TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Our new management thinks that our Style Guide is a luxury and a waste of
> time. Can you provide me with some well-thought-out arguments as to why a
> tech. pubs. team would "need" to have one?
Just to play devil's advocate (it's Friday, and I'm groggy from
preparing a company rollout), could the new management be right?
Depending on the past experience of the new management, I can
imagine several rationales, some good, some bad:
- no one follows style guides anyway.
- most style guides are too hard to follow if you don't use them
everyday.
- so long as everything looks reasonably professional, who cares?
- only a few people need the information and they already know
it.
- the company frequently updates its look and image anyway.
- there's too many other things to do right now.
--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com | Tel: 604.421.7189
"Their armament is being right (seeing right, doing right),
The armament of Righteousness is going to save the world."
- OysterBand, "The Generals Are Born Again"
