Re: User Names + Joe Bloggs

[Mike Stockman <stockman -at- jagunet -dot- com>]

On 6/16/00 9:23 AM, Ead Ni Domhnaill (ead_ciara -at- hotmail -dot- com) wrote:

>Are there any papers or guideline for the use of names in User Manuals -
>I know the John Doe and Joe Bloggs are busy men? But are there any 
>guidelines - I don't want to alienate any culture/user/sex etc.?
>
>I was wondering does anyone have any advice - The software is at present 
>distributed around Europe - but there are expansion plans for the US.

I wasn't going to respond, since you first asked for papers or guidelines 
and I don't know that answer, but then you carelessly asked for advice, 
which throws the doors wide open... ;-)

I think you're probably safe using well-known historical figures, 
preferably dead ones. They can't sue, they're easily recognizable as 
fake, and anyone currently alive who has the same name most likely has 
more problems with that than a stinkin' user manual. And the best part is 
that many of the world's cultures actually have their own historical 
figures, providing a nearly endless supply of names to use that aren't 
US-or-Euro-centric.

Hope this helps,
----->Mike

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