, shipping, etc...

If the word for the group's purpose demands choosing between singular and plural, e.g. admin or admins, it is best to go with the singular version as it is easier to remember. This method also conforms to Unix group names, e.g. wheel, sudo, audio, etc...

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in flag
ndemarco
groups are not job functions, so I disagree. `Accountants` are not the same as `accounting`. Accountants may perform accounting tasks, but so do other non-accountants. Applying a function name to a group of people implicitly associates the function with the group. Accounting functions can be performed by 'bookkeepers' also.
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anx avatar
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anx
@ndemarco They are not the same, but often the former is the R in [RBAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-based_access_control "Role-based access control"). That one admin (function/role) may actually be a pentester from the security department (group), and that one person playing sounds (function/role) may actually be the janitor (group) in a video meeting. HR may put people into such group boxes. But the Linux system, it actually cares about the currently executed function when deciding about granting or denying access.
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