RE: "via" - why often verboten ?

["David Artman" <david -at- davidartman -dot- com>]

   In that specific example, I think that "Share a Custom View using a
   URL" is more clear and easier to translate.

   Yes, that rewrite is still in passive voice; it could be "Use a URL to
   send a Custom View". Also, gerunds can be a translation issue as well:
   THREE reasons to go with "Use a URL to send a Custom View". ANNND that
   works with the typical 'swing thought' for titling a task topic: the
   title completes the phrase "How do I...?" But does the communication
   method matter more to the reader than the goal? Perhaps "Send a Custom
   View' is the actual ideal; and let the fact that a URL is the
   communication method 'emerge' in the shortdesc/intro and in the body?

   [RE the earlier post about weirdness in IBM Style Guide, they think
   translation first and foremost (35 languages in my last post there).
   You can get into all kinds of issues once right-to-left or vertical (or
   both!) languages enter the mix. "Below" and "above", for instance, are
   verboten.]

   HTH;

   David

   -------- Original Message --------
   Subject: Re: "via" - why often verboten ?
   From: Monique Semp <[1]monique -dot- semp -at- earthlink -dot- net>
   Date: Thu, August 03, 2017 10:50 am
   To: Robert Lauriston <[2]robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>, Lauren
   <[3]lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>
   Cc: TECHWR-L Writing <[4]techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
   >On the rare occasions I use "via," it's precisely to emphasize the
   way
   >something is accessed. For example, you can do certain operations
   on
   >an object in the UI but others only via the command line.
   >
   Yes, exactly. I didn't include my text in the original post, so here it
   is. It's a heading, "Share a Custom View via URL". The way the user
   shares a custom view (in a web browser dashboard) is to set everything
   up and then copy the resultant URL, which encodes all sorts of info
   about what to show in the custom view. So the user is sharing by view
   "by way of" sharing the resultant URL.
   -Monique

References

   1. mailto:monique -dot- semp -at- earthlink -dot- net
   2. mailto:robert -at- lauriston -dot- com
   3. mailto:lauren -at- writeco -dot- net
   4. mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy and content development | http://techwhirl.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-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


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

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives