Re: Ellipsis button - what is it called?

Subject: Re: Ellipsis button - what is it called?
From: Iain Harrison <iharrison -at- SCT -dot- CO -dot- UK>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 09:03:12 GMT

Susan W. Gallagher <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM> commented to:


>>I'm trying to reference an ellipsis button (...) in our software.

This may seem like a direct contradiction to my post on graphics
yesterday, but I don't think it really is.

Don't use the word "ellipsis" in your docs. That's an English-nerd
word! ;-) Most non-writers (non-nerds) in our audience read, think,
know our friend the ellipsis as "dotdotdot".
<<

I have to disagree. Three dots form an ellipsis. You wouldn't describe
a capital 'O' as a sort of tall circle, would you? If your users may
not know what an ellipsis is, give an example of it the first time it
is mentioned, but don't insult them by assuming that because they're
non-writers, they don't understand the language.

Iain Harrison

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