Use of "please" in technical documentation and messages on screen

[Kelly McDaniel]

"...at worst, it is punning words in the mouth of the company,..."

I just love language...Kelly.

-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Fred Ridder
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 8:09 AM
To: info at mikewickham.com; verner.andersen at radiometer.dk;
framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: RE: Use of "please" in technical documentation and messages on
screen


But in order to avoid the passive voice, the UI resorts to the first
person plural, which is also discouraged in most technical writing style
guides. At best, the pronoun is unclear because it does not have a clear
antecedent; at worst, it is punning words in the mouth of the company,
which can potentially have lkegal consequences (at least in a litigious
society like the US).

This is one of the occasions where the passive voice is actually
appropriate, because it is inconsequential to the user who or what is
performing the act. All that really matters to the user is that the
process is occurring. 

-Fred Ridder

 
> From: info at mikewickham.com
> To: verner.andersen at radiometer.dk; framers at lists.FrameUsers.com
> Subject: Re: Use of "please" in technical documentation and messages
on screen
> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:24:19 -0500
> 
> I don't know about the rules of technical documentation, but "please
wait" 
> sounds much better than just a command to wait.
> 
> More importantly, I love that you didn't use passive voice. You used 
> "updating the result list" instead of the typical, "the result list is
being 
> updated." Bravo!
> 
> Mike Wickham
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> > Hi
> > Once I learned that you shouln't use the word "please" in technical
> > documentation - that it was like asking the reader to do you favor.
> >
> > Does this still hold true? Is it OK to have this message displayed
on
> > the screen of our user interface?
> >
> > "We are updating the result list, please wait"
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