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RE: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking"
Subject:RE: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking" From:"Dubin, David" <David -dot- Dubin -at- sage -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 20 Jan 2006 09:55:56 -0500
Colleagues,
In a sidebar chat with Keith Wolf, I realized my error. Below is part of the
email I sent him. I implied that the passivity was grammatical when I
actually meant, from a didactic perspective, that the action of the second
example was passive. Because my primary function is to modify an end user's
behavior through performance enhancement, I look at the differences in what
the user is to do against the results which are done by the application or
the computer.
"I agree that YOU is certainly the subject, but in the first sentence, YOU
are "actively" clicking on the plus sign, which causes the application to
expand the folder, which is the reality of the instruction."
"The second example shows YOU passively expanding the folder, which is done
by actively clicking the plus sign. Perhaps I should have said that the
action is passive on the part of the user in the second example while the
action is active in the first, rather than leaving an open implication that
it was grammatically passive. Sorry about that, but I deal with adult
learning theory and am used to discussing/interpreting the relationships
between human/computer interfaces in terms of activity (human) and passivity
(computer)."
David B. Dubin, PHR
Senior Curriculum Developer
Sage Software
727-579-1111 x 3356
david -dot- dubin -at- sage -dot- com
Your business in mind.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+david -dot- dubin=sage -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+david -dot- dubin=sage -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Dubin, David
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 8:46 AM
To: 'Yves Barbion'; TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking"
Personally, I like [A] because it is in active voice. I am strongly against
the flagrant use of passive voice in technical communications. Since most
technical communications with regard to software and/or hardware is designed
to instruct the user how to do something, I believe it is best to speak to
the user/learner in the same voice as you would if he/she were in front of
you.
David B. Dubin, PHR
Senior Curriculum Developer
Sage Software
727-579-1111 x 3356
david -dot- dubin -at- sage -dot- com
Your business in mind.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+david -dot- dubin=sage -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+david -dot- dubin=sage -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Yves Barbion
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 8:21 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Procedural syntax: "Click to expand" vs. "Expand by clicking"
Hello techwhirlers,
just wondering, which do you prefer (and why):
[A] Click the plus sign to expand the folder.
OR
[B] Expand the folder by clicking the plus sign.
Any references to style guides, maybe? I checked the Microsoft Style
Guide for Technical Pubs (Procedural syntax) but did not really find an
answer there.
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