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For the most part, present tense. Occasionally, future tense will sound
better. How's that for logic?
Kayla Westra
Black & Veatch
westrakl -at- bv -dot- com
"Illa est causa mea, et ad eam haeso."
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From: TECHWR-L
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Computer instruction in the present tense
Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 2:29PM
When you are writing computer instruction, do you write in the
present tense; for example:
When you press Restart, the system runs a self-test. If the
system fails self-test, the processor does not reboot the
operating system.
vs future tense:
When you press Restart, the system will run a self-test. If
the system fails self-test, the processor will not reboot
the operating system.
I have read that such instruction should be written in the
PRESENT tense. What do you out there in the trenches do, and
why?
