Re: Typographical conventions

[Janice Gelb <janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com>]

Harry Bacheler wrote:
> I agree to a certain extent.
> 
> If your steps are in a 'numbered' list, there might be a reason for not
> capitalizing and bolding.
> 
> However, if you have a narrative paragraph containing 'many' steps to be
> performed, Capitalizing and Bolding the 'key caps', pop-ups, and menu
> selections, may help the reader to understand what is actually happening.
> (Of course, you have to take into account the reading level of the reader.)
> 
> I have seen, and edited a great num ber of procedure docuemtns that were
> narrative in nature.  When stepping through the paragraph, picking ouut the
> steps, it was sometimes difficult 'deciphering' the paragraph and the
> embedded 'instruction.
> 

Seems to me that the answer to this problem is to
put the procedural information in numbered steps,
not to litter the paragraph with bold. I think
the bold would still contribute to difficulty
in deciphering the instructional information.

-- Janice

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