Re: "appears" at work

Subject: Re: "appears" at work
From: Matt Hicks <matt -at- UNIDATA -dot- UCAR -dot- EDU>
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 1994 08:32:30 -0600

On Thu, 14 Jul 1994 mpriestley -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM wrote:

> Now, didja think I could let this pass?

> Arthur Comings writes:
> >The Line Name dialog box appears to allow you to specify the seismic
> >line you wish to edit.
> >
> >-- what the dialog box *actually* does is not specified.
> >
> >My edits:
> >
> >MaxPro displays the Line Name dialog box, which you use to specify the
> >seismic line you want to edit.

> There was no reason to get rid of appears. How about:

> The Line Name dialog box appears, which you use to specify the seismic line
> you want to edit.


Ugh. Maybe you meant:

The Line Name dialog box, which you use to specify the seismic line
you want to edit, appears.

> Or, to push some further style preferences,

> The Line Name window appears. Use the Line Name window to choose a line to
> edit.

Personally, I can't stand reading instructions written in this choppy
style. Why wouldn't you write the above as:

The Line Name window appears; use it to choose a line to edit.

Of course, I suspect that "use it" should be expanded into some more
detailed instructions on exactly _how_ to use it to accomplish your goal.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Hicks, Tech. Writer, Unidata * I may not agree with what you
Boulder, CO, (303)497-8676, ******* say, but I'll defend to the
matt -at- unidata -dot- ucar -dot- edu ************* death my right to mock you.


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