Discusses the current convention of putting only one space between sentences. Outlines reasons why existing reasons for only one space are not valid. (RS)

Argues that most levels-of-editing systems focus on issues important to the technical editor at the expense of the issue most important to author and audience: technical content. Redesigns the lowest level of editing in order to better serve the author in the limited time available to produce a document. (SR)

Discusses grammatical arthritis (an internal buildup of rules that hinders writing flexibility); four new "rules" (concerning "data is,""none are,""hopefully," and the restrictive "which"); attitudes toward English grammar; how to be a helpful editor; and where to learn about grammar. (SR)

Reviews typical software testing activities and then compares those activities to technical editing activities. Shows that by providing quality assurance through content editing, technical editors add value to the information development process and help give users the quality content they deserve. Concludes that product information must go…

Discusses changes in the nature of an editor's work, resulting from computers, contract work, competition with computers, and forced collaboration. (SR)

Discusses problems in a piece of technical writing which is very well written but has extra words and overly long sentences. (SR)

Suggests that technical writing is the most challenging profession in the world and sometimes the most boring. List 35 things that the field knows about technical communication (on such topics as audience, editing, writing style, graphics, and training). Suggests that there may be nothing left to invent in the field of technical communication. (RS)

Suggests that editors resist the common urge to squeeze paragraphs together to save space. Discusses the difference between writing and editing paragraphs, topic sentences, connectives, levels of discourse, what paragraphs do for the writer, how long paragraphs should be, and the flexibility of paragraph structure. (RS)

Discusses briefly the author's frustrations in communicating scientific and technical concepts and communicating with those who write such technical material. (SR)

Makes suggestions for editing technical proposals. Discusses the marketeers, the hierarchy of hype, how to save days, managing story boards, expediting a laborious process, teaching engineers to write, writing incrementally, the art group, and the editing task. Argues that the best proposals come from starting to write early. (SR)

Muses briefly on topics related to workshops attended at the 1993 Conference on College Composition and Communication including stylistics, editing practice, communication versus art, and where technical writing belongs in academia. (SR)

Suggests that editors looking for work can approach companies with some unsolicited editing of the company's own annual report. Suggest what to look for when editing an annual report. (SR)

Describes revision as practiced at a major scientific research and development laboratory. Shows how scientific authors, technical editors, colleague reviewers, and supervisors team up in a collaborative approach in which editors provide substantive revisions early in the collaborative review process. Argues that editors should become involved at…

Argues that the best approach for technical editors is to abandon the language cops' billy club, listen to what the authors want to say, and give those authors friendly expertise, without rigid prescription or blanket condemnation. (SR)

Presents results of a national study in which members of the Society for Technical Communication rated the relevance of 20 selected English-usage principles that were considered to be of limited importance in a previous study involving textbook editors and communication instructors. Shows that all 20 principles were rated as important to…