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.
Subject:RE: Value of giving up numbering in Word? From:"Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:29:14 -0700
What I've suggested is not ridiculous and certainly does not denote or
condone bad writing. How silly of you to suggest as much. Your reductio
ad absurdum fails as miserably as your analogy. Last I checked, English
had a pretty well defined grammar. Not so for lists. In fact, I do not
know of any empirical research that has demonstrated that--in the case
of a short procedure--a number list is better than one that is not
numbered.
Leonard C. Porrello
SoleraTec LLC
www.soleratec.com
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Edwin Skau
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:30 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Value of giving up numbering in Word?
Well, you do have a sound argument there. I've seen lots of manuals for
little gizmos from Taiwan and Korea that have no numbered lists.
And they work! And that too, despite the mutilated English and
spectacular
typos. I guess that if the message gets across - more or less - why
bother
with silly language issues either, eh?
Edwin
On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 11:44 PM, Leonard C. Porrello <
Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- soleratec -dot- com> wrote:
> A strange analogy. I doubt the third step in a sequence will have a
hard
> time in life or feel neglected if I fail to assign it (or would you
> perhaps say "him?) a number. Do you really ascribe each step in a
> procedure the same ontological value as a child?
>
> As I said in my first post, procedures are denoted by a unique bullet
> style (an arrow in my case). Unordered lists are denoted by a simple
> round bullet. It's not terribly complicated. It is not confusing.
>
> Leonard C. Porrello
> SoleraTec LLC
> www.soleratec.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
> om] On Behalf Of Edwin Skau
> Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:03 AM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Value of giving up numbering in Word?
>
> On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 11:19 PM, Leonard C. Porrello <
> Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- soleratec -dot- com> wrote:
>
> > Good question. Perhaps "add little or arguably nothing to _my docs_"
> > would have been better than add "absolutely nothing."
> >
> > But I am not saying that numbering is always unnecessary. My
> procedures
> > are short enough to not require numbers. Yours, obviously, are more
> > complex and require numbers. I am big fan of dogma only when it
comes
> to
> > religion. Otherwise, I prefer responding to the exigency.
>
>
> Apparently we seem to believe that numbering only serves to keep track
> of
> long procedures. That's almost like saying, If I have a dozen kids,
I'll
> need names to address them. With just two or three kids I can just
refer
> to
> them by gender or size.
>
>
> >
> >
> > In response to Dan, the primary auto number problems I have have to
do
> > with single sourcing. Help & Manual doesn't support renumbering of
> > embedded topics. And, last I checked, it doesn't pick up auto
> numbering
> > from where it left off if there is an intervening graphic or style.
> >
> > So, I can drop single sourcing and manually number steps that
arguably
> > gain nothing from numbering, or I can spend my time improving the
docs
> > in other ways. If numbering--in my docs--was necessary or I had an
> > infinite amount of time (and had nothing better to do with it than
to
> > number lists that don't require numbering), I would use numbering.
> >
> >
> So how do you distinguish between the ordered and unordered lists in
> your
> document?
>
> Edwin
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats
or
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista &
2007
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
>http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as eddy -dot- skau -at- gmail -dot- com -dot-
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/eddy.skau%40gmail.com
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
>http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.
>
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats
or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as
Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- soleratec -dot- com -dot-
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
