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Re: Where to place the word "optional" in heading text
Subject:Re: Where to place the word "optional" in heading text From:Keith Hood <bus -dot- write -at- gmail -dot- com> To:Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com> Date:Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:40:29 -0500
I'd say this is one place where it's not worth the time and energy to fight
the marketing people. If it really is optional, don't worry if people give
it less attention. If you think it's important enough to argue over it,
give the marketing people a marketing reason why the wording should be the
way you want it.
On Tue, Apr 15, 2014 at 12:30 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>wrote:
> Generally I prefer *not* to put "optional" in headings but instead to
> put a more detailed explanation after the heading, such as "This
> command is available only if you have installed the whatsit module"
> with some explanation of why you'd want to buy the module.
>
> When I have had a reason to put it in the heading, I put it in
> parentheses at the end, so that it's easier to read and emphasize the
> primary information over the secondary fact that it's optional.
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2014 at 10:20 AM, Hannah Drake <hannah -at- formulatrix -dot- com>
> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Just curious where you place the word "optional" in headings. We're
> listing
> > key features for a product, and some are optional. Marketing wants to put
> > optional at the beginning "Optional Cool Thing" and I want to do this:
> > "Cool Thing (Optional)".
> >
> > My reason: If someone reads optional, then they automatically pay less
> > attention to the feature because they may or may not purchase it. His
> > reason: he was told that parenthetical text should not exist because if
> > something is worth saying at all then it shouldn't be in parenthesis. I
> > have heard his argument before and generally agree, but I disagree for
> this
> > use.
> >
> > What do you all think?
> >
> > -Hannah
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