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: Style Guides, Take II From:"Robyn M. Nace" <robyn -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Sat, 19 Dec 1998 18:25:49 -0500
Ah! But the problem is, MS uses Windows 95 terminology to talk about
everything. They redefined "industry" style with the release of 95. So,
a lot of the terms that MS uses don't make sense for other operating
systems. I've written two Style Guides, and I've used portions of the MS
Manual of Style as a basis, but none of their terminology or actions.
So why do people use it? It's easier than writing one's own!
Sharon Burton-Hardin wrote:
> Microsoft owns the world. Nearly every PC ships
> with MS products installed. Even many Macs. Therefore, if your user has read
> a manual or a help, they have read the MS standard for how to talk about the
> things they see and how to interact with them.
>
> IMHO, using the MS style guide is another way for me to help my users to use
> the product. If I thought that drawing pretty pictures in crayons would make
> a difference for my users, I would do that. Using the MS standard to talk
> about that stuff isn't sufficient to make a good manual. It may not even be
> necessary. But it does move in the right direction.
--
-Robyn
"Don't take it personally if you feel left out of the loop.
There is no loop to be left out of."
- me
