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RE: what to call that button that has an ellipse [...] on it
Subject:RE: what to call that button that has an ellipse [...] on it From:"Stuart Rogers" <srogers -at- phoenix-geophysics -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 20 Feb 2002 11:47:41 -0500
An ellipsis (not an ellipse) indicates that something required to
complete the construction has been left out. Personally, I have found
software buttons labelled with *only* an ellipsis to be totally
meaningless, unintuitive, and therefore irritating. They offer no clue
as to what function they will perform. (As my librarian friend always
wants to say when confronted by the Stupid Reference Question, "Excuse
me, but could you possibly be more vague?") In one application, such a
button takes me from the visual forms constructor to the code that an
object invokes. In another, the button takes me to an Explorer file
browsing window.
Try to persuade the developers to change the button to something more
specific, such as Options or Advanced or something that gives a clue to
the button's function. If you're just going to put a bloody ellipsis on
it, you might as well leave it blank. Then you could call it the Other
button, I guess.
My cranky $.02.
Stuart Rogers
Technical Communicator
Phoenix Geophysics Limited
+1 (416) 491-7340 x 325
Developers explain How the Product Works.
Technical Writers explain How to Work the Product.
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-88731 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-88731 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com] On Behalf Of
CHAI-ELSHOLZ Raeleen
Sent: February 20, 2002 11:21 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: what to call that button that has an ellipse [...] on it
Hello,
I'm documenting some software, and want to describe what the "ellipse"
[...] button does. (As is true of most "ellipse" buttons -- or buttons
containing ellipses like [Setup...] -- clicking it gets you "more info"
or "more options" or whatever.)
But what do you call the button itself?
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