LISTBIZ: Consistency in Topic Headings

[Kat Nagel/MasterWork <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>]

Lost the name of the person who wrote this:
>After subscribing to TECHWR-L for several months, it has occurred to me
>that the listing would be much easier to search if everyone adopted some
>standards in the topic headings.


The last time this popped up (a couple of weeks ago) I promised to post the
subject tags from another list, where they are quite helpful.  I posted the
COPYEDITING-L tags and the stumpers-L tags, along with suggestions for
TECHWR-specific additions, on June 21 (after my deadline crunch) but
haven't gotten any responses.  Here they are again:


stumpers-l uses a handy typographical shortcut to indicate queries and answers:

    ?  is the first character in the subject line for a QUESTION

    !  is the first character for a fact-based answer
           (NOTE for TECHWR-L:  this means
            'answers from a specific reference'---
            In our case, a  dictionary or ref. book quote,
            CMS, AP, Fowler, Words Into Type, house style guide, etc.)

    %  is used for opinions and answers based on memory
            or personal experience, not authoritative references


COPYEDITING-L has a set of tags that have been very helpful.  I have edited
them to make them more appropriate for this list, and added a few
TECHWR-specific suggestions as well:

Practical help needed/offered:
    Specific problems:
          USAGE:  usage or grammar issue
          STYLE:  style issue
          ?RW:  Rewrite needed; cry for help that doesn't fit into either
usage or style
          WORK:   work-related issue (process, relationships, etc.)
    Tools:
         SOFT:  software
             (NOTE:  for recommendations or limited discussion only;
             extensive troubleshooting should be handled off-list or referred
             to the appropriate software-specific mailing list or newsgroup)
         BOOKS:  reference book recommendation/discussion
         TOOLS:  writing/editing tool that isn't a book or software
             (actual products, techniques, www sites, mailing lists,
newsgroups, etc.)

Announcements:
         JOB-OP<location>: employment opportunity
         CONF <location>:  conference of professional society meeting
         SURVEY <topic>:  request to participate
          (NOTE:  request, description of topic, and email address or URL only;
           please don't post entire surveys that are more than 2 or 3
questions long.)

General on-topic discussion
         ESSAY:  general thoughts on a techwriting topic
         JOURN:  newspaper- or magazine-writing/editing issue
         TRIVIA: bit of knowledge only a writer/editor would want
         QUERY:  question that doesn't fit a standard subject tag

**** For limited use ****
         ADMIN:  used by listowner for official announcements
         LISTBIZ:  list process discussions like this one <grin>
         CHAT:     discussion loosely related to editing
         HUMOR:  humorous writing/editing chat

Comments, anyone?


@Kat _______________________________ katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
Kat Nagel      MasterWork Consulting Services, Rochester, NY
Technical writing / Document design

"The danger of technology is that it demands to be fed."
Sherry Turkle (cyberpsychologist), in _Life in the screen_

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