Re: Prompt as ask

[mmorgan -at- intrepid -dot- cdg-hargray -dot- com]

Tom Murrell asked:

>I'm interested in how others react to this observation.  I'm also
interested
>in other words or phrases we might use to distinguish between volitional
>acts, which might be committed by human beings, and pre-programmed acts,
>which are programmed into our systems.

Just yesterday I came across a phrase such as this while editing one of
our manuals. The writer used the phrase:

"If this field is left blank, the job will run when the system can schedule
it."

When I read this, I got the image of a little gnome sitting inside the
AS/400
with a notebook, taking calls and scheduling appointments. OK, so I have a
slightly overactive imagination, but this phrase really did not sit well
with
me. So, I changed it to a more passive statement:

"If this field is left blank, the job will run when the system is
available."

Side note: Here's another one that really cracked me up. A developer sent
a document describing how a telephone circuit should be set up using our
software.  This one's a doozie:

"When facilities cross into other routes, they should only penetrate the
new route
by one piece of equipment."

Gee, I didn't know facilities had the ability to penetrate! Do you suppose
the
second and third pieces of equipment might be jealous of the first piece
of equipment? ; )

Melissa Morgan
mmorgan -at- intrepid -dot- cdg-hargray -dot- com