Re: Punctuation tips (not that you need them!)

["Sonja Waller (SWUS)" <Sonja -dot- Waller -at- SMALLWORLD-US -dot- COM>]

I would need to research that question, but I believe we have more
commonalties in style, regardless of the industry, than we think. I still
believe that life is easier when a writer can refer to a good stylebook.

Stylebooks are not simply for spelling and punctuation. I refer to it for
many reasons. Here's the TOC of my preferred stylebook: understanding style,
working with an editor, working with illustrations, writing for an
international audience, legal guidelines, mechanics of writing, technical
abbreviations, acronyms, and units of measurement, constricting text,
indexing, recommended reading, developing a publications department,
checklists and forms. As you can see, it covers a broad spectrum of topics.
I find it hard to believe a writer would not benefit from the information.

I certainly am not wanting to fight with anyone, and I am not being
critical. I am simply asking for standardization.

Sonja Waller
Sr. Technical Writer
Smallworld Systems, Inc.
Communications Business Unit

TEL: 303.268-6163
FAX: 303.779-9945

Email:
sonja -dot- waller -at- smallworld-us -dot- com


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Gembey [mailto:bob -at- SUPERNOVA -dot- NL]
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 1999 4:49 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Re: Punctuation tips (not that you need them!)


1.  Would it be possible to create a style guide that would be appropriate
for, say, both the instruction manual for computer software and for a VCR?

2.  If the purpose of a style guide is to cover spelling and punctuation,
I'm not interested.  I have a dictionary and a grammar book.  I suspect a
style guide will cover other issues, which may differ both across national
and industry boundaries.

3.  To paraphrase that old chestnut, 260 million Americans can't be wrong.
 Then again, neither can 60 million British.  Maybe it's not about right or
wrong.  After all, wasn't it that American singer Tina Turner, who sang the
text written by that British singer Lulu, "I don't care who's wrong or
right, I don't want to fight no more"
(did an Englishwoman really write "fight _no_ more"?).

4.   My European readership, BTW, prefers American style -- that's what
they've told me.

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