discuss: Style Guide
Subject:
Re: Style Guide
From:
Randy Kramer ####@####.####
Date:
5 Jul 2001 17:27:09 -0000
Message-Id: <3B44A1B9.15DD@fast.net>
Joy E Yokley wrote:
> A possible plan of action:
>
> * Develop a pared down version of the style guide that focuses more on the
> concrete instances of style, grammar, and usage. This document should be
> user-friendly for the non-technical writer. Focus more on the fundamentals
> of how readers understand documents--focus less on some of the smaller
> details of technical communication (a beginning of this is in the LDP
> Reviewer's Guide). Example: We don't have to eradicate contractions, but
> we do need to standardize how and when we use terms. We don't need to
> alleviate personal experience, but we do need to make comments relevant to
> the procedure.
> * Make the document public for writers to consult. We have it there as a
> reference; we suggest they use it; we don't shove it at them.
> * Use the Style guide as a reference when editing new documents that come
> into the site. (This places the responsibilty for the document on the
> reviewer, but with the style guide being pared down, this should be
> manageable. We don't have to make it into a corporate document, but we can
> make it more usable and easier to understand.)
> * When there appear to be areas of the style guide that need updating--we
> update the guide. We make the style guide a living document instead of a
> dead set of standardized rules.
Sounds good to me, and very appropriate!
On a related but slightly different topic, I would have liked to see
more examples in the section with the grammar rules -- some of them
would benefit from an example. (Just went to look for the ones where I
had problems -- don't notice them now except I need a definition of
appositive.) I think if the guide goes to the trouble of listing the
rules of grammar to be followed, it should make an effort to make them
understandable to the anticipated audience, which is not only english
majors.
Other comments on the document:
-The rules say "Do not use apostrophes to denote contractions", and I
should probably recognize that the overriding rule is don't use
contractions, but the rule is confusing. If you do break the rule and
use a contraction, do you write "dont" or "don't" or what?
-The section "Top 10 Topics to Watch Out For" contains a mixture of good
and bad characteristics. Sometimes it is not clear to me which is
which, for example, in "Topics described in sequential paragraphs rather
than in tables", which is preferred, paragraphs or tables? (Aside: Does
"Top 10 Topics to Watch Out For" satisfy all the rules of grammar?)
regards,
Randy Kramer
