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Kelli...are you addessing these as callouts around the screen image
with pointers to the element on the image or as a bulleted list below
the image.
If it is the former (callout), then I'd have to agree that using the
extra words are not necessary. This is like having a popup in a help.
If it is a Stop button, just call it Stop. They can see it is a
button.
If it is a bulleted list under the graphic (the way I'm doing in a
topic RIGHT NOW), then the case is more gray. My preference is also
to not include term "field", "drop-down list", "option button", etc.
First, you might only confuse someone who doesn't use the term radio
button, but something else. Second, what if a developer happens to
use a label "Stop Button" (I've seen it). Do you now call it the
"Stop Button Button"?
I personaly don't use it...just the element label. I also bold all
element labels.
> The individual who wants these terms removed says that they are
> "engineering
> terms and they will scare the average user." He says that the
> terms do not
> benefit the user in any way and are useless. Do you all always
> include the
> abovementioned terms in your documentation, or are they expendable?
> Do they scare you? haha
>
> I've taken the terms out of this draft of the document, and now it
> looks
> incomplete to me. Am I just being anal here? Thanks for your
> opinions.
=====
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer, in process of looking
for next contract effective 1/1/2001.
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master."
-Abraham Lincoln mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com, 732-259-2874
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