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:OT RE: Using Contractions in Software Manuals From:"Brierley, Sean" <Brierley -at- QUODATA -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 11 May 1999 13:57:51 -0400
Hallo
Is this subject off-topic? Anyway, seeing no comment on that issue, here's
(?here are?) my two cents:
I don't use contractions in technical writing, which I do mainly for
software apps. When I read contractions in technical publications, I trip
over them. I have noticed that many of my proof-readers notice use of
contractions, too. Currently, my audience is college-educated and many of
them had those "no contraction" teachers. (As an aside, I had a professor at
college who routinely chastised me for using only one space after a period,
in papers written on a Mac. Teachers are not always correct but, as long as
they are consistent, I can be forgiving.)
I avoid contractions for two main reasons: I don't want that level of
informality and I seldom have the need for contractions. As for using
contractions with the future tense, I'll not be using the future tense in my
docs; for me it's not necessary.
I do use contractions in newsletters, such as those I send out to residents
of a town, for example, and on web sites.
