TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re[2]: Style and Brevity in steps From:Reinhard Jaehnig <jaehnig_reinhard_rej-d -at- BETASYSTEMS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 9 Jun 1998 15:34:59 UT
Kelly wrote
> We like to avoid using a lot of words and just show the user
> what they need to select. Here's how we would explain opening
> the Windows 95 Device Manager:
> To open the Windows 95 Device Manager, complete the following steps:
You could avoid using even more words by dropping "complete the
following steps" -- in the procedure intro.
To open the Windows 95 Device Manager:
seems to be a standard introduction for procedures these days.
> 1. Select Start>>Settings>>Control Panel.
> 2. Double-click on the System icon.
> 3. Click on the Device Manager tab in the System
> Properties dialog box that appears.
Step 3 is a very good example for inverting the sequence
of events as experienced by the user. I would change the
sequence:
2. Double-click on the System icon.
This will display the System Properties dialog box.
