TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> re: I fail to see how say "2.3. Using the Interface" is better
> than simply writing "Using the Interface".
I'd like to wade in on this..
it isn't an issue of "numbering good" or "numbering bad" as much as
"numbering when".
In a simple (to quote the Supreme Court Justice "I know it when I see
it") document, numbering doesn't make sense.
However, in a really complex document (200-300 pages) where a section
may be many multiple pages, by numbering sections, you give an
indication of the where you are in the section and where you are in
the document. For example...since I don't usualy read a document from
front to back, but most times, come into a document at some point, if
I see the section number 4.3.2 and 4.3.3, I have a hint on where I am
in relation to everything else.
In addition, in that complex document, numbering tends to group
numbered sections so I can tell without reading each one that for
example, these 4 sections (4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4) are similar
stuff and if one of them doesn't have anything to do with what I
need, then probaably, all four sections don't.
In the example given:
>...I fail to see how say 2.3. Using the Interface" is better than
simply writing "Using the Interface<
If I happen to come into this document at this point and there are no
numbers, I take this section on its own. I say "OK, this is how to
use the interface." That's good, but only as far as it goes.
OTOH, I see it is 2.3, I now know that there is at least a 2.1 and a
2.2. My guess is that those sections cover matters that are similar
to the topic in front of me. Maybe 2.1 Using the Documentation and
2.2 Using the Database. Or, 2.1 Changing the Interface and 2.2
Creating a New Interface.
What I DO know, assuming the writer has half a brain in organization,
is that there are other sections on Using "Something" or "Something"
the Interface and if I care about either "using", or "interface", I
might care about the others, at least long enough for me to scan the
other headers.
Its hard to explaain...from my standpoint, it gives the documment
(for lask of a better wword), a dimension.
I'm working on my first coffee of the day...does any of this make
sense?
A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
+++ Miramo -- Database/XML publishing automation. See us at +++
+++ Seybold SFO, Sept. 25-27, in the Adobe Partners Pavilion +++
+++ More info: http://www.axialinfo.comhttp://www.miramo.com +++
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
