"the following" or nothing -- what is IM's preference? (was: "Next"or "the following"... )

[Brasel, Russell]

I still don't get the hype about IM.  I know this has been said before,
but to me, it's little more than what I learned in junior high English:
creating an outline.  I can see where a bulleted, simple, morphemic (I
use the term loosely) approach is useful.  For instance, a detailed
procedure checklist looks like it came from an IM rework, but when I
write bulleted (or "chunked"-I still don't like that word) lists, they
are usually embedded in explanatory prose. 

I suppose IM is useful for a company that doesn't want to hire a
Technical Writer, but on the surface, IM looks so simple, I wonder why
anyone would pay for the services.  Better to hire a TW on a contract
basis if you don't want one full-time.

RGBrasel