Re: About that whacky MS MoS for TPs

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>]

MMdeaton wrote:
> 
> Shauna is correct, the MSTPM is meant as a guide to language used in
> documentation for a Windows environment. Publishing it to the outside world
> was a decision based upon all of the requests from the outside for copies of
> it. I strongly disagree with those of you who say it was done for some evil
> marketing purpose or that those who did it are morons.

I'm not a big Microsoft fan. In fact, depending on the e-mail program,
some of you may be able to see that I'm posting from Linux. Saying I'm
not a big Microsoft fan is like saying that World War II was a bit of a
tiff.

However, I must say that the MSTPM is one of the more useful things to
come out of Redmond (the only other one I can think of offhand is
Verdana, although why it isn't the default screen font, I don't know).
For the most part, it gives thoughtful advice, and takes into
consideration different audiences. Even when it nods, it gives a place
to start thinking and contains suggestions that I won't find anywhere
else. It's not definitive, but, then, what is?

As for the "brand-specific standard," so far as I can see, Microsoft
regularly ignores the MSTPM,so that's not really going on.

Microsoft deserves so much of the bashing that it takes that I think
that when it does something reasonably well, the exception should be
recognized - not out of pity, but because it makes the other criticism
more effective :-)


-- 
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"Fool's luck can only take you so far ... after that you have to get out
and walk."
=Tom Holt, "Olympiad"

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