LISTBIZ: Consistency in Topic Headings

Subject: LISTBIZ: Consistency in Topic Headings
From: Kat Nagel/MasterWork <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:00:00 -0400

Lost the name of the person who wrote this:
>After subscribing to TECHWR-L for several months, it has occurred to me
>that the listing would be much easier to search if everyone adopted some
>standards in the topic headings.


The last time this popped up (a couple of weeks ago) I promised to post the
subject tags from another list, where they are quite helpful. I posted the
COPYEDITING-L tags and the stumpers-L tags, along with suggestions for
TECHWR-specific additions, on June 21 (after my deadline crunch) but
haven't gotten any responses. Here they are again:


stumpers-l uses a handy typographical shortcut to indicate queries and answers:

? is the first character in the subject line for a QUESTION

! is the first character for a fact-based answer
(NOTE for TECHWR-L: this means
'answers from a specific reference'---
In our case, a dictionary or ref. book quote,
CMS, AP, Fowler, Words Into Type, house style guide, etc.)

% is used for opinions and answers based on memory
or personal experience, not authoritative references


COPYEDITING-L has a set of tags that have been very helpful. I have edited
them to make them more appropriate for this list, and added a few
TECHWR-specific suggestions as well:

Practical help needed/offered:
Specific problems:
USAGE: usage or grammar issue
STYLE: style issue
?RW: Rewrite needed; cry for help that doesn't fit into either
usage or style
WORK: work-related issue (process, relationships, etc.)
Tools:
SOFT: software
(NOTE: for recommendations or limited discussion only;
extensive troubleshooting should be handled off-list or referred
to the appropriate software-specific mailing list or newsgroup)
BOOKS: reference book recommendation/discussion
TOOLS: writing/editing tool that isn't a book or software
(actual products, techniques, www sites, mailing lists,
newsgroups, etc.)

Announcements:
JOB-OP<location>: employment opportunity
CONF <location>: conference of professional society meeting
SURVEY <topic>: request to participate
(NOTE: request, description of topic, and email address or URL only;
please don't post entire surveys that are more than 2 or 3
questions long.)

General on-topic discussion
ESSAY: general thoughts on a techwriting topic
JOURN: newspaper- or magazine-writing/editing issue
TRIVIA: bit of knowledge only a writer/editor would want
QUERY: question that doesn't fit a standard subject tag

**** For limited use ****
ADMIN: used by listowner for official announcements
LISTBIZ: list process discussions like this one <grin>
CHAT: discussion loosely related to editing
HUMOR: humorous writing/editing chat

Comments, anyone?


@Kat _______________________________ katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
Kat Nagel MasterWork Consulting Services, Rochester, NY
Technical writing / Document design

"The danger of technology is that it demands to be fed."
Sherry Turkle (cyberpsychologist), in _Life in the screen_

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