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As Stan notes, the MS MoS and a number of style guides permit and endorse
the use of colons preceding stacked lists. I also have to say that one of
the references I cited ("Handbook of Technical Writing") also indicates that
this is permissible when a fragment precedes a stacked list.
I have to note also that the Gregg reference and the MLA are based on
conventions from the CMoS, and having spent my time in literature studies
(as opposed to engineering or sciences), I was more familiar with these
guidelines. I guess that since writers in the humanities don't employ
stacked lists in formal publications very often, they don't really have a
corner case to justify different usage.
So anyway, my bad. I still follow the CMoS convention, but I won't upbraid
anyone again for the other practice.
Bill Burns - Eccentric Technology Consultant
INT'L.com Design & Development
billdb -at- intl -dot- com
"Being disintegrated makes me very angry."
