atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
- From: "Petra Liverani" <petsky@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 12:20:30 +1100
Bruce,
What a word means 'technically' is totally subordinate to what is
communicated to the reader but I don't see how that to apply pressure
automatically implies that the pressure is then not released. From looking
at usage it is obvious that press sometimes implies pressing and holding
down and other times pressing and releasing. The instruction 'press the
spacebar', except in strange circumstances, will mean press and release the
spacebar. The instruction 'press the Ctrl and Shift keys' would generally
mean press the Ctrl key, hold it down and press the Shift key'. Because keys
are sometimes meant to be released and other times held down using simply
'press' can be ambiguous.
Regards,
Petra
----- Original Message -----
From: "bja" <bashley@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 10:09 AM
Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> Actually, it does Petra.
>
> To 'press' is to apply pressure to something. Releasing is a separate
> function (even though in common speech we assume this follows the pressing
> action).
>
> So technically, to 'press' something is to apply pressure without
releasing.
>
> As such, technically, there is no need to say hold down et al.
>
> In real life, however, we do need to say something like "While pressing
the
> Alt key etc" because we assume there is a 'release' action after the
'press'
> action even if this is not so.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Bruce Ashley
> Senior Technical Writer
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>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Petra Liverani
> > Sent: Monday, 16 February 2004 4:20 PM
> > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> >
> >
> > Bruce,
> >
> > That's true, however, with "hold down" I don't know what else
> > the reader can
> > do but assume that they need to press the key first whereas
> > "press" alone
> > does not necessarily indicate that the key must be held down
> > while pressing
> > something else. Therefore I think "hold down" is preferable
> > or else "press
> > and hold down".
> >
> > Petra
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "bja" <bashley@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 3:54 PM
> > Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> >
> >
> > > Sorry Sheetal,
> > >
> > > Using "hold down" indicates something is already 'down' for
> > you to 'hold'.
> > > In the case a keyboard key, this only occurs after being pressed. :)
> > >
> > > Cheers.
> > >
> > > Bruce Ashley
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
> > > > sheetal_laviena@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Sent: Monday, 16 February 2004 2:44 PM
> > > > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Considering the audience in question are sitting in front of
> > > > the computer,
> > > > reading instructions....HOLD DOWN should not indicate
> > "holding down a
> > > > person" although I understand what you mean....but to get
> > the point
> > > > across...HOLD DOWN could be used....
> > > >
> > > > How about: Hold the BLAH key down and click ANOTHER BLAH button.
> > > >
> > > > Again with Press you have the confusion of press and release
> > > > or issues like
> > > > keep pressing etc both of which do not sound right - to me! :o).
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Regards and thanks,
> > > > Sheetal Laviena.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Sonja McShane"
> > > >
> > > > <smcshane@xxxxxxxxxxx> To:
> > > > <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > Sent by: cc:
> > > >
> > > > austechwriter-bounce@fre Subject:
> > > > atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> > > > elists.org
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > 16/02/2004 02:30 PM
> > > >
> > > > Please respond to
> > > >
> > > > austechwriter
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Earlier today someone mentioned (sorry, deleted my emails and
> > > > unable to
> > > > re-read them) that you don't actually physically 'hold' a
> > key. I can't
> > > > quite envisage how you 'hold down' a key, whereas it's
> > easy to see how
> > > > you 'hold down' a person, for example. You could 'press down'
> > > > a key, but
> > > > that's a tautology... I'm sticking with press :-)
> > > >
> > > > Sonja
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> > Naomi Kramer
> > > > Sent: Monday, 16 February 2004 2:27 PM
> > > > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I think 'hold down' does get the message across quite well :)
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> > > > sheetal_laviena@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Sent: Monday, 16 February 2004 1:05 PM
> > > > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: atw: Re: To press while... or hold?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi Naomi Kramer.
> > > >
> > > > Suggestion: Hold down the X key and click the Y button
> > > > (simultaneously).
> > > >
> > > > 'simultaneously' being optional !?
> > > >
> > > > How's that sound?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Regards and thanks,
> > > > Sheetal Laviena.
> > > >
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