Re: "Use" (Was: "Ability" etc.)

[John Posada <jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>]

OK, the reason for the word "use".

When my user picks a selection from the list, they are
initiating a process, sometimes a step or two, other
times, a procedure that may take them through almost
two days of configuration, 15 different screens and 60
pages of documentation.

It's not a case of "Select this, this happens".

So that's my story and I'm sticking with it. :-|

BTW...I "may" reconsider about that dangling
participle.


--- Ben Kovitz <apteryx -at- CHISP -dot- NET> wrote:
> John Posada wrote:
>
> >And the winner is:
> >
> >"Use this selection to define the countries that
> you
> >operate in. "
>
> Oh no!  "Use" is one of the vaguest words there is.
> A huge amount of
> technical writing could be improved just by
> searching for "use" and
> replacing it with something more specific.  I don't
> know what it means to
> "use a selection".  I know what it means to "click a
> button", though.
>
> See also
> http://www.manning.com/Kovitz/Chapter15.html#use
>
> --
> Ben Kovitz <apteryx -at- chisp -dot- net>
> Author,  _Practical Software Requirements: A Manual
> of Content & Style_
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1884777597
> http://www.manning.com/Kovitz
>
===
John Posada
Western Union International
(w) jposada -at- westernunion -dot- com
(p) john -at- tdandw -dot- com
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