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Product Description
Product Description
Maximize the impact and precision of your message! Now in its fourth edition, the Microsoft Manual of Style provides essential guidance to content creators, journalists, technical writers, editors, and everyone else who writes about computer technology. Direct from the Editorial Style Board at Microsoft-you get a comprehensive glossary of both general technology terms and those specific to Microsoft; clear, concise usage and style guidelines with helpful examples and alternatives; guidance on grammar, tone, and voice; and best practices for writing content for the web, optimizing for accessibility, and communicating to a worldwide audience. Fully updated and optimized for ease of use, the Microsoft Manual of Style is designed to help you communicate clearly, consistently, and accurately about technical topics-across a range of audiences and media.
About the Author
Developed by senior editors and content managers at Microsoft Corporation.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I was really looking forward to reading this, because I do a lot of UI design and technical writing for my day job -- and so far, the content I've read has been great.
Unfortunately, there are so many formatting problems, it's impossible to read the whole book on the Kindle. On some pages, content flows off the bottom of the page and you can't get to it. On other pages, the content flows off the side of the page. I've uploaded a photo to demonstrate this terrible formatting.
I unfortunately have to recommend the physical copy of this book over the Kindle edition, because this formatting errors make it impossible to read all the content.
Unfortunately, there are so many formatting problems, it's impossible to read the whole book on the Kindle. On some pages, content flows off the bottom of the page and you can't get to it. On other pages, the content flows off the side of the page. I've uploaded a photo to demonstrate this terrible formatting.
I unfortunately have to recommend the physical copy of this book over the Kindle edition, because this formatting errors make it impossible to read all the content.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
11 reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Well done
30 Jan 2012
Format:Paperback
This style guide surprised me, in several good ways. First, the layout uses more white space, a clearer typeface, and is slightly easier to read than most style guides. It isn't that the others are bad, but that this one is better. I also like that Microsoft does not label their examples as "correct" or "incorrect," but instead uses the terms "Microsoft Style" and "Not Microsoft Style." While it should be understood that this is the ultimate meaning of "correct" and "incorrect" in the books from IBM and Sun, Microsoft comes across as both authoritative and humble at the same time-an impressive feat. Unique topics include writing with accessibility in mind, for content reuse in ways that allow those with non-traditional needs to be able to use the information.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Great Update to a Technical Publications Standard
6 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback
As a technical writer, the Microsoft Manual of Style is the first style guide I reach for when I am a working on documentation project when the organization doesn't have a corporate style guide. Now, Microsoft has published the Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition that includes some timely updates documenting how Microsoft's editorial style is adapting and changing to meet new technologies.
The Microsoft Manual of Style is a soup to nuts guide to the Microsoft style for writing technical documentation. I like its holistic approach that includes principles of Microsoft Style, web content, international audience considerations, writing about user interface guidelines, and writing procedures. It rounds out with a well-documented usage dictionary. The Microsoft writers and editors behind this edition have put together a solid guide that can serve both experienced and novice writers alike even just to help resolve stylistic arguments during the writing and editing of documents. Some notable updates in this edition include how Microsoft handles writing about mobile phones, gestures, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and for international audiences.
Chapter 2 Content for the web could really benefit from some screen shot examples from Microsoft web properties to show examples. It also is light on Community-based content coverage. Sparing my feelings as a technical writer, I realize community provided content is playing a role in documentation and support. Unfortunately, I've had my issues with community provided content as a user seeking support online for technical issues. The body of practical knowledge on managing community provided content seems scant in my opinion and I was hoping to see some substantive guidance on editing and managing such content in this edition of the style guide.
The change in tone in this edition of the style guide is quite refreshing. While it is easy to nerd it up on what is right or wrong when it comes to writing style, this edition breaks down many stylistic decisions as Microsoft style versus Not Microsoft Style.
This latest edition also has a fresh new design, which is cool to see since the design of the last couple of editions seems to bleed together in my memory. There is more white space and a new font from previous editions, which makes adds a lot to the style guide.
I recommend the Microsoft Manual of Style because this edition has some nice and timely updates. Previous editions of the Microsoft Manual of Style have also served me well and the guide is helpful to writers and non-writers alike tasked to write technical documents. The guiding principles set out in this edition of the style guide can help writers of all experience levels.
The Microsoft Manual of Style is a soup to nuts guide to the Microsoft style for writing technical documentation. I like its holistic approach that includes principles of Microsoft Style, web content, international audience considerations, writing about user interface guidelines, and writing procedures. It rounds out with a well-documented usage dictionary. The Microsoft writers and editors behind this edition have put together a solid guide that can serve both experienced and novice writers alike even just to help resolve stylistic arguments during the writing and editing of documents. Some notable updates in this edition include how Microsoft handles writing about mobile phones, gestures, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and for international audiences.
Chapter 2 Content for the web could really benefit from some screen shot examples from Microsoft web properties to show examples. It also is light on Community-based content coverage. Sparing my feelings as a technical writer, I realize community provided content is playing a role in documentation and support. Unfortunately, I've had my issues with community provided content as a user seeking support online for technical issues. The body of practical knowledge on managing community provided content seems scant in my opinion and I was hoping to see some substantive guidance on editing and managing such content in this edition of the style guide.
The change in tone in this edition of the style guide is quite refreshing. While it is easy to nerd it up on what is right or wrong when it comes to writing style, this edition breaks down many stylistic decisions as Microsoft style versus Not Microsoft Style.
This latest edition also has a fresh new design, which is cool to see since the design of the last couple of editions seems to bleed together in my memory. There is more white space and a new font from previous editions, which makes adds a lot to the style guide.
I recommend the Microsoft Manual of Style because this edition has some nice and timely updates. Previous editions of the Microsoft Manual of Style have also served me well and the guide is helpful to writers and non-writers alike tasked to write technical documents. The guiding principles set out in this edition of the style guide can help writers of all experience levels.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Update
15 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback
What I noticed the first time I opened this book was (as others have mentioned) the amount of extra white space and font changes, which make this book much more pleasureable to read and to refer to. Clear and concise language, along with excellent figures, diagrams and readable tables throughout the book also help. Microsoft has done a great job in updating a classic book of theirs. Their Usage Dictionary reflects the changes seen in the computer industry over the last several years.
The book's first chapter describes in detail Microsoft's distinctive style and voice. Many subsequent chapters show examples of how something is done Microsoft style as opposed to non-Microsoft style. This really helps the reader to understand the "how's and why's" of Microsoft writing style.
The Content for the Web and Content for a World Wide Audience have been expanded to reflect the changes in those areas. Among other topics given their own chapters are User Interface, Procedures and tech content, style issues and of course grammar and punctuation. While the last two seem to be basics we should have learned in grade school, it's good to have a reminder of just how important those two areas are.
I know I'll be using this book whenever I have a question about a style issue.
The book's first chapter describes in detail Microsoft's distinctive style and voice. Many subsequent chapters show examples of how something is done Microsoft style as opposed to non-Microsoft style. This really helps the reader to understand the "how's and why's" of Microsoft writing style.
The Content for the Web and Content for a World Wide Audience have been expanded to reflect the changes in those areas. Among other topics given their own chapters are User Interface, Procedures and tech content, style issues and of course grammar and punctuation. While the last two seem to be basics we should have learned in grade school, it's good to have a reminder of just how important those two areas are.
I know I'll be using this book whenever I have a question about a style issue.
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