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Re: can you think of an example of 'click on' used in a grammatically incorrect way?
Subject:Re: can you think of an example of 'click on' used in a grammatically incorrect way? From:"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 5 Dec 2003 18:28:54 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: <dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: December 05, 2003 06:09 PM
Subject: Re: can you think of an example of 'click on' used in a
grammatically incorrect way?
>
> Bonnie Granat wrote:
>
> > "Click on" in a GUI context is never correct,
>
> Horsefeathers.
>
LOL.
> >
> > but it's not for a grammatical reason. The reason is that the word
> > "click" in a GUI context includes the concept of "on." In other
> > words, what "click" means in this context is that you place your
> > mouse pointer over the named item and press the left mouse button.
> > "Click" has no meaning in a GUI context unless its meaning is
> > "get ON the object."
>
> I assume you mean "click [not 'get'] ON the object," and I say it's
> entirely a matter of interpretation.
>
Not if you understand the meaning of the word "click" in a GUI
context. It has a specialized meaning that includes the concept of
"on," because you cannot "click" at all unless you ARE "on."
That is, how do you click in a GUI context and accomplish anything
without being ON the object.
> When I "click" in a GUI context, I'm clicking the left mouse button,
not
> the pattern of pixels on the screen. I "click on" GUI objects.
Well, of course you're not clicking pixels. You're clicking the thing
that is under your mouse pointer -- that's what "click" means in a GUI
context.
>
> I actually prefer the older "select" and "choose" model, but that's
fallen
> out of style, which kind of proves my point.
>
They are used to mean other things now; they haven't fallen out of
style.
> Of course, I'll write it any old way the client requires: "Click
OK,"
> "Click the OK button," "Click on the OK button," ...
Clients in general don't know what's most effective; I consider it my
job to make recommendations based on current practice.
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