TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Vote for your favorite:
>
> 1) When finished, press END.
> 2) When done, press END.
> 3) Press END when finished.
> 4) Press END when done.
>
Christa,
Based on the Given-new principle, I vote for option 1 or 2. This
principle states that the first part of a sentence should deal with
something that is already known, familiar to the reader. This way the
connection to previous info is easily made. The reader should not have
to read to the end of a sentence to make the discourse coherent.
The last part of the sentence can then be used to introduce new
information.
This way the information structure is more clear and easier to follow.
Whether you should use Done or Finished: well done is shorter and
therefore better (?), but is there such a difference in connotations
between the two?
Something else: you write: Press END: this (to me) implies the key END
on the keyboard (next to DELETE <smile>). If it's a GUI button I would
rather use 'Click'.
My two Eurocents (trying to get used to it).
Jeroen Hendrix
Technical Communications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mediasystemen B.V., a Triple-P company
POBox 32, 2060 AA Bloemendaal, the Netherlands
Fax: +31 23 526 0072
Tel: +31 23 525 9010
mail to: jhe -at- mediasys -dot- nl http://www.mediasys.triple-p.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
