Re: Use of Second Person

[Tom Davey <tdavey -at- IBM -dot- NET>]

** Reply to note from George Allaman <gallama -at- LOOKOUT -dot- ECTE -dot- USWC -dot- USWEST -dot- COM>
 12/11/95
5:09pm -0700

> Personally I find the use of "you" - in user guides in particular -
> repulsive, although I can't make a convincing argument as to why. It seems
> overly familiar, as if treating the reader like a child, as if I were
> writing a personal letter rather than a procedure. I avoid it where I can,
> but sometimes it is simply the only way out. I find the implied second
> person of the imperative mood a little less offensive, since it doesn't
> seem to be trying to anthropomorphize the document.

> Let the opinions fly.

Duck, here comes one now! "You" is definitely appropriate for novice users and
 any readers who
might be put off by an overly formal or technical tone.  What you find
 condescending they find
friendly--a good attitude for any writer to adopt when telling readers about
 material they find
intimidating.

Right now in TECHWR-L we've got a separate thread going about using
 contractions--same
considerations apply. It's also amazing how often second person address can get
 you out of
passive construction jams and absurd personifications of hardware boxes and
 electron activity.

Tom



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