TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Jessica Lange pointed out that I'd inadvertently committed jargon: <<What do
you mean by "affordances"?>>
Simplistically, affordances are clues built directly into the interface that
tell users what they're supposed to do. A simple example might be a label
such as "Family name" beside a field in which the user should input their
family name; a more complex example might involve defining the formats
permitted for a date field by providing an example of the desired format
beside the field (e.g., "Enter the child's birthdate (e.g., 01 January
2001)").
--Geoff Hart, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
"The paperless office will arrive when the paperless toilet
arrives."--Matthew Stevens
