RE: Pet Peeves (was Re: The 'user' in User Manual)

["Karen Murri" <kmurri -at- comcast -dot- net>]

 Huh. I don't consider that anthropomorphic. Inanimate objects "act" all the
time. "A rolling stone gathers no moss." I can think of a long list of
examples. When an automated system completes it's programmed function, then
it is the "actor" and the function it completes is the appropriate active
verb. For simplicity, though, I do like your second sentence better. 

-Karen

-----Original Message-----
Mary Arrotti said

  Personally, I really dislike anthropomorphic writing. 
  1) Do this and the system allows you to do that.
  2) Do this and you can do that.
  There are instances (#1) where avoiding this type of writing makes for
better clarity (#2). But sometimes it's clearer - for my audience - if I
write something like "the system imports XYZ data." So, I do it. I still
don't like it but that's what makes it *my* pet peeve. 

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