U.S. Government Acknowledges Technical Writers As Distinct from All Other Writing Professions

U.S. Government Acknowledges Technical Writers As Distinct from All Other Writing Professions (STC.org)

According to a post on STC.org, the website for the Society for Technical Communication, the Occupational Outlook and Handbook (OOH), which is published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), will give technical writers their own report in the 2010-2011 edition out in December 2009. What does this mean for technical writers? This means technical writers will be recognized for the first time as having a profession that is distinct from all other writing professions.

Overused "Quotation Marks"

Overused quotation marks are "fantastic." Ever wondered about that "fish" at the local market? Or that "Halloween" costume at the mall? If so, then maybe you're a little like me: you love to see them and you love to see them go.
Here are some recent favorites from technical reports that have made their way across my desk (only the fourth one really meant to be sarcastic):

• Architects are often taught the philosophy that "form follows function." (Or so it's said...)
• Some homebuilders will engage in "value engineering" when costs are too high. (Yeah, "value")
• A second "mini" discussion may be necessary to trim the budget. (And by "mini," I meant "huge," especially in this economy)
• "Full" plan sets for homes are often missing critical details. (Hoping you won't notice...)
• Some builders have an "open book" policy with their construction trades. (That's good, I think...)
• Getting their "buy-in" on the idea is recommended. (Or is it?)

One of my favorite blogs is The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. Check it out for more fun with quotes, because you can't help but enjoy them.

Commas in a [Complicated] Series

"This product was chosen because it offers a high thermal performance for its cost, the ability to act as a drainage plane, a sufficient performance as an insulating sheathing material, and a favorable demonstration of cold climate permeability characteristics."

At the basis of this sentence is the following meaning--here is a product that offers four benefits. These four benefits are listed as a series separated by commas. Each comma has an important purpose in the sentence. It tells the reader that one item in the list is ending and a new one is beginning. Basic grammar. However, there are two camps regarding the final comma in the list--the one before the word "and." The first camp says that a comma isn't needed before a conjunction, and the second says that a comma is needed before it. Whether or not you fall into either of these two camps, there are certain cases where a comma is important to ensure the clarity of the sentence, and a complicated series is one of these cases.

What do I mean by a complicated series? While there are different types of complicated series, the one is the example lists items that are composed of numerous words. Here's a recap of the items:

• a high thermal performance for its cost
• the ability to act as a drainage plane
• a sufficient performance as an insulating sheathing material
• a favorable demonstration of cold climate permeability characteristics

At 7-8 words each, the items are lengthy. Commas remind readers that they are seeing a list of items and that they can pause for breath between them. By leaving out the final comma, the writer robs the reader of these reminders. Take a look at the sentence again without the final comma:

"This product was chosen because it offers a high thermal performance for its cost, the ability to act as a drainage plane, a sufficient performance as an insulating sheathing material and a favorable demonstration of cold climate permeability characteristics."

See how the last two items in the list merge? Adding a comma before the conjunction requires little effort on the writer's end and can offer a big benefit on the reader's end--clarity.