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Subject:RE: one word, not "if", for "as long as" From:"Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com> To:Lauren <lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:12:06 -0700
Lauren wrote:
> "You"? I prefer to avoid pronoun references in technical documentation.
Interesting preference. Some of us would say that preference is an example of what you earlier referred to (in the "Help with a term" thread) as "ancient pedantry. ;-)
IMHO, it's good documentation practice to address the reader directly. To Craig's point, avoiding "you" is not only sometimes clumsier but often much less clear. Consider these "you-less" alternatives:
-- The user can use different subdomains, but the top level domain must be the same.
-- Different subdomains can be used, but the top level domain must be the same.
I maintain that both are inferior to Laura's simple, direct formulation.
YMMV, etc.
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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