Wednesday, 13 May

Situation

Writing release notes and documentation, unsure when "is now" / "are now" constitutes passive voice. Also questioning whether documentation needs to be perfect before shipping. Additionally unclear on the correct naming conventions for UI elements.

My linter also doesn't flag future passive voice constructions in the type "You will be remembered by"

Task

Clarify the passive voice rule around linking verbs. Internalize a working principle for documentation quality vs. user priority. Research correct terminology for common UI element types. Add future check to linter app.

Action

Tested "is now" and "are now" against the passive voice rule — passive requires to be + past participle. Linking verbs don't qualify. Confirmed "is now Pack Overview" is clean.

Researched UI element naming conventions — toggle, chooser, button, slider, field, dialog box, prompt — and established a working rule: name elements by their behavior, not their appearance. When in doubt, open Live and observe what the element does.

Drew on a real conversation with my supervisor at MSM about standardizing metadata guidelines — learned that perfect standardization is rarely achievable in practice.

Add passive voice future check for linter app.. but also ask if it is a rule.

Result

Three rules internalized:

1. "is now" and "are now" are linking verbs — safe to use, not passive voice.

2. Don't chase perfection. Prioritize the user. If it makes sense to the person reading it, it's good enough to ship.

3. Name UI elements by behavior not appearance — open Live and observe when uncertain.

4. Ask Sara or Lars if the passive voice is a rule. Or is it for present and not for future?