Use technical terms carefully

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Technical terms speed up communication between people who share the same expertise. For others, the same technical terms are just incomprehensible.

Use technical terms only:

if you’re writing for experts

if a term is also used in other materials for the same user group as your document and you can’t change these materials

if a term is used in the user interface of your product

If you can’t avoid using technical terms, explain them when using them for the first time.

In a printed manual, the “first time” is the page with the lowest page number.

In online help, the “first time” is the topic that will be used either the earliest or the most frequently.

No:

This opens your default email client.

(You don’t need the technical term client here.)

Yes:

This opens your default email program.

Yes:

Plug the cable into the USB port of your computer.

(Here it’s OK to use the technical term USB port because it’s the only common name that exists for this type of interface. You can’t change this name. It doesn’t make any sense to invent a new name.)


Use short, common words

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms