[documentation] What's wrong with "you"?

[Lynette]

Nothing wrong with you.. or 'you' for that matter.

I had this discussion a few years ago with one of the technical writers 
I was working with. I thought 'you' should be eliminated, based on some 
previous experience. However, when I went to look for backup, I really 
couldn't find anything. It's a style. Now that I've gotten used to it, I 
actually like it a great deal, for all of the reasons you outline. It's 
an imperative. I think it is significantly more useful when writing 
instructions than any other method I've ever had to use (as a 
writer/reviewer or target of docs.)

- Lynette



O Govinda wrote:
> I've lately seen a few comments that speak favorably about ridding Drupal
> documentation of the word "you."
> 
> I don't understand the reason for doing so. Perhaps there's some
> conversation I've missed. 
> 
>>From my point of view, "you" is one of the most exceedingly useful words for
> documentation in the entire English language. 
> 
>    * It's simple, plain, and direct. 
> 
>    * It's short--only one three-letter syllable. 
> 
>    * It's gender neutral. 
> 
>    * It's superbly personal and friendly.
> 
>    * Unlike "they," it never invites doubts about antecedents. ("When users
> modify these settings, they. . . " The users or the settings?)
> 
>    * It leads you naturally to write about what the *user* has to do rather
> than what a module does--and that's very good indeed for the user. 
> 
>    * It leads you naturally to write in the active voice, rather than the
> passive, thereby avoiding one of the greatest killers of clarity known to
> the English tongue.
> 
> Even legal contracts these days tend to replace the old clunky impersonal
> terms with the equally legal, and far more clear and friendly, "you." For
> example, from an IBM license:
> 
>    ------------------------
> 
> As used in this End User License Agreement, "you" and "your" refers to the
> individual or entity that wishes to use the Software.
> 
> 1. License.  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, you are hereby granted.
> . .  
> 
>    -------------------------
> 
> I'd say that rather than trying to curb "you" for Drupal documentation, we
> should *promote* it.
> 
> In short: I see nothing wrong with "you." I'm all for it. Or is there
> something wrong with *me*?
> 
> Cordially, 
> O Govinda
> www.jswami.info