Re: Chattiness in manuals

[Rebecca Stevenson <rjstevenson -at- sprynet -dot- com>]

Depends on what the manual is for, I suppose, and whether that remark stands out from the rest of it. If nothing else, I would know that I have something in common with the author, and possibly even go make some tea. :-) 


Rebecca

-----Original Message-----
>From: Sarah Bouchier <Sarah -dot- Bouchier -at- exony -dot- com>
>Sent: Oct 17, 2006 6:52 AM
>To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
>Subject: Chattiness in manuals
>
>Having spent much of yesterday wrestling with a sudden random desire to
>ditch all rules of formal writing (not being a fan of being fired, I did
>eventually succeed in convincing my brain to be professional instead!),
>I'm vaguely curious.
>
> 
>
>How would you react to a manual that said, "The installation of this
>component may take several minutes.  This would be a good time to go and
>get a cup of tea"?
>
> 
>
>(Other than concluding that the author had run mad and needed to be
>fitted with a snazzy waistcoat with long sleeves, of course)
>
> 
>
>S.
>
>----------------------------------------- 
>Sarah Bouchier 
>Technical Author 
>

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