Standard English vs "industry standard"

[Julie Bruce <jbruce -at- CYBERLOG -dot- NET>]

I edit a document and return it to the SME in
charge of it.  My edits include such things as
proper sentence structure and syntax, spelling out
acronyms on first use, standardizing units of
measurement (dB for decibel rather than Db).  He
returns it to me with some of the corrections
returned to their former status, and with new
non-standard entries,

To date, I have only had this problem once.  Usually my problem is getting
them to read it in the first place.  Most of them aren't interested and
when they do, it is a quick once over.  I did run into this problem once
with a Software Engineer.  I corrected a manual that he had written before
I got here and I received it back with my corrections changed back to the
way that they had been before.  I wrote a well thought out explanation for
each of my changes, recorrected the document and gave it back to him.  He
took offense and quoted the standards thing.  When it all came down to it I
simply explained to him that it was my name that was going to be associated
with the document, not his.  If he wanted it done his way he could write
the document himself and make sure that the world knew that it was NOT my
document.  Fortunately, my manager supported me.  In the end, I won.  He
definitely did not want to write the manuals!

P.S.  Most of our argument was as to whether or not you put a comma before
the and in a list.  Example

     The couch, love seat, rug, and chair          versus         The
couch, love seat, rug and chair.

P.P.S.  I hope this does not start another grammer argument!  Whatever
method you choose to use for your commas is up to you.  Like I said: it's
your name on the manual, not mine or vice versa:  It's my name on the
manual, not yours!


 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=