RE: The 'user' in User Manual

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

So I don't use "I," "We," "You," "He," or "She" in my technical documents.
Does that mean that I do not use deictic pronouns in my technical writing?
Informal correspondence notwithstanding.
 
Lauren


  _____  

From: Jason Lee-Bakke [mailto:jlbdca -at- gmail -dot- com] 
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 12:36 PM
To: Lauren; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: The 'user' in User Manual


Well, to be fair this is something you, and most all careful writers, do.
Deictic pronouns are pronouns such as "I" and "you"; their antecedent is
clear from context. When I say, "I'm giving you ten dollars," the techwr
list knows that I am the speaker and you are the receiver of the ten
dollars. Compare this to "She just believes what she believes"--which
requires a clear antecedent. Who is "she?" 

I think some of the disgareement here is not understanding the concepts vs.
not being able to product the technical names for the concepts.


On 2/5/07, Lauren <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu> wrote: 

I guess Sue will never hire me.  I have absolutely no idea what this rule 
is.  What is a deictic pronoun? A clear antecedent? And anamorphic pronoun?
Please provide a technical writing example for each answer.  Or not.  I bet
I can write a grammar exam, I just wouldn't be able to grade it. 

Lauren

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:  <mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Jason Lee-Bakke
> Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 12:04 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com  <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> 
> Subject: Re: The 'user' in User Manual
>
> Deictic pronouns don't require clear antecedents, as opposed
> to anamorphic, which do.
>
> I don't think it's necessary for a writer to know all the 
> rules of grammar and what different parts of speech are
> called, so long as that writer's editor does.
>
> On 2/5/07, Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
<mailto:al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com> > wrote:
> >
> > I personally don't care if they know what an imperative
> sentence or a
> > diectic pronoun is, so I probably wouldn't work for you.
> I've worked 
> > with and hired writers who have had very little formal English
> > training and were far better than the ones I've worked with
> or hired
> > that could recite the rule of the language. I'm entering my 
> 38th year
> > writing for a living.  I've been published in national magazines,
> > wrote books that are on library shelves and won awards for my video
> > productions, and I still don't know what a diectic pronoun means or 
> > why they require clear antecedents.
> >
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Jason Lee-Bakke ( jlbdca -at- gmail -dot- com), 202 391-4238. 

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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
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