RE: Display or appear (Was: Can "either" be used ... )

["Carey Jennifer (Cry)" <jennifer -dot- carey -at- cdi -dot- cerberus -dot- ch>]

I agree wholeheartedly that our purpose is not to draw attention to the
"how" but to the "what", and on that note (I can't believe I'm actually
joining in on this thread), sometimes "standard" terminology makes no sense!
I doubt the reader would pause and ask him/herself "why on earth are they
saying the message will 'display' when it actually 'appears'? I just don't
get it."  But they might stop and ask "what do they mean by 'locate the
audio input'? Is that the hole with the picture of the headphones next to it
or is it that yellow rimmed thingy in the back of the computer?".

Perhaps not the best example, but my point is that I doubt it makes a bit of
difference whether we say something as transparent as 'appear' or 'display',
and while it's fine to go "standard" on that, keep in mind *who* the
inventors of much of today's "standard" terminology were (and then tell *me*
who they were).  "Standard" doesn't always mean "clear", "understandable" or
"specific".

Sometimes "standard" is *so* standard that its meaning is transparent (take
"mouse" for example), sometimes it even makes sense, other times, I swear it
was pulled out of somebody's--um--head, to sound official, important and/or
technical.

I know I'm begging to get railed on here, but I couldn't resist.

Jennifer

	 << Our purpose as technical writers is not to attract attention 
> to our writing, and any non-standard grammar or innovative
> terminology attracts attention to the writing.  All the 
> attention should be directed to what we are saying, not to
> how we are saying it. >>   
> 
> 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Planning to attend IPCC 01, October 24-27 in Santa Fe?  Sign up by
October 3 and get a substantial discount!  Program information, 
online registration, and more on http://ieeepcs.org/2001/

  Your monthly sponsorship message here reaches more than
  5000 technical writers, providing 2,500,000+ monthly impressions.
  Contact Eric (ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com) for details and availability.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.