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RE: POLL: A question of rhetoric (not a rhetorical question)
Subject:RE: POLL: A question of rhetoric (not a rhetorical question) From:"Pete Sanborn" <psanborn2 -at- earthlink -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 6 Nov 2001 09:58:21 -0500
That's a really good procedure for writing cautions and warnings. However,
first hand experience with users in the field showed (a long time ago) that,
in documents containing cautions and warnings, the users gloss right over
them and ignore them completely. When I asked the users why they ignored
the warnings and cautions, I was told that if we wanted them to read the
warnings and cautions, make them part of the body text not a separate item.
Just some food for thought.
Regards,
Pete Sanborn
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-81537 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-81537 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of
edunn -at- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 9:42 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: POLL: A question of rhetoric (not a rhetorical question)
According to our rules for writing warnings or cautions, you still avoid
using
"Do Not" or negatives.
Example:
Component weighs 350 lb. Ensure lifting device with correct capacity is
used.
Failure to do so may result in serious injury to personnel or damage to
equipment.
Each warning has three parts, state the danger, how to avoid the danger,
what
will happen if the correct precautions are not taken.
Eric L. Dunn
Naturally, Kevin, there is a difference between a warning not to do
something which could cause irreparable damage ("do not restart the
system") and an instruction which can easily be given without using the
negative. The original sentences submitted by Roy Jacobsen were:
-"You can assign at item to only one group"
-"You can't assign an item to more than one group"
If I were writing a procedure to defuse a bomb, as you say, I would NOT
hesitate to use "do not."
Johanne Cadorette
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