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Re: Does a Professional Tech Writer need to follow the Chicago nual of Style?
Subject:Re: Does a Professional Tech Writer need to follow the Chicago nual of Style? From:"Murrell, Thomas" <TMurrell -at- ALLDATA -dot- NET> Date:Mon, 23 Aug 1999 08:20:43 -0400
I'll have more to say on this thread later, but at the moment I want to
address a comment Mary Paliotta made:
>Wouldn't everyone agree that applying rules which allow the author to be
>precise (and eliminate various possibilities) with the meaning of the text
>is the most important priority? And then after that question has been
>addressed, on a secondary level, make style decisions based on consistency
>etc. so that the text reads much more easily and clearer for your audience?
>
>For me, I would say there is no question about this.
Yes, Mary, I think we would all agree that the rules we use should make the
writer's meaning clear to the reader.
Where we disagree is in what rules allow us to do that. Some say Chicago,
others Microsoft, others MLA, etc.
"It is a known fact that one horse is faster than the others in a horse
race. The question always is: 'Which one?'"
Tom Murrell
Senior Technical Writer, Alliance Data Systems, Inc.
CAD4A - (614)729-4364
Fax: (614)729-4499 mailto:tmurrell -at- alldata -dot- net
