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Subject:Re: appears vs is displayed From:danm -at- DEV -dot- TIVOLI -dot- COM Date:Tue, 25 Mar 1997 10:04:39 -0600
Howdy!
I'm not sure I agree with the following:
> > To change it to 'active' voice, one would have to say "the such-and-such"
> > system displays the screen. That would be unnecesary and probably
> > confusing.
>
> You're right - it's IS both unnecessary and confusing. Would it help the
> user learn the task at hand? Probably not. Depending on the audience,
> concealing the source of the "appearance" might not be a bad idea.
>
What is wrong with:
"Press the ABC button to display the XYZ dialog."
This tells the reader what action to perform and what action the software
performs. Pretty clear and concise. :-)
Dan Martillotti | stress \'stres\ n (1997) : the feeling you get
Senior Technical Writer | when you do not beat the hell out of someone
danm -at- tivoli -dot- com | that richly deserves it
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