Re: Use of "shall"

["Metzger, Lucinda" <cmetzger -at- DUKANE -dot- COM>]

Barb asked:

>While we're on the subject of word usage (and I don't know if this will be
>considered to be in or out of list rule boundaries but it's been bothering
>me for some time, and more so since I've become a tech writer)...
>What do you all think about the use of "wish" vs. "want" as in "If you wish
>to xyz..."  It seems so, well, like wishing on a star to me. What's wrong
>with "If you want to xyz..."? How did the wish thing come about? Am I the
>only one driven nuts by it?

I prefer want to wish, although wish doesn't bother me quite as much as
desire. Example: "Select the flooglebunder option, if desired." The word
just has rather amorous connotations that seem inappropriate in a
hardware/software manual.

My bugaboo is may vs can. I see may as granting permission, and can as
indicating an ability to do something. I would rewrite "You may press
the golfrinkle button to enable the gazornblatt option" as "You can
press the golfrinkle button to enable the gazornblatt option." However,
I know people who would argue that may is the more appropriate word.
It's a relatively trivial thing, but it has never been discussed in any
of my classes, so I'm really curious to hear what others think.

Cindy
cmetzger -at- dukane -dot- com