Microsoft Word would chide you for using a sentence fragment. =D Nadine
--- On Fri, 6/26/09, Mike Wickham <info at mikewickham.com> wrote: > From: Mike Wickham <info at mikewickham.com> > Subject: Re: Use of "please" in technical documentation and messages on screen > To: "Fred Ridder" <docudoc at hotmail.com>, "Frame Users" <framers at > lists.FrameUsers.com> > Received: Friday, June 26, 2009, 9:39 AM > Actually, the way I would write the > message avoids passive voice and omits > needless words. I would write, "Updating result list. > Please wait..." > > Mike Wickham > > ----- Original Message ----- > 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. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to Framers as generic668 at yahoo.ca. > > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > or visit > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/generic668%40yahoo.ca > > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. > Visit > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and > info. > >
