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Subject:Capitalization detracting from tech comm? From:Jim Grey <jimgrey -at- IQUEST -dot- NET> Date:Sat, 20 Apr 1996 18:49:00 EST
David (The Man) Blyth asked:
>Question. When does capitalization (or lack thereof)
> detract from technical communication?
While I was editing computer books, I had lots of opportunities to think
about that very question. One book I edited mentioned CorelDRAW! a lot. I
chose to discard the exclamation point, because its frequent appearance
distracted the reader. On the other hand, CorelDRAW, I decided, was not a
distraction. I should have fought harder with the lead editor of PROCOMM
PLUS 2 For Windows For Dummies to write PROCOMM PLUS in mixed case. As you
can imagine, the product name appeared a lot in the book. I feel that
PROCOMM PLUS shouting at you throughout the book is a distraction. (And
yes, that's how the makers of PROCOMM PLUS prefer to write that product
name. Ugh!) And apologies to the folks at Mustang Software, but in one
book I mandated that Wildcat! (italicized) be reduced to Wildcat (no itals,
cut the bang).
All of these companies are trying to create logos out of their product
names. I respect what they're trying to do. Unfortunately, their logos
conflicted with readers' undistracted reading.
Peace,
jim
--
jim grey |beebeebumbleandthestingersmottthehoopleraycharlessingers
jimgrey -at- iquest -dot- net|lonniemackandtwangin'eddiehere'smyringwe'regoingsteadyta
|http://www.iquest.net/~jimgrey/
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