RE: Writing conventions

Subject: RE: Writing conventions
From: Jim Shaeffer <jims -at- spsi -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 13:58:45 -0400

When our sentences get complex, we should stop thinking
about sentences. We should try to think in terms of:

Diagrams
Illustrations
Tables
Lists.

(Not that I am so great at following my own advice.)

In defense of the "rule of 7":
The original quote from the style guide called it a "rule of
thumb", not a "rule." I'd say, if the number of

items in a list,
rows in a table,
steps in a procedure
or bullet points on a slide

grows above 7 (plus or minus 2), take a closer look.

In my work, I can usually find logical "break points" for
sub-headings, at least. If I can't find those "break
points", at least I know I've tried for simplicity. I
don't argue that this application of the rule has deep
psychological significance. It's just a convenient check
that I'm not trying to jam in too much content at once.

Jim Shaeffer (jims -at- spsi -dot- com)

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