Let Monty Python help you build techcomm lists correctly

Monty Python offers a most entertaining reminder about the safest way to introduce bullet lists in their sketch The Spanish Inquisition: Omit the number of elements in the list’s introduction. This allows you to add elements to the list without having a wrong introduction. In the words of Cardinal Ximénez (Michael Palin): NOBODY expects the [...]

Favorite tech writing dogmas

I’m usually wary of dogmas, but some just won’t go away, they assert their eternal truth in uncanny ways. I’ve recently found some new ones, so I now have four five tech writing dogmas: A new tool will not fix broken processes. No matter how cool you are as a software company, don’t build your [...]

Instructions for everything

“If Ikea Made Instructions for Everything” is a brilliant spoof on (almost) wordless IKEA instructions by the folks over at CollegeHumor. This made the rounds a few weeks ago on social networks. If you didn’t catch it then or want to revisit it, check it out now. I especially like the “Hädrönn Cjollidder”…

What’s in a (serial) comma?

An example of a missing serial comma got tweeted my way which was too good to be true: Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. And here’s the guy who was married to both, Kris and Robert…

How to wash George Harrison’s car

This is from 1962 when George Harrison was trying to break into tech writing, playing guitar on the side. He’s not bad for a 19-year old. To wit: He presents the procedure step by step. He uses the imperative for clear instructions – though he lapses into conditional “should”s occasionally. He speaks to his reader’s [...]

Not having way…

“Some people have a way with words….some people….not have way.” — Steve Martin in Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life