Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Third Edition, 3rd Edition

Description

• Copyright 2010
• Dimensions: 7-1/2" x 9"
• Pages: 464
• Edition: 3rd

• Book
• ISBN-10: 0-13-705826-8
• ISBN-13: 978-0-13-705826-6

The definitive reference for technical writers, editors, and documentation managers, Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Third Edition,has been revised and updated to cover everything from creating screencasts and referencing web sites to writing for wikis.

This award-winning guide to creating clear, consistent, and easy-to-understand documentation covers everything from grammar and writing style to typographic and legal guidelines. The authors, who are senior editors and writers at Sun Microsystems, share their extensive experience and provide practical tips and recommendations, including guidance on hiring writers, working with illustrators, managing schedules and workflow, and more.

The third edition of Read Me First features new chapters on:

• Writing for wikis and encouraging wiki collaboration
• Creating screencasts, using screencast terminology, and guidelines for writing narration
• Creating alternative text for nontext elements such as screen captures, multimedia content, illustrations, and diagrams

It also includes new tables for symbol name conventions, for common anthropomorphisms, and for common idioms and colloquialisms. An updated and expanded recommended reading list suggests additional resources.

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Sample Content

Table of Contents

Preface        21

Chapter 1: Mechanics of Writing         25
Capitalization      25
Contractions        29
Gerunds and Participles      29
Numbers and Numerals      31
Pronouns      34
Technical Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Units of Measurement      35
Punctuation      39

Chapter 2: Constructing Text             57
Headings        58
Lists        62
Tables       70
Code Examples       75
Error Messages       76
Cross-References       77
Endnotes, Footnotes, and Bibliographies        79
Notes, Cautions, and Tips       82
Key Name Conventions      84
Symbol Name Conventions       87

Chapter 3: Writing Style             89
Why Is Style Important?       89
Stylistic Principles       90
Some Basic Elements of Style       90
Construct Scannable Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists       95
Write for the Reader       99
Avoid Style That Could Offend the Reader       102
Common Writing Problems to Avoid       105

Chapter 4: Structuring Information          113
Organization Schemes       113
Writing Short, Self-Contained Sections      118

Chapter 5: Online Writing Style         121
About These Guidelines      121
Solving Online Writing Problems       122
Creating an Effective Online Document Structure      122
Writing Online Topics       124
Constructing Scannable Text in Online Documents      124
Preserving Context in Online Documents        125

Chapter 6: Constructing Links           127
About These Guidelines       127
Where to Place Links         128
General Linking Strategies         129
Guidelines for Crafting Link Text       135

Chapter 7: Writing Tasks, Procedures, and Steps            139
Understanding the Relationship Among Tasks, Procedures, and Steps      139
Developing Task Information        140
Writing Procedures       149
Writing Steps       153
Checking for Structural Problems       162

Chapter 8: Writing for an International Audience             165
Guidelines for Writing for Translation      166
Cultural and Geographic Sensitivity       166
Definitions and Word Choice  &nb

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