RE: The 'user' in User Manual

[Maggie_Secara -at- capgroup -dot- com]

Andrew Warren wrote:

> Steve Cavanaugh wrote:
>
> > without explicitly identifying to whom I am
> referring, it is very
> > difficult to write a cohesive sentence about the
> procedure that I
> > want the user to follow. In these cases, I tend to
> say "The Test
> > Operator clicks here, the PC responds with this,
> the Unit Under
> > Test does that..."
>
> But if the manual's written for the Test Operator,
> the imperative-voice
> version -- "Click here. The PC responds with this,
> the Unit Under Test
> does that..." -- seems just as cohesive.

Actually, that situation is an excellent place for a table, with columns
for Operator, Your PC, and Unit Under Test, or whatever. Which gets you out
of the "you" problem and makes it easy for the user to follow.

Maggie

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