TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Use of "you" in documentation? From:Geoff Hart <Geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA> Date:Fri, 6 Aug 1999 10:07:29 -0400
Mary Norman's group has <<...agreed that "you" really
brings the user into the fold, but we were wondering if there
are some more formal rules about this usage that we could
turn to.>>
I'm not sure what you mean by "formal rules", but speaking
directly to the reader (second person, imperative voice) is
generally a good idea because, as you say, it involves the
reader more directly in the documentation. It also clearly
identifies the actor, which can be very reassuring to new and
even experienced users of a product.
As for "you" itself, you really don't want to overuse it. You
should use it judiciously, not just because you thought you
liked the sound of "you" and you felt reasonably comfortable
that you were right about "you" being accepted by you and
your readers. You get the point? <g> Silliness aside, the point
about writing "you" is that it can become more of a chatty
conversation with the reader than clear, concise instructions;
in most cases, there's no need to use the word at all.
