Gregory's ServerSomeone tell the people at Google Drive that you don't include punctuation characters like “+” or “-" when showing keyboard shortcuts. Just ⌘V, not ⌘+V. You know, like every menu in every Mac or Windows apps for the last 39 years.
John Gruber
36 comments
Jeff C. 🇺🇦
@Albertkinng @gruber Presumably Grandmas and grandpas use macOS and Windows. Putting the plus there, contrary to every other platform out there, has as much potential to confuse as omitting it. “I have to hold the plus key too?”
Albert Kinng🔹
Kieran Healy
@gruber What if we put some sort of markup character in there to show that it’s not a literal +. That seems helpful. Like ⌘`+`V. Much clearer. 
Michael Wyman
Arcticulate
@gruber For MacOS applications, yes. I don’t spend enough time in Windows on the work PCs, apparently, because I thought it would be a standard thing to define a paste shortcut as ”CTRL+V”. 
Eshu Marneedi
@gruber I would like a count on how many people tried doing command, plus key, and C and failed.
AfroScribble
@gruber must be an apple thing, because on everything not-macOS +/- commands are everywhere
Isho'ye
@AfroScribble @gruber Mac is definitely the odd one out. Examples below: (L-R) Win95 OSR2, Win 3.11, OS/2 Warp4, GNOME 44.  
Jim Luther
@drahardja @gruber My daughter, a technical writer/editor pointed to this. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/a-z-word-list-term-collections/term-collections/keys-keyboard-shortcuts
Ade Thompson
@gruber I believe this may be a content design style guide decision used for web accessibility to help screen readers for example.
Roderick Gadellaa
@gruber I only checked Paint and the Terminal app, but looks like Windows does use the '+' character.
Ryan Burnett
@gruber Apple uses “-“ in their documentation. For example, “Option-Command-Esc” https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236 
Craig Grannell
@gruber Although every single Mac print magazine I’ve written for over the last 20+ years has used the + formatting. Also, it might be a better option for screen readers. 
Christopher Mackay 🇨🇦
@craiggrannell one imagines this sending neophytes off pressing Command, shift-= (aka +), and V. In the spirit of looking for the “any” key. :) @gruber
Craig Grannell
I remember one mag I worked for used to style the keys in little boxes to make everything very obvious. But I guess style is style. As long as it’s clear what you’re suggesting readers do, that’s what really matters. |
@gruber Maybe they are talking to the grandpas and grandmas out there… you know? The ones who still call you to ask for their own passwords?