TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
WARNING: Melting down the reactor core will cause a nuclear catastrophe. Therefore, ensure that you have ten (10) years' worth of food, equipment, and supplies stockpiled, as well as ammo to battle zombies. Also, you may want to wear a HazMat suit during this procedure. For additional questions, contact Mr. Homer Simpson, President, Springfield Nuclear Association.
1. Click Start.
2. Close your eyes.
...
Steve
Leonard Porrello wrote (Thurs., June 27, 2013 7:18 AM):
I like it. But tell me, is this an inflexible rule or just a guideline? Would you make exceptions? For example, in a section titled, Melting Down the Reactor Core, would you perhaps preface the action step with, "To melt down the reactor core and thereby cause a nuclear catastrophe..."?
-----Original Message-----
From: On Behalf Of Janoff, Steven
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 3:13 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; Peter Neilson
Subject: RE: Advice on rewriting translated ops manuals
Cute, but yes, in context, that worked. We also got rid of those introductory statements, which were redundant: "To shut down your computer, do the following:". That's when the topic title was "To shut down your computer" or "Shutting Down Your Computer."
Steve
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
New! Doc-to-Help 2013 features the industry's first HTML5 editor for authoring.