I have read "What is the recommended wording for a generic error message" and it's helpful, but doesn't address my main question:
What should I prefer in any written programm: The polite or the straight forward way if my program is interacting with the user (e.g. giving feedback to an action or pointing out that something does not work).
I wonder if it's better if the program responds straight to the point or politely.
Consider the following example: The user clicks a button to print something based on a template. However, the template does not exist.
Which feedback would you prefer:
- The template is not defined yet. Please make sure to set the template before you print it out.
- Make sure to configure the template before printing.
What is generally better?