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Microsoft Manual of Style vs. github.com/MicrosoftDocs/microsoft-style-guide
Subject:Microsoft Manual of Style vs. github.com/MicrosoftDocs/microsoft-style-guide From:Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L Writing <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 16 Aug 2018 09:46:09 -0700
"The Microsoft Writing Style Guide replaces the Microsoft Manual of
Style, a respected source of editorial guidance for the tech community
for more than 20 years."
The late Microsoft Manual of Style was aimed at professional tech
writers and editors. The professional writers and editors who worked
on it were all laid off in July 2016.
The microsoft-style-guide GitHub project is an internal style guide
maintained by and for Microsoft's marketing and engineering
departments. The audience is made clear by comments such as, "Remember
that writing is a skill. If writing isn't a functional role your team
has, consider bringing in expert help." Hey, great editorial guidance
there, thanks.
There were no editors involved in creating it, just developers and a
marketing writer. I see no evidence that they've since hired any
editors to work on it. The formerly well-organized topics are still in
logically random sequence due to machine sorting.
As far as design, Microsoft seems to be using a generic static site
generator. Compare chicagomanualofstyle.org, which is professionally
designed and edited.
You get what you pay for.
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