For as long as I have been using CHIRP, I have had to help many users that get the download/upload terminology reversed. To be clearer it should at least include TO/FROM. For example "Upload TO radio" or "TO Radio" with the corresponding "Download FROM radio" or "FROM radio".
Most factory software that I have used will have a bubble pop up that just says "read" or "wright" depending on which way the cloning operation is going. If "Read" and "Write" is decided upon, it might also be worth changing the hotkeys to "Ctrl-R" and "Ctrl-W".
OMG, I didn't think about the crazy hotkey muscle memory I'm going to have to break if we change ;)
Jim, in your best politician voice, you didn't actually answer the question, but it sounds like you see more real-world confusion over upload/download than read/write. So I'm going to put down "the senator from the midwest prefers read/write" unless you move to strike... :)
--Dan