: Re: Preferred word for "preferred", "target", "chosen" in end user support documentation I'm having trouble finding and sticking to one word to indicate whatever value the user intends to use with

@Odierno164

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One possibility is to not use the adjective: "Select a printer".

Another is to use the adjective appropriate to the action: Sometimes you mean "Select a disk", sometimes (like for formatting) you mean "Select the target disk", sometimes (for installing an OS) "Select the desired boot disk", etc.

I wouldn't look for just one word. "Preferred" is sometimes valid, if we are talking about generating a report, "From the options presented, click on your preferred settings".

In that case it sounds better than "click on your target settings" or "click on the settings".

But when you are erasing files or a disk, "preferred" sounds wrong, you are taking an action on something and "target" is more appropriate: "Select the target files". Or even make it more explicit, "Select the files to be erased".

Don't feel bound by pointless consistency, your objective is to be clear to the user, you get no points for consistency of word use.

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