The 'user' in User Manual

[Nancy Allison]

I aim for a style that is a mixture of conciseness (80%) and a conversational tone (20%). The percentages indicate that at the end of the writing cycle I do a final search for "you," and try to eliminate it if there is an effective alternative that reads naturally.

Some techniques for avoiding "you" are worse than "you," however. I stay away from the passive voice and from subjectless participles ("While adding the diluent, sing the National Anthem.") I rather like my example here, but usually that construction sounds contorted and odd.

So -- hurray for you -- within limits.

--Nancy