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.
On Tue, 2005-20-09 at 17:02 -0400, Art Campbell wrote:
> It may very well be a myth, but one that seems to be supported by many
> academic studies and empirical research. Google "legibility of fonts research"
> and have at it.
The older I get, the more I'm inclined to question anything that
"everybody knows." The fact that academic studies and empirical research
support the idea means very little, because few, if any of them, have
been conducted by professional typographers who would know how to
organize a meaningful study. Their results are only slightly more
meaningful than a team of researchers announcing that a psychic must
have genuine powers. Without a magician on the team who works with
similar tricks, the conclusion is unconvincing.
It's true that the on-line use of sans serif is a guideline for design.
But the idea is a myth in the sense that it may not be true in any
particular case. Several people, including myself, have pointed out the
many factors that can affect whether a font's use is appropriate.
Moreover, slab serifs can also be just as effective as serifs for
on-line use.
Perhaps "myth" is a little strong, but the idea is potentially
misleading.
"Mr Ledbetter won't you tell me again,
What's a Mississippi flush and how's it beat this hand?"
"They don't ask questions in the graveyard,
It's a small revolver and any five cards."
- Ray Wylie Hubbard, "Mississippi Flush"
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help 2005 converts RoboHelp files with one click. Author with Word or any HTML editor. Visit our site to see a conversion demo movie and learn more. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
