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I am designing an app and there is a part where the users can post some content to a specific group of people.

I have a placeholder prompt on the screen that I say "Tap here and type your post. People in group X will be able to see it". Now, I want to replace "will be able to" with a single word (without losing its meaning) if possible. I've seen "will be able to" vs. "can" and considered using can but "can" also includes the present. If I use "can", it might misguide the user that the content will be available immediately to group X before they actually hit the post button. I need to ensure that the message is clear: the user will type their post and when they post it, group X will have access to it (but I can't say "will see it" because they might not necessarily open the app and read it).

In that manner, is there any single word that I can use in the blank space in the following sentence (or something similar):

"Tap here and type your post. Group X ______ see it."

Community
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Can Poyrazoğlu
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3 Answers3

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I don't think there's a perfect single-word to fit that sentence. You may need to rephrase it to something like this:

Tap here and type your post. [Once it's posted,] group X [may] see it.

Or even shorten it:

Tap here and type. [Once posted,] group X [may] see it.

May — Macmillan

modal verb
1.a Used for saying that there is a possibility that something is true or that something will happen
1.b (formal) Used for saying that it is possible to do something in a particular way

In the rephrased version, you can even use can.

Tap here and type. Once posted, group X can see it.

NVZ
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  • I think I'll go with may. My only concern is that, I'm actually making the user post with the motivation that others will see it (even if they don't). Using may may sound like "you are posting it, but others may see it, but it's not really that relevant". It doesn't sound like the user is actually posting for others to see it (where in fact they are). Anyway, may is still the best option so far. – Can Poyrazoğlu Sep 13 '16 at 06:28
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    @CanPoyrazoğlu I think you may use can also, here. – NVZ Sep 13 '16 at 06:30
  • I've considered it, but for reason that I've told in the question (summary: it may confuse the user that others might see the post before they hit the post button) I've decided to go with something else. – Can Poyrazoğlu Sep 13 '16 at 06:31
  • @CanPoyrazoğlu No, there's no such confusion if you consider the rephrased version in my answer. "Tap here and type your post. Once it's posted, group X can see it." – NVZ Sep 13 '16 at 06:32
  • Oh I've just realized the rephrasing. Then yes, that would fit nice (if it doesn't get too long, I'll need to actually implement it in my UI and see if it fits visually) – Can Poyrazoğlu Sep 13 '16 at 06:35
  • 'Once it's posted' version just took too much UI space (I was trying to fit it on two lines on an iPhone 6 Plus screen with the standard font size of my app, but it didn't fit into two lines), but I went with may and it went great! – Can Poyrazoğlu Sep 13 '16 at 06:46
  • @CanPoyrazoğlu see my suggested shortened version. :) – NVZ Sep 13 '16 at 06:53
  • It looks nice, I'll try that :) – Can Poyrazoğlu Sep 13 '16 at 09:58
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Tap here and type your post. People in group X will get it.

I'd go extremely simple, especially considering the app context. It's text, there is no need to emphasize the seeing. People get messages, so I'd just skip all the paraphrasing. The people get the message. That's all you can assure, nobody knows if they see it, read it, understand it or act upon it.

GET [WITH OBJECT] Come to have (something); receive -ODO

Helmar
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1

Based on your mention of "hit the post button", perhaps you omitted "hit the post button" from your example, i.e., perhaps you meant to say, "Tap here, type your post, and then hit the post button." Assuming that to be the case, I suggest the following:

"Tap here, type your post, and then hit the post button so Group X can see your post."

OR

"To provide your feedback (thoughts, input, whatever) to Group X, tap here, type your post, and then hit the post button."

There are other possibilities that would communicate clearly what you want to say.

Richard Kayser
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