Using Humor Judiciously

Subject: Using Humor Judiciously
From: DAVID IBBETSON <ibbetson -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 18:16:28 -0400

Eric Ray asks:
>I'd be interested in hearing comments from anyone
>about judicious use of humor in documentation
>or books.
(snip)
>I know I'd rather have some humor in a book I
>buy, but wouldn't want it in the "documentation"
>for a product. What do the rest of you think?

I don't mind humour provided it doesn't get in the way. I read text books
and manuals for information. Properly used humour can make the information
more digestible. e.g. memorable examples. I take it that the book is
unlikely to be translated. Translation might require all the humour to be
replaced.

A recent thread concluded that the Brits prefer less humour than the North
Americans. In this respect I'm British.

David Ibbetson

David Ibbetson, Ontario, Canada ibbetson -at- idirect -dot- com

For all a rhetorician's rules'
Teach him but to name his tools.
Hudibras 1.89
Samuel Butler1612-1680
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