I lived in Ireland for two years, and I had to ask strangers for directions more than once. I imagine an Irish technical writer’s first draft to look something like this. (Thanks to Colum for the idea, which came from reading his colloqualism feature for a new help authoring tool.)


How to Change the Credit Card Number in Your Account

  1. Click Account Settings.
  2. Don’t click Change Password. That will take you to the wrong place. What you have to do is click Payment Information.
  3. If you clicked Personal Information, you’ve gone to the wrong place.
  4. Don’t click Save Changes. You have to change your credit card number first.
  5. Change your credit card number.
  6. Click Save Changes, and you’re there.

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