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Re: "Choose" vs. "Press"

Subject: Re: "Choose" vs. "Press"
From: Anthony Davey <ant -at- ant-davey -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2003 11:47:12 +0000


Rakefet,

This one's easy. Sit your colleague in front of a PC with the manual open. Get a sample group of potential end users to watch him. Now tell him to follow an instruction that says "choose ENTER". Use the instruction number, so that you don't say the word.

When he's done it ask the audience of potential end users what they just saw him do. When they all say he just pressed the enter key you have your answer.

Alternatively, you sit in front of the PC and have your colleague watch you "choose the ENTER key". But don't actually press it until your colleague has become so exasperated that he tells you to press it.

Alternative number three, carry out an instruction that involves choosing an option from a drop-down menu. This presumably uses mouse control in a GUI. Then ask your colleague to (or have him watch you) choose the Enter key using the mouse. Then see if he can see a need for two distinct verbs to be used.

Have fun,
Ant
Rakefet Zadik wrote:


Hi,

I'm new to tech-writing. The other tech-writer in the company uses
"Choose ENTER" in all the user manuals.
It seems to me that "Press ENTER" should
be used. According to the MS manual of styles -
"Press ENTER" should be used. But I can't seem to convince him.

Is there any style guide that uses "Choose ENTER"?
Are there any other arguments I can use?

thanks,
Rakefet.






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"Choose" vs. "Press": From: Rakefet Zadik

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