Re: Style Guides?

[mpriestley -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM]

Don M. Chaffee (dchaffee -at- WORLD -dot- STD -dot- COM) writes:
>Apple Style Guide.  They're the only computer company I've run across that
>has even bothered to write a style guide.  If Microsoft has one, their

IBM has several style guides (for hardcopy, for online, for online
object-oriented (eg for Windows or OS/2)).  I use them and like them (which
is just as well, since I'd have to use them even if I didn't like them :-)

>Write in the present tense, active voice, indicative mood.
>  "The system displays the dialog box"
>  not
>  "The dialog box appears"

An unfortunate example.  I prefer the second to the first, and both are in the
present tense, active voice, and indicative mood (or has my grammar grown
completely rusty?).

I lack the experience to comment on the other parts of the append (never
tried infomapping, don't have a copy of Strunk and White handy (blasphemy!),
and use whatever edition of Webster's is handy without much compunction,
since I infinitely prefer Collins but am stuck with Webster's as the standard).
The indexing experiences strum a sympathetic chord...

Take care and happy writing,

Michael Priestley
mpriestley -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com
Disclaimer: I don't speak on behalf of IBM or any of its subsidiaries.  I
barely speak on behalf of myself.  All opinions subject to change without
notice.