copywriting - You, Me, or Joe Soap

When listing content in an application (think of a list of documents) we show the name of the document and the name of the author.

What should be shown for the author's name when the person reading it is in fact the author?

Do we show the author as you, me, or Joe Soap (assuming it is Joe Soap reading the list)?

Answer

It should show "Joe Soap."

• Showing a pronoun instead of a name breaks up the flow of the list.


• It's possible that someone other than "me" will end up reading the list. For example, maybe it will be printed out and distributed to others.



• Using a pronoun draws attention to the software ("Look how clever I am, I recognize you!") rather than the user's goals. (More from Kathy Sierra.)


• There are other ways to call out documents authored by the current user, such as making the font bold, changing the background, or adding a graphical element.