#20003
The Struggle for Gender-Free Language: Is It Over Yet? 
All current style manuals address in one form or another the need for bias-free, inclusive language. Most writers and editors deal with this issue regularly — we've installed mental alarm systems that go off when we sense bias or something that can be construed as bias. In fact, some commentators say we've gone too far toward what social commentator Christopher Cerf calls, with grave facetiousness, 'content-free writing,' lest language offend anyone, anywhere. Does gender-free writing still present problems, and if so, how are most of us resolving them? After all these years of practice at being evenhanded, consider several litmus tests.
Rea, Jane. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Style Guides>Discrimination>Gender
#24044
Paper stock makes a big difference in the appearance of a product, and even though prices have come down recently, it's probably the most expensive element in your print run, so you need to make it count. Though budget is probably the biggest factor in choosing stock, here are several other considerations.
Dahlman, Gayle. Editorial Eye, The (1996). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper
#24014
Lexicographers call a collection of writing and speech samples used to analyze words, meanings, grammar, and usage a corpus. Since 1991, Cobuild (a special division of HarperCollins Publishers in Glasgow) and the University of Birmingham, England, have been working together to assemble an electronic corpus. The intent was to acquire contemporary (post-1975) samples that illustrate the everyday English most people read, write, and speak.
Ivey, Keith C. Editorial Eye, The (1996). Articles>Language>Linguistics
#24021
Telecommuting: Practical Option or Management Nightmare?
Telecommuting can be a wonderful benefit for your editors and can save your department money -- as long as you set clear terms and carefully monitor the results. It doesn't have to be the management nightmare you may be imagining.
Cormier, Robin A. Editorial Eye, The (1998). Careers>Telecommuting>Management
#24060
In 1977 Judith Tarutz, author of Technical Editing: The Practical Guide for Editors and Writers, rebounded from teaching into her first editing job. She soon discovered that she was having fun. Like many editors, Tarutz learned editing by total immersion.
Smith, Sally. Editorial Eye, The (1997). Careers>Editing
#20024
Unicode: Making the Web Safe for Furriners
I think that Internet and World Wide Web are capitalized because they are proper names. Many names are capitalized common nouns: the White House, the Ninth Circle of Hell, the Heritage Foundation, the Civil War. I've heard arguments for lowercasing Internet and World Wide Web from people who compare them to things like the telephone system, but lowercase is certainly not the predominant style for these terms. At least 90 percent of the time, they're capitalized, and I don't think you should ignore actual use completely.
Ivey, Keith C. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Language>Standards>Unicode
#19994
Untangling the Web: Hoaxes, Scams, and Rumors
If you've had an e-mail address for long, you've probably received a message (forwarded through a long chain of people) warning you about some dangerous computer virus that can infect your computer through e-mail. Some warnings even say that the virus will physically damage your hard drive or monitor. But they aren't true.
Ivey, Keith C. Editorial Eye, The (1997). Articles>Communication>Security>Viruses
#20023
Usage Experts Change Their Minds, Too
Many terms and constructions frowned on a generation ago have been admitted, like many new words, into mainstream parlance and have gained wider acceptance than before. An example is tycoon, in the sense of a wealthy businessman, labeled 'informal' in the first edition of AHD but accepted in the third. Another example is balding, called 'entirely vulgar' in a usage note by panelist Katherine Anne Porter in the first edition but entered without stigma in the third.
Soukhanov, Anne H. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Style Guides>Editing
#20019
Using Editors Where and When It Counts, Part II: How to Edit Instructions
When I teach courses on editing, I devote about one-third of the sessions to editing instructions. Why? True, there's always a demand for someone who can edit technical manuals or cookbooks, but my real reason is that working on instructions gets you into editorial shape. It hones your ability to keep readers and their needs always in mind, to weigh each word for accuracy, and to be sure that every sentence means what the writer intends.
Waxman, Maron L. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Documentation>Editing
#24032
Verbs with -ize: Efficient or to Be ... Ostracized?
A discussion of whether neologisms such as 'prioritize' have 'arrived' yet.
Packard, Robyn. Editorial Eye, The (1996). Articles>Writing>Style Guides
#24051
Web Site Sections: Art and Practice
On a Web site with very few pages -- as in a small art gallery -- what you see as you enter can reveal all you need to know to successfully navigate the space. If the home page acts as a front door, then it can display hypertext links to all or most of the pages (up to 10, say) on a small site. Web sites have a way of growing larger, though, and not many sites stay under 10 pages for long. If visitors can't see everything from the front door, how will they know what you have to offer? How will they find what they're looking for?
McAdams, Mindy. Editorial Eye, The (1998). Design>Web Design>Information Design
#24022
When You and Your Employee Clash: Clarifying Expectations
Will you have to fire this employee? Maybe. First make sure that she understands your expectations and the requirements of the position. Start fresh, and give her the opportunity to perform the duties you define to the level you require. Set specific, measurable goals for her to accomplish, and set a date to evaluate her progress. If she still doesn't meet your expectations, accept the fact that this was simply not a good match and give her — as an applicant once described his termination — 'the green light to pursue other opportunities.'
Cormier, Robin A. Editorial Eye, The (1998). Careers>Management
