Re: Escaping gender usage (was RE: Pet Peeves)

["Pro TechWriter" <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>]

There is one other consideration for me.

Passive voice can create problems if you want to create procedural
documentation with hand-offs from one "role" to another.

We typically create procedures for use cases and requirements, where there
must be an actor specified for each action. For example, when I have text
(from an SME) to use that says "the file is completed, then sent to
storage," and three departments are involved, I can't say who completes the
file. I have to stop and go ask. :-/

In other documents, we do use passive voice if it is shorter, just because
anyone can or will do the action. I do *try* to avoid it, but since I mainly
edit rather than author work here, I don't always get to say.

In ordinary procedures, it is second person, present tense if I get my way.
:-)

My $.02.
PT

On 3/15/07, Brierley, Sean <Sean -dot- Brierley -at- ipc -dot- com> wrote:
>
> The argument is not, never use the passive voice.
>
> The argument is, in the main, for mainstream U.S. technical
> communication, use the active voice because it's more concise than the
> passive voice.
>
> This is not a prohibition against using the passive voice, just a
> general recommendation that you use the active voice more often than the
> passive voice.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Sean
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+sean -dot- brierley=ipc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sean -dot- brierley=ipc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Fred Ridder
> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:50 AM
> To: suzette -dot- leeming -at- gmail -dot- com
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Escaping gender usage (was RE: Pet Peeves)
>
> Ah, but if you do that, a different faction of the language police will
> condemn you for using the passive voice because some teacher or editor
> in thier past insisted that the passive voice should never be used under
> any circumstances.
>
> And it seems to me that the passive voice is even more impersonal than
> "the user" because it completely eliminates the doer of the action.
>
>
>
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-- 
PT
pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com
I'm a Technical Technical Writer!
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