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> I keep winding up in positions where I'm editing...
> an index where the writer has included
> generic verbs as keywords. For example:
>
> Changing
> Item's Class
> Owner Security
> Report's Schedule
> ...(Even worse are the cases where a lazy
> writer has let
> the auto-index feature do the work...
>
> Before I start chopping, can anyone offer a compelling reason to leave
> those entries intact? Or are they just clutter?
I remember, several years ago, taking one of Lori Lathrop's indexing
workshops. I'd worked my fingers to the bone generating synonym after
synonym until I thought that there wasn't one more possible index entry
to create. Lori's comment? "Good start, Sue!" %-\
And then there was the student in WordPerfect class who knew it was
possible to indent a paragraph from both margins but didn't know how
because she couldn't find "squishing" anywhere in the index.
And so, yes, I'd leave "changing" in your index -- and add "editing"
and "revising" and "modifying" ... Because you never know how your
user is thinking.
But I think I'd toss "a word about..."! ;-)
HTH!
Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- kinzan -dot- com
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