Re: Politeness

[Caryn Rizell <caryn -at- HPPTC44 -dot- ROSE -dot- HP -dot- COM>]

This is all very interesting.  At a previous job, I finally convinced
the programmers to use less threatening language when referring
to errors (fatal, abort, illegal, etc.)  I remember attending a
workshop at the STC conference in New York (I think) on writing
error messages.  One thing that was stressed was making error
messages less scary.

I know that 'Abort' is pretty scary to me (especially when there
is usually no help available when you get that message).

We changed our error messages to say 'terminated' instead of
'abort' and just removed the usage of 'fatal' altogether.

For example, 'fatal error' became 'system error' (or whatever it
was).  We also added some help into the error message telling the
user what might have caused the problem and how to fix it (reinput,
call customer support, etc.)

It wasn't really a matter of politeness, rather of just removing
a stress level for the customer when using the product.

Caryn Rizell
Tech Writing Contractor
caryn -at- hpptc44 -dot- rose -dot- hp -dot- com


>>  From Sue Stewart:


> jonprice -at- AOL -dot- COM said:

> Are you also considering whether current error messages, online help, and
> documentation are polite?  For instance, would you ask your mother, "Abort,
> Retry, Fail?"

> I've been meaning to mention that in recent months I have had no less than
> three users tell me that the word "Abort" offends them.  (One person said her
> "skin crawled.")  Since then, I have mentioned this to every programmer I
> work with.  Without exception, following a brief period of glazed-over eyes,
> they thank me for this information and *change their programming.*

> I realize that this has been standard terminology for many years, but I
> suggest it has acquired so much negative baggage that it is a detriment to
> any program.  You may want to pass this info on to programmers.

> sue p. stewart, who has no problem with the word, but does have a problem
> with offending users, even though the thought of being "PC" makes *her* skin
> crawl ...
> suepstewrt -at- aol -dot- com