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Subject:Re: Acronyms in section headers From:"Dan S. Azlin" <dazlin -at- SHORE -dot- NET> Date:Sun, 17 Dec 1995 18:00:02 -0500
On Tue, 12 Dec 1995, Grant Lowe wrote:
> Hi gang.
> I'm documenting a fair number of screens and would like your feedback. A lot
> of these screens have acronyms in their titles. For consistency between the
> program and the documentation, I have been leaving the acronym in my section
> headers (so a user can find a
> specific screen more easily), and then spelling out and defining the acronym
> in the first body paragraph. However, somebody brought up that I should
> consider spelling out the acronym in both the header and the body text. Any
> suggestions?
> grant
Remind the kibitzer that the header serves a function other than defining
a term, to wit: The header is a navigational device to allow the reader
to locate the information that he seeks, which should be found under the
header matching the item of his concern. If you are looking for help on
an element of a screen display which happens to use an acronym, then the
header MUST use the same acronym, otherwise the reader is confounded by
your blatant obfustication of his/her visual cues.;)
Dan Azlin ** WORD ENGINEERS, Technical Writing & Publishing **
Ph/Fax: 508-921-8908 18 School Street
Internet: dazlin -at- shore -dot- net Beverly, MA 01915-4851
