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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: RFC: StyleGuide for Labels? (fwd)
From:       Peter Putzer <pputzer () edu ! uni-klu ! ac ! at>
Date:       2000-07-03 18:44:38
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On Tue, 4 Jul 2000, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> Peter Putzer wrote:
> > 
> > On Mon, 3 Jul 2000, Magnus Ihse wrote:
> > 
> > > On Sun, 2 Jul 2000, Peter Putzer wrote:
> > >
> > > > This is a label for a lineedit: [            ]
> > > > vs.
> > > > This is a Label For a Lineedit: [            ]
> > > >                 ^ not quite sure... I think that should be lower case
> > > >                   *goes looking for his dictionary*
> > >
> > > That last comment is an excellent argument why this style should
> > > _not_ be used: not many people know which words not to capitalize.
> > 
> > *g* it should be: "This Is a Label for a Lineedit"
> 
> I've Been Following the Argument About Labels, and I've Found it Very
> Interesting. Especially That Even Commercial Software Companies Don't
> Always Follow a Consistant Style in their Products. That Just Goes to
> Show that a Large Budget Doesn't Always Lead to a Professional
> Product.

True.
 
> But the Rules Are Quite Complex. Most Non-Linguists Don't Have a Clue
> Which Words are Prepositions, Indefinite Articles and the Like. Verbs
> and Nouns are About as Complex as Most of Us Understand. If I've
> Understood Peter's Quotation From the Chicago Style Manual Correctly,
> Then Peter Himself Has Got it Wrong: the Word "Is" Should Not be
> Capitalised. But Maybe I Haven't Understood it Correctly.

The word "is" should be capitalized according to the portion I quoted, as
it most definitely is a verb.

> But Does it Really Matter What the Chicago Style Manual Says? We are
> Working in a New Medium Here, and While it Pays Us to Notice What the
> CSM Says, it Should be to Gain Understanding, Not to Blindly Follow
> the Rules. Well, Not Rules Exactly, More Like Suggestions.

It was the handiest quote I could find in a hurry regarding those rules I
learned together with the English language. As such, it does matter.
Otherwise we could just throw spellcheckers over board, why do we need to
follow THOSE "suggestions", but not others? ;)

> It May be Relevent, or Perhaps Not, That Following Style A Will be
> Grammatically Incorrect in German, Where All Nouns are Capitalised and
> Verbs Are Not Unless They are the First Word in the Sentence.
> Actually, Style A Breaks Even the Grammatical Rules of English. 

Huh? Of course these rules are only for the English version, translations
would have to use their native heading style...

Besides, please cut the polemic next time, I know full well that "Style A"
is not suitable for long texts, and I never advocated it as such. Thank
you very much.

bye,
Peter

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