RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs

Subject: RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs
From: "Spectrum Writing " <SpectrumWriting -at- q -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:40:30 -0700

A little late to the party, but here is verbatim text from a former gig's
styles and standards that addressed the use of select, click, etc.

HTH,

TVB

Use "select" when discussing generic procedures rather than those that are
typically carried out by a mouse or other pointing device. Use "select" if
the same action can be carried out multiple ways, depending on the user
interface device in use (such as for <> products, which might make use of
touchscreen devices, keyboards, pointing devices, or all three).


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+spectrumwriting=q -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+spectrumwriting=q -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Stephen Arrants
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 12:31 PM
To: Gene Kim-Eng; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs

When I worked at Microsoft (in Ye Olden Dayes of the 80s) we videotaped
users following instructions on using the mouse. When told "Using the
Microsoft Mouse, click the left mouse control on the OK button on your
computer screen" (such golden prose) most of the users would dutifully
pick up the mouse, run it over the monitor and click the left mouse
button. Nothing happened. EPIC FAIL.

> Gene Kim-Eng
> This would appear to argue for "Touch or press OK."
>
> BTW, this may be hopelessly out of date, but about
> 20 years ago I worked on a system where we decided
> to replace a light pen interface with a touchscreen
> (CRT, of course). We ended up using "press," after
> discovering that most people confronted with visual
> buttons on a monitor screen actually did *press*
> them as if they were physical buttons, and if they
> didn't get the expected response pressed the
> screen *harder* on repeat attempts.
>
> Gene Kim-Eng

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing
solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or
HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals.
http://www.doctohelp.com

Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control!
http://www.helpandmanual.com/

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as SpectrumWriting -at- q -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/spectrumwriting%40q.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing
solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or
HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals.
http://www.doctohelp.com

Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat


References:
"Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: Boudreaux, Madelyn (GE Healthcare, consultant)
Re: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: John Posada
RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: Dan Goldstein
Re: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: John Posada
RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: Dan Goldstein
Re: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: Gene Kim-Eng
RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs: From: Stephen Arrants

Previous by Author: Slide numbering in PPT 2007
Next by Author: RE: Exempt status for Tech Writers
Previous by Thread: RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs
Next by Thread: RE: "Select" in lieu of other verbs


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads