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: Using ragged right in technical publications From:Chuck Martin <cmartin -at- SEEKERSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:23:33 -0700
At 07:40 AM 9/16/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Mike Dannenberg calls foul on a specious justification:
>======================
>
>> Beth Agnew schrieb:
>>
>> > A study done at a company I used to work for (CAL Technologies Ltd.)
>> > found
>> > that ragged right was easier to read over right justified text
>> because
>> > it
>> > provided a "relief" factor for large blocks of text with complicated
>> > content. This was especially true for people who were not employed
>> in
>> > very
>> > technical roles. It was also found that people who were continually
>> > immersed in technology, such as developers and engineers, felt more
>> > comfortable with justified and structured text when the content was
>> > more
>> > touchy-feely. This gave them a security factor when they had to deal
>> > with
>> > "wild" content. Technical "types" also preferred justified text for
>> > *any*
>> > type of documentation.
>>
>> I'm sorry, but this sounds like the worst piece of pop-psychology I've
>> heard in quite a while. Like, yeah I'm an engineer, I get really
>> scared
>> when I read something that's not about maths or computers, so at least
>> it should look real technical... Give me a break!
>=====================
>
>My understanding (and I gleaned this from someone a few years ago) is
>that the irregular spacing between words in justified text creates a
>readability issue, causing readers' eyes to move inconsistently along
>the line they're reading. Unfortunately, I have no documentation
>supporting this claim.
>
>Bill Burns
>Technical Writer
>ILE Communications Group
>billdb -at- ile -dot- com
>
Readers' eyes don't move smoothly anyway. Watch someone who is reading.
You'll see their eyes jump across the page, taking in blocks of text each
jump.
I fought this battle at a previous company and lost, despite reference
books and messages on this list that documented the higher usability of
ragged-right text.
--
"You don't look American"
"Everyone looks American, because Americans are from everywhere"
- Doonesbury
Chuck Martin
Technical Writer, Seeker Software, Inc | Personal
cmartin -at- seekersoft -dot- com | writer -at- grin -dot- net
www.seekersoft.com | www.grin.net/~writer
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
