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Subject:Re: Active versus passive From:Elizabeth Ross <beth -at- vcubed -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 20 Dec 2000 11:23:17 -0500
On 12/20/00 10:35 AM, Michael West wrote:
> John Posada wrote:
>
>> Click the Report button. The report is generated.
>>
>> Is this also unclear?
>
>
> It is only somewhat unclear, but worse, it is not
> as helpful as it could be.
>
> "To generate the report, click the Report button"
> is better because it tells me the result BEFORE
> I perform the action. After I've clicked it, who cares?
> It's too late.
Ah, only if you assume that John's step was NOT in a procedure titled "How
do I Generate Reports?" I believe John stated earlier that he was quoting
procedures from Help files, where the topic being discussed is clearly
stated in the same window.
Also, I must reiterate the old standard "Know your audience." If you are
documenting an install procedure for newbie users, John's suggestion is not
only clear, but more effective. Vast crowds of computer users do not want to
know why, they just want to know what they have to do to get the danged
software/video card/modem to work.
A manual for sys admins would be better with your construction.
(Over-simplification done intentionally for point-making purposes.)
As always, this is IMO and YMMV.
--
Elizabeth Ross
Web Systems Architect, V3 Semiconductor Inc.
mailto: beth -at- vcubed -dot- com http://www.vcubed.com
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota
monax materiam possit materiari?
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