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.
Subject:Re: Fonts for Online documents From:Mike Bygrave <bygravem -at- INTUITIVE -dot- CO -dot- UK> Date:Tue, 18 Jun 1996 13:37:39 +-100
>First, do you not agree that Microsoft is the largest, and most
successful
>software manufacturer in the world?
-yes
>Next, would you not agree that Microsoft would not release a major
software
>interface, such as Windows without a great deal of study and testing?
-no, the design was based more upon their attempts to play catch-up with
Apple (in which they failed).
>Finally, based on Microsoft's studies and testing would you not agree
that if
>we follow Microsoft's standards for GUI environments and documentation,
such as
>Windows Help, we will be in synergy with the GUI requirements and user
needs?
-it wasn't necessarily 'Microsoft's studies and testing...". Apple were
the 'main' company to develop the GUI environment (well before Microsoft),
and I think you'll find that their system evolved rather than being
actively designed. I very much doubt that, when selecting their system
font, Apple spent a fortune on readability studies - I think they picked
the one which they liked at the time, or the one which one of them happened
to be using.
In summary: IMHO the Microsoft example is of little use in this area - on
what authority do Microsoft decide upon readability? As somebody
mentioned, there have been a huge number of studies into this area, and the
result has been that no definite conclusion can be drawn. In the main I
think that the alternating popularity of serif and sans serif fonts comes
from trend and fashion, i.e. it's trendy to use a serif font so everyone
does so, which means that it then becomes trendy to use a sans serif font.
As for copying the Microsoft style for everything associated with PCs, what
happened to individuality? Who (apart from Bill) could possibly want
everything to look like Microsoft - I can think of few things more
depressing! Microsoft's stranglehold on this industry is tight enough,
without us all rushing up to help them tighten it.
There, I feel much less stressed now!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Mike Bygrave (bygravem -at- intuitive -dot- co -dot- uk)
"1966 was a great year for English football - Cantona was born."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Post Message: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Get Commands: LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU with "help" in body.
Unsubscribe: LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU with "signoff TECHWR-L"
Listowner: ejray -at- ionet -dot- net
