RE: Repeat? Consequence of an action in an application

["Sharon Burton" <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com>]

[Warning, still recovering from changing 9 time zones. May be slightly
incoherent.]

Teach your students that all results (actions, too) should be written from
the point of view of your audience. While, in fact, the application does
stuff, writing user-centric results in more...coherent and applicable to the
user phrasings.

It also helps the reader because you are showing them why they care all the
time. People don't really care that the application does stuff, they care
that stuff they need to do or know is happening.


For example:
(Product centric)
* The application shows the "home" screen, which contains your profile.

(User-centric)
* The "home" screen appears, showing your profile (last name, address, etc).
(better)
Your profile appears on the Home screen. Your name and address are listed.


sharon

Sharon Burton
951-369-8590


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sharon=anthrobytes -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sharon=anthrobytes -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]On
Behalf Of Rob Hudson
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:44 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Repeat? Consequence of an action in an application


I'm teaching my students to write instructions. For each step, I ask for
an action and a consequence. For example, if you are at a login screen
and you type your username and password, and press "Save," a "home"
screen might appear showing a user's profile.

I'm having trouble explaining a nice way to indicate that consequence or
effect. Some options;

* The "home" screen appears, showing your profile (last name, address, etc).
* The application shows the "home" screen, which contains your profile.

What's the cleanest, clearest way to express an effect in terms of an
application? I'm having trouble demonstrating a consistent, clear phrasing.


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