The documentation specialist and I had a nice discussion this week about the ‘tone’ of text in our software and documents. We would like to set a standard. Should we be friendly but professional? Should we be more buddy buddy like some of the web apps out there? Then how do we deal with languages were there is a formal ‘you’ and an informal ‘you.’ Of course, we want to keep the text we use as simple and direct as possible so as not to clutter the interface or our users lives…etc.
When we asked the opinion of our manager, however, he said something quite wonderful: “Our software and help should sound like one of our support staff was there helping the user.”
This made me smile immediately. “Yes!” I said, making a strange happy fist movement, “That is exactly how we should write it!”
We still have to work out the details of couse, but it helps to have such a benchmark to work from. Developing software and interfaces we sometimes get so caught up in the details and logic behind what is happening, when all the time a more personable and holistic view can make everything so much simpler and better 
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