: Re: An alternative to saying 'users' when describing features I'm creating some copy describing new web-app features for a number of different audiences (users, managers of sections of the site, owners

Lately, I've been favoring the term "you" because, after all, the doc is addressed to the reader, to YOU, no question.

I've used employed written hidden behind the third-person "users," I think, because I haven't had the writing balls to address the target of the writing directly. For me, it takes courage to speak confidently and directly and sometimes forcefully to YOU but when I read something that's addressed to ME I'm happy and satisfied. There is no way I can misunderstand the writing. Second-person writing doesn't equivocate, it's not wishy-washy or queasy-squeezy or spongey.

Compare two versions that aim to instruct:

The actor should speak the speech as I pronounced it to him, trippingly on the tongue.
But if the actor should mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the
town crier spoke my lines. Nor should the actor saw the air too much with his hand,
thus ...

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue.
But if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town crier spoke
my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand ...

Second-person writing is strong and direct. There's no missing the meaning behind YOU.

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: Re: An alternative to saying 'users' when describing features I'm creating some copy describing new web-app features for a number of different audiences (users, managers of sections of the site, owners

More posts by @Chiappetta298

: Help write a book review, please Edited to incorporate @Craig Sefton's suggestions. About a book that I admire, I wrote in an SE computer-programming group: The material seems old -- well,

: I don't know that polluters wrapping their buildings in cheap solar has a place in this paragraph; and there's more solar stuff than just panels. But, as the OP makes clear, homeowners must

: Sending a children's book manuscript to an agent or publisher with illustrations I've written a children's story and had it illustrated. It's a picture book. I've heard that publishers prefer

: Finding freelance work My partner is trying to get more freelance web copywriting work and as an avid StackOverflow user I thought I would try to see what the fantastic stackexchange community

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