RE: The 'user' in User Manual

["Sarah Bouchier" <Sarah -dot- Bouchier -at- exony -dot- com>]

>In my opinion, using 'you" in instructions  sounds like verbally
stabbing
>a
>finger at the reader. In some contexts, and to some people, that is not
>rude. In others, however, it is.

I think we're all agreed that instructions should use the imperative :)
In my experience, however, it's not in the actual instructions where the
need to actually pick 1st, 2nd or 3rd person creeps in, it's in the
descriptive or conditional bits round the edges.  For example:

2nd: "The first time you log in, you will see the new user welcome
message."
3rd: "The first time the user logs in, they will see the new user
welcome message."
Passive: "Upon initial login, the new user welcome message will be
presented."

None of them are +wrong+, but as a user I'd be more comfortable with the
first.

----------------------------------------- 
Sarah Bouchier 
Technical Author 

exony
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