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Subject:Re: Ellipsis button - what is it called? From:"Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 29 Aug 1997 09:55:05 -0700
I said:
>| Don't use the word "ellipsis" in your docs. That's an English-nerd
>| word! ;-) Most non-writers (non-nerds) in our audience read, think,
>| know our friend the ellipsis as "dotdotdot". So, just say, for example:
>|
>| "Click ... and browse to the file location."
>|
>| and the user will subvocalize "dotdotdot" and know exactly what you mean.
And Suzanne Maloon wrote:
>I MUST disagree with this----------------->"Click ... and browse to the
>file location."
>
>
>Saying "Click...and browse to the file location" looks as if you forgot to
>complete your thought. Call it the ellipsis button, and then give a screen
>capture to give your readers a clue of what you're talking about.
>
Disagree if you must, Suzanne.
I'm teaching a friend to use his new computer. Last night, my husband
and I were over at his house while I set up his fax cover sheet, and as
I worked, I listened to husband and friend talking.
Husband: Use ellipsis.
Friend: Use *what*???
Husband: You know. Dotdotdot.
Friend: Oh! Yeah.
Don't say "ellipsis" in docs. You create a conceptual stumbling block
that will disrupt the cognitive flow for (my SWAG) about 90% of your
audience. After all, our job is to tell them how to use the software,
*not* to teach them the nuances of punctuation.
(Jeesh! At this rate, I'll be broke by the weekend!) ;-)
The _Guide_ is definitive.
Reality is frequently inaccurate. --Douglas Adams
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