RE: The 'user' in User Manual

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

Yeah.  I agree with this one. 

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
Chris Vickery
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 3:33 PM
To: Techwr-l
Subject: RE: The 'user' in User Manual

I'm in the midst of updating my user manuals, all of which are in the second
person. As other posters have said, "click the shiny, candy-like button" is
still second person, but with the "you" understood. I will also agree that
audience is the deciding factor for the person used.

My entire manual consists of procedures addressed to a specific
audience--either users or admins. If I'm addressing admins, I make that
clear in the context section before the procedure, and specifically say
"user" when mentioning the user role as the subject of a sentence.

I will definitely agree that writing "The user clicks the shiny, candy-like
button" when the user is the expected reader is not only weird but a little
creepy and Silence of the Lambs-esque.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+cvickery=arenasolutions -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+cvickery=arenasolutions -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of Cardimon,Craig
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 11:58 AM
To: Techwr-l
Subject: The 'user' in User Manual

Hello, folks,

 

When you all are working on user manuals, what viewpoint do you most often
take? Should I:

 

(1)   Remove all occurrences of "user" and "you" from the manual, and
recast all sentences.

(2)   Take a "user"-centric stance.

(3)   Take a "you"-centric stance.

 

Whatever I do, I need to be consistent throughout. How say ye?

 

-- Craig

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