DevRef English writing style advice, was: incomprehensible sentence in exim4-config.pot.
Christian Perrier <bubulle@debian.org>
> Quoting MJ Ray (mjr@phonecoop.coop):
> > > course expect the list to enforce the writing rules suggested in
> > > DevRef #6.5....
> >
> > Generally, yes, but fortunately DevRef is not policy, so the
> > self-contradicting bad style of s6.5.2.6 can take a running jump. ;-)
>
> Sure, but any enhancement suggestions are welcomed...it is true that
> 6.52.6 does not seem very well written. Patches welcomed..
diff -u developers-reference.sgml.orig developers-reference.sgml
--- developers-reference.sgml.orig 2006-05-29 17:18:20.000000000 +0100
+++ developers-reference.sgml 2006-05-29 17:22:16.000000000 +0100
@@ -4265,10 +4265,10 @@
wrote scientific publications, just write your templates like you
would write a scientific paper.
- <sect2>Be gender neutral
+ <sect2>Be gender-equal
<p>
-The world is made of men and women. Please use gender-neutral
-constructions in your writing. This is not Political Correctness, this
+The world contains men and women. Please mix both genders
+in your examples. This is not Political Correctness, this
is showing respect to all humanity.
Some advice in the previous section is also a bit odd. The passive
voice is usually harder to understand than the active. This opinion
is supported by many writing guides, English and US, such as Strunk:
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk5.html#11
Scientific papers are widely criticised as examples of difficult
reading. The heading advice not to use the first person for
the computer feels good, though.
Maybe further discussion should be on debian-l10n-english?
Hope that helps,
--
MJR/slef
Laux nur mia opinio: vidu http://people.debian.org/~mjr/
Bv sekvu http://www.uk.debian.org/MailingLists/#codeofconduct
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