Style guides and consistency

Subject: Style guides and consistency
From: geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 12:23:10 -0600

It's worth noting that having a style guide will not, in
itself, result in anything like consistency among writers.
Three big reasons for this: (1) most writers don't bother
examining the style guide (particularly if they know
there's an editor to solve any problems for them), (2) most
writers don't read everyone else's manuscripts to make sure
everyone is writing the same way, and (3) no style guide is
so foolproof that the writers who do use it will all use it
the same way.

In the end, you still need an editor (or someone who
fulfills the editor's role) to check the various
manuscripts over and enforce the consistency.

--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html


Previous by Author: Bidding on translations
Next by Author: Data warehousing
Previous by Thread: Re: Tear Sheets
Next by Thread: New thread: at what point can you justify a F/T editor?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads