Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Another reflection on editorial foolishness
In previous entries, I've complained about technical editors and how they can so blinkered by style guidelines that it stops being funny and borders on the pathetic. Well, it's happened again.
This time around, I had to deal with an editor who is enamoured with "business reasons." He believes that every procedure in a manual must be prefaced with a business reason for performing that procedure. In some cases this makes sense. In others, it's just enormously dumb.
Case in point, a procedure I wrote for starting an application. The editor asked me what the business reason for starting the application was. My reply: "If someone doesn't start the thing, they sure as hell can't use it." End of discussion.
My advice to technical editors is (as it always has been) to remember that style guidelines are just that: guidelines. They're not written in the stones of time, and there are times when the guidelines break down. Be flexible and take off your blinkers once in a while.
This time around, I had to deal with an editor who is enamoured with "business reasons." He believes that every procedure in a manual must be prefaced with a business reason for performing that procedure. In some cases this makes sense. In others, it's just enormously dumb.
Case in point, a procedure I wrote for starting an application. The editor asked me what the business reason for starting the application was. My reply: "If someone doesn't start the thing, they sure as hell can't use it." End of discussion.
My advice to technical editors is (as it always has been) to remember that style guidelines are just that: guidelines. They're not written in the stones of time, and there are times when the guidelines break down. Be flexible and take off your blinkers once in a while.
