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Subject:Microsoft Manual of Style From:Lynette Petendree <Lynette_Petendree -at- INSTINET -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 1 Feb 1999 10:22:37 -0500
Has everyone out there lost there minds!! Does anyone remember when REAL style
guides were used (Chicago Manual of Style, etc.)? I hate to remind everyone,
but the Microsoft Manual of Style is nothing more than a style manual taken from
an in-house technical writing department that was published because that
in-house technical writing department happens to be MICROSOFT!! I have worked
for many software companies that have also had style manuals, as I am sure most
of you have also, and would you really say that the rest of the technical
writing world deserves to read and follow your styles, if they were to be
published? I have seen many really good style manuals (Microsoft's is not one
of them) that are not used industry wide because everyone is so busy running
around with their noses up Bill Gates' butt!!
Use your basic writing instincts folks. Haven't some of us at least studied
this thing called writing? Yes, most of us are writing about computers. This
however does not mean that suddenly the English language and grammar has
changed. All I am saying is that technical writing has been around a lot longer
than Microsoft, and I tend to think it will be around a while after Microsoft,
so try and use some common sense.
Go ahead and flame me, my delete key hasn't had much action lately anyway!!
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 11:08:08 -0500
From: Philomena Hoopes <PHILA -at- MAIL -dot- VIPS -dot- COM>
Subject: Re: Which is correct?
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Stacy, a great arbiter in such debates is the Microsoft Manual of Style for
Technical Publications (ISBN 1-55615-939-0).
