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Subject:RE: Numbering the headings. What is the point? From:"Smith, Martin" <smithmr -at- encorp -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 21 Oct 1999 11:07:50 -0600
Earlier in my career I used to write component maintenance manuals used to
maintain components of civilian and military aircraft. The military people
that I worked around were quite adapt at quoting the section numbers of the
documents that they used regularly, much as some people are able to quote
chapter and verse from scripture. The elaborate numbering system assigned to
military documents allows people to memorize the relevant section numbers
and turn to them immediately. Section numbers are also handy in emergencies,
for example when an airline pilot and the ground crew must consult emergency
landing procedures, or when the cooling pumps fail in a nuclear power
plant... One saves precious seconds knowing that section 3.4.1.3 will always
tell you what to do when component xyz breaks.
