Significance of Document Numbering?

[Geoff Hart]

Michael Ronquillo wondered: <<What are your thoughts on document  
numbering? Important? Not so important? What's the value of it?>>

Value? In my MANOVA, I found an F value of 27.3, which is significant  
at P < 0.01. Thus, highly significant. <g>

Seriously? The importance of numbering is as follows: numbers are  
used to denote a sequence or things that must be counted or measured.  
If your document numbering challenge relates to either of these  
purposes, then numbering is important because it supports both  
purposes. If not, it's of questionable utility.

There's an obvious exception that fits neither criterion: Where  
numbering follows an established convention, as in technical  
specifications, legislation, and other specialized areas, then it's  
not important whether the numbering is actually effective or more  
effective than alternatives (often, it's not); the more important  
point is the audience's familiarity with the numbering system. Since  
it's tax time, most of us are familiar with this in the context of  
discussing the numbers of the various tax forms (e.g., 1040, 1099)  
and the line numbers on each form: both are inherently meaningless to  
us until we memorize their meanings, but they speak volumes to  
accountants and IRS bureaucrats.


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-- Geoff Hart
ghart at videotron.ca / geoffhart at mac.com
www.geoff-hart.com
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