Just a quick straw poll:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
Me, I can't remember. I think I *have*, but it would have been years ago.
- d.
About four months ago, to check what the current rule was about image placement at the beginning of a subsection (before or after the header).
On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 6:23 PM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Just a quick straw poll:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
Me, I can't remember. I think I *have*, but it would have been years ago.
- d.
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
Just a quick straw poll:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
Me, I can't remember. I think I *have*, but it would have been years ago.
- d.
I have no need to. The Manual of Style should reflect best practices. I would only consult it if it needed correction.
Fred
I would rarely consult the MOS since it simply documents "common sense" and common practice (as a rule)
I discovered recently that there is no MOS for category pages so I had a stab at starting one. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Categories
Alan
On 31/03/2012 7:23 a.m., David Gerard wrote:
Just a quick straw poll:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
Me, I can't remember. I think I *have*, but it would have been years ago.
- d.
_
On Sat, Mar 31, 2012 at 5:23 AM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
What's wrong with that? That's how most rulebooks work - people internalise the rules, and only consult the written form when two people's understanding of the rule differs.
The reverse case would be worse: if you were frequently consulting the MoS before making changes, it would imply that the rules were arbitrary, hard to remember, and lacked internal logic and consistency.
Steve
On 1 April 2012 01:11, Steve Bennett stevagewp@gmail.com wrote:
On Sat, Mar 31, 2012 at 5:23 AM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
What's wrong with that? That's how most rulebooks work - people internalise the rules, and only consult the written form when two people's understanding of the rule differs.
So what's your answer to the question?
- d.
Oops, your question wasn't rhetorical? :-) I haven't consulted it in years, but nor have I ever really used it to beat people over the head with.
Steve On Apr 1, 2012 5:44 PM, "David Gerard" dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
On 1 April 2012 01:11, Steve Bennett stevagewp@gmail.com wrote:
On Sat, Mar 31, 2012 at 5:23 AM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
What's wrong with that? That's how most rulebooks work - people internalise the rules, and only consult the written form when two people's understanding of the rule differs.
So what's your answer to the question?
- d.
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I probably consult it every couple of weeks. Usually to check some change hasn't been sneaked in, or for something that isn't covered. Or because someone has told me I'm wrong.
It is a shame that it is such a battleground sometimes. But it's also a shame that the basics aren't obvious to more people - i.e. favour readability over almost everything except accuracy.
On 30/03/2012 19:23, David Gerard wrote:
Just a quick straw poll:
When was the last time you looked at the Wikipedia Manual of Style for use in your own writing? And not to tell someone else they were wrong about something.
Me, I can't remember. I think I *have*, but it would have been years ago.
- d.
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