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Subject:Re: Use of Optional in instructions From:Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:55:13 -0700
Bruce Combs original example was:
"1. Select the Tx Inhibit check box, to block the operator from
transmitting audio (optional)."
To me, that "1." implies a linear series of steps. There's no branch,
you check the box or not, then go on to step 2.
On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 2:21 PM, Combs, Richard
<richard -dot- combs -at- polycom -dot- com> wrote:
> Robert Lauriston wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure I've ever seen a help topic that didn't start with a
>> description of what the steps that follow will accomplish.
>
> But we're not talking about the overall, high-level goal of the
> procedure -- e.g., "To configure the signaling module..."
>
> We're talking about an optional action that the reader may or may not
> wish to perform, depending on _how_ they want, in this case, the
> signaling module configured -- e.g., "To enable SIP signaling, ..."
>
> As Fox Cole so succinctly illustrated on Saturday, we're talking about
> _decision_points_, places where a procedure _branches_:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
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