When Not to Be Interesting

Some writers labor to keep their sentences uncluttered but clutter their examples with items that are distracting or even dangerous. If an example calls for a list of usernames, they’ll list their favorite basketball players or favorite fictional characters. But your favorite basketball player sells his name for use on sport socks for millions of dollars.

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Opening

When you start reading the TiePlumb User Guide, be it a booklet or a help system, what should the first sentence say to you? I’ve seen some first sentences that say “Welcome,” I’ve seen “Thank you,” and I’ve even seen “Congratulations.” “Welcome” is supposed to sound friendly, but to me it sounds arrogant and inaccurate. It says, “You are in our territory now. We are the proprietors and you are the disoriented stranger.” Wrong message.

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