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Re: spelled-out numbers vs. numerals for numbers < 10 online
Subject:Re: spelled-out numbers vs. numerals for numbers < 10 online From:"LaTorra, Michael" <MLaTorra -at- SCGROUPINC -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 29 Jan 1998 08:23:03 -0700
Chuck Martin wrote:
>So I'm wondering if it might be a better design and usability decision
>for solely online documents to use numerals at pretty much all times.
>Comments? Thoughts? Mandates?
As others on this list have noted, the prescriptive writing manuals
differ on
this question. A majority, however, say that in technical and scientific
writing
it is preferable to use numerals. Among the reasons for this are that
the
number of characters in a numeral are smaller in most cases (12 versus
twelve, for example) and so faster for the brain to interpret. In the
case of
very large numbers, exponents or scientific notation are used (such as
10^9
-- meaning 10 to the 9th power -- to represent one billion).
The exception to the rule is the number one, which is spelled out in
order
to avoid confusion with the letters I or l (that's "eye" or "el" -- see
how confusing
that is?).
For examples of these usages in print, see Science magazine and similar
publications.
Michael LaTorra
Technical Writer
SCGroup Incorporated
7777 Market Center Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79912-8412
USA
Tel: 915-877-3900
Fax: 915-877-7296
E-Mail: MLATORRA -at- SCGROUPINC -dot- COM
