RE: The 'user' in User Manual

Subject: RE: The 'user' in User Manual
From: "Andrew Warren" <awarren -at- synaptics -dot- com>
To: "Steve Cavanaugh" <scavanaugh -at- nat-seattle -dot- com>, "Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>, "Cardimon,Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com>, "Techwr-l" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:52:28 -0800

Steve Cavanaugh wrote:

> without explicitly identifying to whom I am referring, it is very
> difficult to write a cohesive sentence about the procedure that I
> want the user to follow. In these cases, I tend to say "The Test
> Operator clicks here, the PC responds with this, the Unit Under
> Test does that..."

But if the manual's written for the Test Operator, the imperative-voice
version -- "Click here. The PC responds with this, the Unit Under Test
does that..." -- seems just as cohesive.

Plus, since there's only one "you" in imperative-voice instructions,
your reader will never have to wonder whether a pronoun in your manual
refers to him or to someone else. And, since "you" is gender-neutral,
you won't have to spend as much time ensuring (or defending your
decision not to ensure) gender-neutrality in your choice of pronouns.

-Andrew

=== Andrew Warren - awarren -at- synaptics -dot- com
=== Synaptics, Inc - Santa Clara, CA
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