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Subject:Re: COMPUTER WORDS From:Patrick Morgan <tscom007 -at- DUNX1 -dot- OCS -dot- DREXEL -dot- EDU> Date:Wed, 6 Oct 1993 15:46:05 -0700
>Regarding the E-mail/email/etc. thread....
>As a new technical writer I've found most style guides to be insufficient
>when it comes to computer terminology. Since many technical writers
>are employed by computer companies to write software and hardwaare
>manuals, why are there no style guides for technical writing?
>>...we had problemswith on-line vs. online, Token-ring vs Token-Ring vs.
>token-ring, anda host of other terms. .. (Even) the manufacturer's documents
>for .. were not standard...computer dictionaries..also used different
>spellings... Finally, we just had to make a decision and stick to it.
> I hope that someday someone somewhere will write a style guide that
> we can all live with.
>As for those of you who use style guides (not the in-house kind), what
>do you use? Chicago Manual of Style? Others? I'd really like to know.
>If you answer, please state the kinds of writing you do.
>Thanks.
>Janie Bergen
As far as terminology goes, when I was taking courses for tech writing, my
teacher told us she made quite a few enemies lobbying for standardization
of terms within the industry. That's one of the key issues right there:
The companies won't cooperate in that regard, or at least didn't seem to a
few years ago. I'm not sure that technical writers as a body have the clout
to try and do something. Perhaps within the overall professional
organizations we can do it.
Too bad consumers don't complain more to the better business bureau in this
regard, but I am not sure it would help just yet. Then again, not many
consumers realize they can complain about how understandable manuals are.
Adding to the problem is that many companies won't change to a better
style, even if their current style is bad. One company's excuse for not
changing to a better style: they didn't want to confuse people and wanted
continuity in their "look" - never mind that their writing style guidelines
forces one to write in the passive voice. Their manuals are hard to read,
but they don't want them cleaned up. As a consumer, I don't think there's
any excuse for that. They could at least clean up the verbage.
I am a new technical writer myself, working on my first manual. I am
following the advice given me by my teacher and other professionals I know
who write good manuals. I have to produce a style guide for the company (I
am not sure how this should look myself). Every manual ought to present
information in a logical order. Beyond that, write simply, in the active
voice wherever possible, and get the company to accept a term and stick
with it. I haven't used any style manuals, though I admit it's a good idea.
Anyone have comments on term standardization within the industry?
-Debbie Smith
(Account chaning from being Patrick Morgan's to mine)
