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Re: actions and results...was RE: Active versus passive
Subject:Re: actions and results...was RE: Active versus passive From:Christine -dot- Anameier -at- seagate -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 20 Dec 2000 13:41:25 -0600
I hastily wrote:
> A random example:
> To open the Item Summary window, click the Item Summary button. The Item
> Summary window opens.
>
> The first sentence works fine. The second one, in my opinion, is
> unnecessary.
Dan Roberts commented:
> fwiw, i'd rather state *why* the user might want to see the Item Summary
in
> the first place...
> "To see a summary of the item's components, click Item Summary to open
the
> Item Summary window."
Dan, you're absolutely right. I really goofed there.
The user is far less likely to think "I want to open the Item Summary
window" than to think "I want a summary of the item's components." I grouse
about "guided tour" documentation that focuses on screen elements, panels,
windows, widgets, and the like instead of focusing on what the user is
trying to do. And here I just went and did the same thing. Ooops.
How about just "For a summary of the item's components, click Item
Summary"?
If the user's consulting the documentation while using the application, I
wouldn't add "... to open the Item Summary window" because that result will
become apparent as soon as the user follows the instructions and clicks
Item Summary. (Maybe I'd add that phrase if the user will be reading the
documentation without having the application on hand -- but how often does
that happen? It's not exactly beach reading...)
Christine Anameier
(views expressed here are my own, not Seagate's, etc., etc.)
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