atw: Re: Customer's point of view vs Customers' point of view

I don't think it's true that several customers can't share a point of 
view. In this case it seems to me that the distinction is between one 
point of view shared by all customers and, say, one shared by the 
developers (and perhaps one shared by another group of people too - 
doesn't really matter). 

But even if you agree with me that there's only one point of view that 
Nikki's referring to, that still doesn't settle what you call it. Should 
it  be a "customer's point of view" or a "customers' point of view"? I 
think you could make out a case for either, but I tend to agree with Bob 
and would call it a "customer's point of view", using the same kind of 
logic that we use when we refer to "Mother's Day" - ie, even though there 
are lots of mothers out there, I imagine the day as being named with 
reference to a kind of generic family, in which the mother is singled out 
for attention. Similarly, in Nikki's case, though there could be many 
customers, the point of view could be associated with a kind of 'generic' 
customer - that is, we're only visualising one at a time (as Bob says).

However, at the risk of starting up another fight, I'd resist the capital 
letter in Customer. In my experience, software developers tend to overuse 
capital letters. I can't see any need for one here (even a generic - ie 
uninstantiated - customer isn't really like God). 

Howard

Howard Silcock
Technical Writer
Electronic Systems
ADI Limited
PO Box 14, Deakin, ACT 2600
Ph. +61 2 6234 6075
Fax +61 2 6234 6011
Email: howard.silcock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web page: www.adi-limited.com 




"Nikki Ward" <ezistep@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
21/08/2006 11:21 AM
Please respond to austechwriter

 
        To:     austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        cc: 
        Subject:        atw: Customer's point of view vs Customers' point of 
view


Hi there... 

Recently I had an argument with one of our developers who is also a dab 
hand at technical writing:

he wrote: 

The xyz-blah database will be extended to deliver these instead.  No 
change should be apparent from the Customers' point of view.

I edited it to read:

The xyz-blah database will be extended to deliver these instead.  No 
change should be apparent from the Customer's point of view.


I explained to him that if he was to put Customers as a plural with an 
apostrophe at the end of the plural, then it will also necessitate that 
'point of view' should also be pluralised because it belongs to the 
'Customers' which then will be written as Customers' Points of View which 
is 
absolutely incorrect.


I tend to do things rather intuitively but when questioned I wasn't quite 
certain that I was right or not... 

Could you verify whether I am on the right track or not.. 

Thanks, 
Nikki **************************************************
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