Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry (2nd Edition)

The FrameViewer CD that accompanied the book caused considerable problems once loaded on my PC. Only after 3 long distance phone calls, taking better than 2 hours out of my day waiting on hold, being transferred, etc. did I find out who, exactly, was responsible for the software!

From what I saw (and what the techs at Adobe could determine) there is no way to uninstall this software! Buyer beware!

I had to work with Adobe Tech Support to at least get my other programs working reliably again! A very hard lesson learned, indeed! If you intend to use the FrameViewer software, take heed of these problems!


Super Reference Book, with one small flaw!   April 28, 2000
 54 out of 54 found this review helpful

I can't say enough good things about the information presented in this book - it has become a primary reference for me in all of my technical writing. I also use the Mcrosoft Sytle guide in conjunction with this book and find that the two balance each other very well. The one flaw with this book is -- as noted by another reviewer -- the CD. Frame Viewer is a product from the original authors of FrameMaker and, quite frankly, it's old! Also -- and this is most significant -- the files are .doc files, created with an older version of Frame. I found the best solution was to copy the .doc files into a separate folder, then open them directly with FM 5.5.6. The automatic conversion is performed and you can then save them as .fm files and even generate a pdf for personal ease-of-use.


Super Reference Book for Creating a Company Writing Style   December 10, 2000
 24 out of 24 found this review helpful

This is an excellent book to read if you are in the position of having to create any kind of writing style guides for the company you work for. The book's sections include one on writing style itself and why it is important, working with an editor, working wit illustrations, writing for an international audience, legal guidelines, the "mechanics of writing," creating an index, among others. The book makes some good points and provides an informative reference for writing style questions.

Two small points against it. The CD is difficult at times to use and the Recommended Reading section lists some books that are out of print. Time for an update perhaps?

However, it's still an excellent book to have when having to make decisions about your own company's writing style. When I had to write a Writing Style Guide as a class assignment, this book was one of the ones I used as a reference.


Excellent source for developing a concise style guide.   October 19, 1999
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

There's a lot of great information in this book. When you're starting from nothing to develop a style guide, it's a great resource. So much of what we do when creating technical documentation is done as a matter of practice. Getting the structure down and having this book to jog our memory was fantastic.

One improvement would be to include a section on layout and design.

I liked the formulas for calculating hours found under Recommended Reading. Good information about developing a publications department, too. Nice overview for constructing a document plan.

This is definately a book for people who do not have an established publication/documentation department. There's lots of great information found in the 256 pages.


Excellent guidelines for indexing technical manuals.   January 28, 1997
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

This review will focus only on Chapter 9, Indexing.In my previous life, I was a technical writer. For the past 6 years, I have been a freelance professional indexer, dividing my time between indexing computer books and delivering indexing workshops for technical writers. I am delighted to see a book for technical writers that contains such excellent guidelines for indexing technical manuals. As the introduction to Chapter 9 alludes, indexes enhance product usability. In addition to affecting customers' perceptions of the product, indexes affect customers' perceptions of the developer's credibility. One of the biggest complaints end users of technical manuals have is the inability to find the information they need. If technical writers apply the guidelines in this Chapter, they will avoid some of the most common indexing pitfalls. Some of the best guidelines help writers develop concise, specific index entries and enhance the index by double-posting entries, using meaningful cross-references, finding the right balance (not over-indexing or under-indexing), and editing the index.