Preferences versus defaults?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Debra Graham wondered: <<I've not had occasion to reflect on the  
differences between preferences and defaults, until today when I was  
asked to create a job aid on "setting default preferences on the Auto  
Carry Forward Config page." The term "default preferences" seems  
redundant to me>>

Pause a moment and consider what the two words mean. A "default" is  
the series of settings that are used automatically unless you  
specifically change them. "Preferences", on the other hand are one  
set of settings for a specific situation and that reflect your  
desires for that situation. Your preferences may be identical to the  
defaults (i.e., you accept the standard settings specified by the  
maker of the software), or they may represent changes from these  
default values, but in both cases they are your preferences.

The question thus becomes: What specific context am I trying to  
document? In your situation, the software ships with certain default  
values and you are discussing how to modify these default values  
(i.e., set your own preferences). That's the simplest way to describe  
it: "Modifying the default settings for" or "Defining your  
preferences for" this page.


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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***Now available***  _Effective onscreen editing_
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