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Subject:Re: Word choice: exceptions? From:letoured -at- together -dot- net To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 11 Jul 2002 09:51:27 -0400
In <Dav31rf2abs5s2lqmcj00007faa -at- hotmail -dot- com>, on 07/10/02
at 10:03 PM, "Melody Akins" <melodyakins -at- hotmail -dot- com> said:
>Hello
>Hope you've solved your problem by now, but I was wondering why you have to
>use words to caption your 'errors and warnings.' Can't you use a universal
>symbol of some sort?
Some reasons not to use a symbol:
1. Errors and warning are not the same thing.
2. The rest of the writing world uses "WARNING" to indicate when serious
injury, death and/or destruction may occur. Software writers should follow the
conventions of the civilized world. The closest a software problem might come
to needed a warning is an action that would destroy all the data.
3. Mankind stopped trying to communicate with little pictures about 3000 years
ago -- because it wasn't a good idea. It still isn't a good idea.
4. Little tiny pictures work well with children, they are often amused.
Adults are often baffled by them, even when children ask them to explain the
amusing little pictures.
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letoured -at- together -dot- net
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