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.
Barbara Philbrick reports: <<One of my clients doesn't want to call
dialog boxes "dialog boxes" if the information in them is read-only.>>
Technically speaking, if the users interact with the message (e.g., by
clicking OK to banish the dialog), they're engaging in dialog with the
computer. So the usage is correct. However, that's just an issue of
nomenclature--what to call the darned things when you refer to them.
If the client really can't abide that, it's completely painless to call
them "alert messages", "notifications", "status reports", or whatever
else conveys the correct impression of what the message says. Never
forget that a "dialog box" is interface jargon, not what users see:
they see is a notification of something that has happened, a chance to
change settings, a request for information, etc. Focusing on that
action or task is more important than on what to call it.
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
