Subject: Re: Abbreviations
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Jan Schaumann <jschauma@netbsd.org>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 10/11/2002 09:55:48
Julio Merino <jmmv@menta.net> wrote:

> Should we "fix" all abbreviations (it's, we've, can't...) to their extended
> form in commands and documentation? I think this is more formal, right?

No, "can't", "shouldn't" and the like are completely acceptable in
written English -- changing them to 'can not' etc. is a no-op at best.

The question whether technical documentation should be written in the
first person is a different one.  IMHO it should not, and changing that
to the third person would be a good thing.  But that's just my $.02.

-Jan

P.S.:  This is more of a documentation question, I believe, so I CC'd
netbsd-docs@, where the discussion (if any) should take place.

-- 
"The last time anybody made a list of the top hundred character
attributes of New Yorkers, common sense snuck in  at number 79."