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Subject:Re: GUI names: forms vs. windows From:"Sharon Burton-Hardin" <sharonburton -at- earthlink -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 24 Oct 2000 07:45:37 -0700
We chose the MS style guide in my company for clients that have no style
guide. The reasoning is this:
Since MS owns the world - even Macs come with MS software installed - if
users have ever read help or a user guide, it is probably a MS written one.
Therefore, they are probably used to reading about stuff that is referred to
the way MS does it. If that is what the user is used to, why make them learn
a new way of talking about all that stuff AND how to use this product.
That usually clinches it for a client. Do I agree with the MS standard all
the time? No. Does that matter? No - and I own the place. Decision made and
we have moved on the writing good docs. Since that is the focus of what we
do, we write. If a writer has a problem with the MS style guide, I encourage
them to do what they want when they go home and are writing for themselves.
For me, it is the MS Style Guide.
I rather sound like Andrew Plato here, don't I?
Need more coffee. Have to get favorite dog to vet. She blew her knee out and
is having it completely rebuilt today. Poor animal. She hurts. Then I have
to keep her quiet and still for 2 weeks. How do you keep Australian Cattle
Dogs still?
sharon
Sharon Burton-Hardin
Anthrobytes Consulting
909-369-8590
www.anthrobytes.com
Vice-president, Programs of the Inland Empire chapter of the STC
www.iestc.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Baker" <MBaker -at- TIMELINE -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, 23 October, 2000 2:46 PM
Subject: GUI names: forms vs. windows
|
| We're past the point of
| "who-cares-what-they're-called-so-long-as-the-naming-is-consistent" and
want
| to know WHY you have chosen to call them what you have. Also, we're
| interested in reasons beyond (1) That's the way we've always done things
| 'round here, (2) That's what my boss said to call them, (3) The
| such-and-such style guide says that's what they're called, and (4) The
coin
| toss came up "heads" two out of three times.
|
| Otherwise, we mean this: If you or your group have had complete unilateral
| freedom to call them what you wish, why did you choose what you did?
|
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