TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
..or, as Forrest Gump would say, "Grammar is as grammar does."
As I see it, my job is not to police the language for incorrect usage,
bad grammar, or jargon. My job is to inject knowledge into a users
brain. Your mileage may vary, of course, and I respect and defend your
right to that <joke>incorrect</joke> opinion.
So, while "Select File | Save as" may not be entirely grammatical
(unless the programmers and UNIX gurus of the world have successfully
lobbied the Guardians of the Language to include the pipe character in
the English lexicon), if my users understand and like seeing their
instructions written that way, so be it!
That being said, when I see a typo in a technical publication, I tend to
dance naked in my cubicle while expounding, to all within earshot, my
mental, moral, and physical superiority over the poor slob who wrote it.
That is, until I notice the typos in the manual I just sent out the
door.
