RE: Display, Displays, or Appears

["Keith Hansen" <KRH -at- weiland-wfg -dot- com>]

Ah, the "Displays vs. Appears" thread has again... appeared!

Deborah wrote:

<<The ABC dialog box appears.>>
<<- accuracy - the dialog box is not only displayed "To show, make visible
or apparent" (it wasn't hidden) - rather, it has appeared "Come into
sight or view" - nothing was there, now something is there.>>

I agree. A coworker of mine avoided "appears" like the plague, claiming it "sounds like magic--abracadabra!"

Nonsense. "Appears" just means "comes into view," which is exactly what happens here.  So I use "appears."

In her eagerness to avoid "appears", my coworker tried:

"The ABC dialog box is displayed by the software."

However, this is passive voice (if I'm not mistaken--correct me if I am...). So she then tried:

"The software displays the ABC dialog box."

Now, the subject of the sentence is no longer the dialog box (which should be the center of our attention) but rather the software itself.

All this effort due to fear of "appears"...

Perhaps neither "displays" nor "appears" is right or wrong. However, you do need to pick one and consistently stick with it in your documentation.

Keith
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.