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Subject:Re: to dialog or not to dialog -Reply From:Bill Sullivan <bsullivan -at- SMTPLINK -dot- DELTECPOWER -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 3 Apr 1996 16:23:09 -0700
>Anyone who believes that users read operating systems manuals is
practicing wishful thinking.
Whether users read OS manuals or not is beside the point that Susan
W. Gallagher and Bev Parks have made so well. The point is that you
and I, dear tech writer, should talk the right talk when it comes to
our environments. We should know a window from a dialog box, for
example. We should use the standard terminology as defined by the
developers of our environments a) for the professional flavor the
right words give our documentation, b) for the sake of those
meticulous users out there who know and use the correct terms (there
are a few), and if for no other reason then c) for the sake of those
poor users who do not speak English fluently (or who may not speak
computerspeak fluently) and who may be struggling along with us, a
dictionary in their other hand, trying to make sense out of what we
are saying. And if we don't happen to remember it all, which is
understandable, we should have the books around us so we can look it
up.
Bill Sullivan
bsullivan -at- deltecpower -dot- com
San Diego, California
