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Subject:Re: What does a window do??? From:Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 14 Jul 1999 19:07:22 -0700
Adria Quinones wrote:
> "The window appears ..." always makes me think it should be followed by "in a
> puff of smoke," or something like that.
>
> Something is displayed in a window. You can cause something to be displayed by
> performing some action, but I'm not sure that a window itself displays
> anything. I like "The window reveals," but perhaps not in a serious document.
I do so very much wish that technical writers like the above person would get a
grip and take a good look at a quality dictionary or grammar book. The word
"displays" is normally used as a transitive verb; all transitive verbs take
objects, either stated directly or implied. 'The window displays a box.' 'The
screen displays a set of fields.'
The word "appears" has been used for decades now to describe what happens when a
screenful of information changes. Any connotations of puffs of smoke have been
added by people who watched too many cartoons as a kid. Just because that's *your*
association doesn't necessarily make it the association of choice for most users.
By the way, Adria, this subject has been discussed to death several times already
in the last year. You might check the archives before typing.
