RE: About that whacky MS MoS for TPs

["Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

Sean Brierley wonders <<... About that whacky MS MoS for TPs>>

That'd be the "Microsoft Manual of Style for technical publications"? I've
heard so many bad things about this guide that I can't recommend it to
anyone who isn't already an accomplished editor and thus able to overrule
the book as required. In fact, I have only one thing to add to the
discussion about the guide itself: it's a ***GUIDE***, not a book of
physical, holy, or other law. Use it to _guide_ your decisions; don't adhere
to it slavishly where it makes no sense whatsoever in your particular
context.

FWIW, I've yet to find a style guide I didn't disagree with at least in some
parts, and yet to be unable to find another style guide that supported my
particular prejudices against the current style guide. (Sorry, Janice! <g>)
Heck, nobody's perfect--not even me, as I've frequently proven right here on
techwr-l. <g> As to specific recommendations:

<<Why capitalize the 'H' in online Help? Really, what, is it a proper
noun?>>

It's not inherently a proper noun. However, Microsoft is assuming that
"Help" is short for WinHelp, which _is_ a proper noun and probably
trademarked too. This is one of the most common critiques of the MS guide:
they redefine the English language, defying both common sense and accepted
usage, to fit their own unsupported prejudices. One of my favorite lines in
Babylon 5: "Arrogance and ignorance in a single package. How convenient!"

<<Why capitalize the 'T's in ToolTip?>>

Think "T" as in "Trademark". Remember the song "We are the world"? That's
the unofficial Microsoft anthem. Or think "B as in Borg: resistance (and
common sense) is futile."

<<What is wrong with 'grayed-out.' Dimmed? What's dimmed? The lightbulb of
the genius who decided not to use 'grayed-out,' which is a term everybody
understands. "Dimmed,' indeed.>>

One of the better examples of personal opinion overcoming common sense. I'd
strongly recommend not using "dimmed". Ditto for their advice on the verb
"edit"; a classic example of thinking you know better than every dictionary
and every speaker of English currently in existence.

<<I would like to institute local overrides on these as part of a corporate
style guide, but am outnumbered by those who want to stick religiously to
the MoSfTPs. And, it's not really such a big deal for me. It's not worth a
battle. But, I am curious to know how these maroons came up with such
garbage.>>

It's a battle well worth fighting, so make it a big deal. Point out to those
of your colleagues who insist on Microsoft uber alles that Microsoft is not
in the business of dictating usage trends, and that where their
recommendations overrule those of really good books on word usage (the
American Heritage Dictionary, for instance), Microsoft loses. Speaking as a
professional editor, here...

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
"User's advocate" online monthly at
www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/usersadvocate.html

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words;
on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them
unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."-- James D. Nicoll

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