RE: Labels on forms: Abbreviate or use symbols?

["Al Geist" <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>]

To follow what Leonard was saying....the number sign "#" we all use is
really called an "octothorpe." However, it's a lot easier to say "number
sign," unless you're deep in the middle of a trivia game and you're
loosing....

Al Geist
Technical Communicator, Help, Web Design, Video, Photography
Office/Msg: 802-872-9190
Cell: 802-578-3964
E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
Website: www.geistassociates.com
See Also:
Fine Art Photography
Website: www.geistarts.com
 
"...I walked to work, quit my job, and kept walking. Better to be a pilgrim
without a destination, I figured, than to cross the wrong threshold each
day." (Sy Safransky)

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Leonard C. Porrello
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:09 AM
To: Cheryl Magadieu; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Labels on forms: Abbreviate or use symbols?

On one hand, I don't like it as what you (and most Americans) are calling a
"pound sign" is known as a "hash sign" ("hash symbol," etc.) to the rest of
the world. It is unlike symbols such as the ampersand (which is synonymous
with "and"). It also isn't pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, # is
widely recognized to mean "number."

Leonard

BTW, here is an actual "pound sign": £.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and 
produce desktop, Web, or print deliverables. Just write (or import) 
and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com

Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
http://www.ModernAnalyst.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info. 

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat