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: Conventions pages (WAS: Pros and Cons....) From:"Banttari, Ananda" <ABanttari -at- SDSI -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 28 May 1998 16:56:42 -0500
S. says:
> Waste of paper. Provides no useful information. The only useful
> convention-type info I've seen is how to read syntax stuff, like
> [stuff
> in brackets is optional], and also what language programming examples
> are written in. Otherwise, stuff like "key names are presented in
> all-caps bold" is self-evident.
>
We didn't have a conventions page until our sales force asked for it.
The trick is to actually include information that can be useful even if
it isn't strictly necessary. I used a conventions page to let readers
know
that we took the screen shots from our Windows products, and that
our UNIX products will look slightly different but work the same. (There
are other bits of useful information there two; email me if you'd like
more details.)
Also consider that what you think is obvious may not be obvious to a
reader in another country, a neophyte user, or a reader whose first
language is not English....
--Ananda Banttari
Technical Writer, SDS
Ananda_Banttari -at- sdsi -dot- com
