Examining documentation and help systems since 2002
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Gordon R. Meyer
Copyright 2002-2012
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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Write minimally
Ben Kaufmann makes an appropriately cogent argument for the principles of minimalism. Some of the points I most enjoyed:
"[Overwritten documentation takes longer to read and search through.] [...] remember, customers spend their bucks on the product, not the documentation, and any time spent reading documentation is is time spent not using the product."
He has a wonderful excerpt from Faulkner, followed immediately by an excellent observation. I won't spoil it, read the article and you'll know it when you see it. I did exactly as he said I might.
The article includes my new favorite quote from William Strunk, Jr. "A common way to fall into wordiness is to present a single complex idea, step by step [...]". (See also Avoiding the Endless March.)
Download the PDF courtesy Gary Conroy's Technical Writing site.Posted: May 1, 2003 link to this item, respond to this item