Style guides

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 As an editor, I look on style guides from a moderately
 unorthodox viewpoint. If I have to use one religiously
 (e.g., to submit manuscripts to certain journals or
 publishers), I'll do so... and if the guide is as screwy
 and unnecessarily complex as the APA style guide, I'll
 wince and complain the whole time.

 If not, I treat the style guide as a list of rules of thumb
 that explain how we've done things in the past, and an
 explanation of time-tested solutions to recurring problems.
 For example, I learned many of my editing skills by reading
 the Chicago Manual of Style from cover to cover and taking
 the time to understand _why_ each recommendation was
 presented; this took a long time, but now I don't have to
 constantly flip to the guide every time a style problem
 comes up because I can think the problem through the way
 Chicago would.

 I don't treat a style guide as a bible, since there are
 exceptions to every rule. If you want to use an extreme
 example, most style guides contain a list of preferred
 spellings; so do dictionaries, as it happens, and I prefer
 to use a good dictionary to guide my spelling. IMHO, the
 best way to consider a style guide is to remember the
 "guide" part: we're not talking about a style "rulebook",
 but rather a guide to help you be consistent and effective
 in your communication.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

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