A tech editor seeks advice on which style guide to adopt

Subject: A tech editor seeks advice on which style guide to adopt
From: praneeta p <praneeta_paradkar -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:59:56 +0530 (IST)

Hi All,
 
Recently, in one of our doc team meetings, my manager asked me to come to a formal decision on which style guide we should adopt as the bible for our team. And as it goes with managers, I have to justify my decision.
 
So far, the writers have been using MSTP (Microsoft Style for Technical Publications) for two reasons:
 
1. It is easily available.
2. and free.
 
I rather like Sun's Read Me First. The rationale appeals to me. The recommendations in their sound like recommendations and are less dictatorial than the MSTP.
 
I would like to know which style guide would be best for web-based applications?
 
Is MSTP really only for Windows-based apps or can it be adopted for web-based apps too?
 
Which style guide (Sun's or MSTP) is likely to be adopted easily by the writers? That is not to say that I will take the path of least resistance if one or the other wins in merit versus ease of adoption.
 
Kindly advise.

Best always,
 
Praneeta Paradkar

 


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