Question: Route? Way? Direction?

Subject: Question: Route? Way? Direction?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 10:05:42 -0400


Jennifer Blom wondered: <<I am currently rewriting a manual where the favourite word is "way". As in, there are two different ways, three different ways, this way, that way....etc. It is a printer solution manual and I am unsure if this is the correct technical word to use in a situation describing two separate paths you can take (can't use path). I might add that these are "english as second language" manuals and I want the easiest, most understandable word that is functionally correct.>>

I can't tell you what your readers are most familiar with, but existing documentation can certainly help by telling you what they have already read and thus, should be familiar with.

In any event, "way" is perfectly idiomatic English if the sense is "you can accomplish this task in three ways". If you find that there are too many "ways" in the text, try other wordings. For example, "You have three options [followed by a list]", "You can accomplish this task by: 1, 2, 3" (where 1, 2, and 3 are the options), and so on. If there is any reason to prefer one solution over another, explain that reason to provide context. For example, "If you are working on a network, do it this way. If you are working without being connected to a network, do it this [another] way."

In some cases, you may find that you shouldn't be offering every possible solution, and that there is only one efficient, broadly applicable way to accomplish something. In that case, present only that one way, then (if necessary or useful), list the others ways with an introductory note. For example: "If these steps didn't work, try this [option 2].... If that didn't work, try this [option 3]...." And so on.

The goal is to give the average reader a simple solution that doesn't require them to choose between multiple options (indeed, that doesn't require them to read all those options), while still supplementing that preferred solution with alternatives if the first solution didn't work for whatever reason or doesn't fit with the user's context.

<<Would it be better to use route? Direction?>>

Neither would be a good choice, since they're fairly indirect (metaphorical) ways to say "way". I suspect that your French readers working in English would have more luck with these terms than most other readers. (Speaking as a French translator.)

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Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com
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Question: Route? Way? Direction?: From: JBlom

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