RE: "Next" or "the following" -- What is your preference?

Subject: RE: "Next" or "the following" -- What is your preference?
From: "Claire Conant" <Claire -dot- Conant -at- Digeo -dot- com>
To: "Pro TechWriter" <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:49:02 -0800

I don't get it. Can you provide an example? Do you mean... Follow the
next steps? Perform the next steps? (Am I close?) If so, I don't see any
problem with using "the following", as in "perform the following steps".
I write and edit that way all the time.

I agree with not using below in HTML format as the content might not
actually be below.

~~~~
This is a little brain teaser for a Monday morning. I am accustomed to
using
"next" in an introduction to a procedure instead of "the following."
A few people here (not technical writers--I am the only one), want
to change this to "the following" or "below," (I never use "below" any
more)
I also use "next" for lists and things after an introduction.

My original output is a Word document that is saved as a PDF, then it is
converted to WebHelp HTML with RoboHelp for access on our Intranet.

What is your preference? This one has me stumped. I don't see any
problem
with using "next," and actually prefer it, since I write in active
voice,
present tense. I haven't found anything that says it is categorically
wrong,
but maybe it is? I'd like some kind of source to say one way or the
other,
so I can pass that info along.

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