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Subject:Re: Numbered Procedural Steps From:Win Day <winday -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 31 Oct 1996 13:49:00 -0500
At 09:14 AM 10/31/96 -0800, Daniel Wise <dewise -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> wrote:
>Colleagues,
>Eric Ray comments on numbered procedural steps. Why use numbers at all?
>Don't we usually use caps, italics, boldface, or a different type font to tell
>our reader what kind of action/resonse it is? If we have to click a button or
>strike some keys, we may put that in bold. Then we might use lightface for
>the screen response, etc. Why do we need to add to the clutter by putting in
>numbers or bullets or some cutesy dingbat? Seems like a waste of keystrokes
>to me.
Numbers are necessary if the steps must be performed in order -- in other
words, don't proceed to step 2 till you have completed step 1.
When I list steps that need not be completed in order, like a in checklist,
I'll use bullets or true check-boxes
Win
----------------
Win Day
Technical Writer/Editor
Email: winday -at- idirect -dot- com