Re: Grammar Q

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

Lauren wrote:
> 
> I also have strong aversions to second-person usage in documentation.  I
> read one help document that began nearly every sentence with "you" and
> contained such statements as "you must..." and "...then you click..."  I got
> annoyed.  Why was this document telling me what to do?! 

Um, because that's its purpose: to tell you how to accomplish
things?

>
 > So I say, avoid "you."  Not *you* per se, but the term "you."
> 

I find "you" much the best choice of the alternatives available.
I've seen people try to "solve" this problem by establishing a
name like Fred, and then referring to "Fred" and "he" and I
find that really klutzy. And as I strongly believe in gender-
neutral language, "you" and "their" win out.

-- Janice

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