ring:applying-voice-and-tone

Voice and Tone Guidelines

When to use

• Need to check voice and tone compliance
• Writing new documentation
• Reviewing existing documentation for style

Skip when

• Only checking structure → use ring:structuring-documentation
• Only checking technical accuracy → use docs-reviewer agent

Related

Complementary: ring:reviewing-docs

Write the way you work: with confidence, clarity, and care. Good documentation sounds like a knowledgeable colleague helping you solve a problem.

Core Tone Principles

Assertive, But Never Arrogant

Say what needs to be said, clearly and without overexplaining.

✅ Core one uses a microservices architecture, which allows each component to be self-sufficient and easily scalable.

❌ Core one might use what some people call a microservices architecture, which could potentially allow components to be somewhat self-sufficient.

Encouraging and Empowering

Guide users to make progress, especially when things get complex.

✅ This setup isn't just technically solid; it's built for real-world use. You can add new components as needed without disrupting what's already in place.

❌ This complex setup requires careful understanding of multiple systems before you can safely make changes.

Tech-Savvy, But Human

Talk to developers, not at them. Use technical terms when needed, but prioritize clarity.

✅ Each Account is linked to exactly one Asset type.

❌ The Account entity maintains a mandatory one-to-one cardinality with the Asset entity.

Humble and Open

Be confident in your solutions but always assume there's more to learn.

✅ As Core one evolves, new fields and tables may be added.

❌ The system is complete and requires no further development.

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The Golden Rule

Write like you're helping a smart colleague who just joined the team.

This colleague is: Technical and can handle complexity, new to this system, busy and appreciates efficiency, capable of learning quickly with guidance.

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Writing Mechanics

Rule	Use	Avoid
Second person	"You can create..."	"Users can create..."
Present tense	"The system returns..."	"The system will return..."
Active voice	"The API returns a JSON response"	"A JSON response is returned by the API"
Short sentences	Two sentences, one idea each	One long sentence with multiple clauses

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Capitalization

Sentence case for all headings – Only capitalize first letter and proper nouns.

✅ Correct	❌ Avoid
Getting started with the API	Getting Started With The API
Using the transaction builder	Using The Transaction Builder
Managing account types	Managing Account Types

Applies to: Page titles, section headings, card titles, navigation labels, table headers

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Terminology

Product names: Always capitalize (Core one, Console, Reporter, Core two, Core four)

Entity names: Capitalize when referring to specific concept (Account, Ledger, Asset, Portfolio, Segment, Transaction, Operation, Balance)

Each Account is linked to a single Asset.

Lowercase for general references:

You can create multiple accounts within a ledger.

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Contractions

Use naturally to make writing conversational:

Natural	Stiff
You'll find...	You will find...
It's important...	It is important...
Don't delete...	Do not delete...

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Emphasis

Bold for UI elements and key terms: Click Create Account, the metadata field

Code formatting for technical terms: POST /accounts, allowSending

Don't overuse – if everything is emphasized, nothing stands out.

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Info Boxes

Type	When
Tip:	Helpful information
Note:	Important context
Warning:	Potential issues
Deprecated:	Removal notices

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Quality Checklist

• Uses "you" consistently (not "users")
• Uses present tense for current behavior
• Uses active voice (subject does action)
• Sentences are short (one idea each)
• Headings use sentence case
• Technical terms used appropriately
• Contractions used naturally
• Emphasis used sparingly
• Sounds like helping a colleague

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