POLL : Which method for WORD emphasis

[Ysoi]

Thanks for the response, PennLady.

If you are reading something that's been published by a publishing house -- and I'm not talking self-published authors here -- it is likely to have been made to adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style standards. To emphasize a word or phrase, italics are used.

Does that manual apply internationally? Do Dutch or German or Iraqi authors follow the same manual, or have similar guidelines? Perhaps because I have a background in science, I would be careful about making blanket statements like that.

So often it's not a matter of what a reader prefers; it's what is standard, and standard is italics. Then, down the ladder at a distant second (I'd imagine) is something like all caps if italics is not available.

Firstly thank you for suggesting CAPS as an alternative to italics!
I'm also glad that you stated a personal preference.

When someone asks "what do you prefer", the question is sometimes all about what you prefer. If I were to answer that question myself having read what I have in the last few days, I would say :

"I prefer bold, but I have heard that italics is considered to be the standard and desired method in some parts of the world by some publishing authorities."

Really, that sort of response - with reasons if you care to give them - is all the poll was about.

Thanks again.

Ysoi

 

[Boxlicker101]

I am reluctant to use italics, because I'm always afraid they won't copy properly. That's not an unreasonable fear. Sometimes when I check the story after I have pasted it, it reads something like: <i> text</i> and I don't want that to happen.

On the other hand, capital letters always come through.

 

[sun_sea_sky]

Does that manual apply internationally? Do Dutch or German or Iraqi authors follow the same manual, or have similar guidelines?

I can't help doubting that Iraqi authors would follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

But if you are going to throw the question open like that, perhaps ask how many respondents are Iraqi?

 

[Ysoi]

I can't help doubting that Iraqi authors would follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

But if you are going to throw the question open like that, perhaps ask how many respondents are Iraqi?

Hi Sun_Sea_Sky!

I do not want to dispute your comment but if I did then I would state that it is not the nationality of the reader that we are talking about, but the manual of choice that the publishing houses that the reader reads that is important. IE. I might happen to read work that is all published by houses of a nationality that does not follow that manual, or even coincidentally by US houses that do not follow it - if any exist.

I could also go into the fact that I was born in Germany and do not read US publications, but again I do not need to, because what I said was :

I would be careful about making blanket statements like that.

Did (he)/she not make a blanket statement? Am I incorrect in stating that people should be careful about making blanket statements? PennLady was careful enough to exclude self-published writers, but unfortunately made the mistake of assuming that the majority of work that I (or a reader) would read would have been published by a publishing house that followed the Chicago manual. I meant no offence by reminding (him)/her that blanket statements can be based on incorrect assumptions.

Ysoi
<- Added for extra cuteness

 

[PennLady]

Does that manual apply internationally? Do Dutch or German or Iraqi authors follow the same manual, or have similar guidelines? Perhaps because I have a background in science, I would be careful about making blanket statements like that.

I was referring to the US market, and thought that was clear, but I guess not. No, I imagine authors in other countries follow their own countries' rules. And given what little I know of Arabic writing, I don't know that italics would work, but I'm sure they have their own rules and styles for such things.

However I think I can safely say that if you go pick up a book that was printed in the US by a US publishing house, you will see italics used to emphasize a word. And I'd bet the UK does the same thing, although not because they follow the CMS.

ETA: Why would it apply internationally? I never said it did. But I would add that this is a US-based site, and so many authors are probably going to follow US conventions.

Firstly thank you for suggesting CAPS as an alternative to italics!
I'm also glad that you stated a personal preference.

I'm only suggesting all caps when italics is not available. I've also seen people emphasize words like *this* and _this_. But these would not work in books unless the author is perhaps reproducing an email or other message for the reader. I would not read a book, I don't think, where the emphasis was done like that.

When someone asks "what do you prefer", the question is sometimes all about what you prefer. If I were to answer that question myself having read what I have in the last few days, I would say :

"I prefer bold, but I have heard that italics is considered to be the standard and desired method in some parts of the world by some publishing authorities."

Really, that sort of response - with reasons if you care to give them - is all the poll was about.

Thanks again.

Ysoi

Your question, I think, depends on what format on is reading in. If you are reading a published book, then it's not about an individual's preference -- the industry standard is italics. And has been for a long time.

On the internet, way back when, you didn't have that option. But now you do.

 

[PennLady]

I could also go into the fact that I was born in Germany and do not read US publications, but again I do not need to, because what I said was

Well, how do they emphasize a word in Germany, then? What's the usual or accepted style there?

 

[Ysoi]

Your question, I think, depends on what format on is reading in. If you are reading a published book, then it's not about an individual's preference -- the industry standard is italics. And has been for a long time.

On the internet, way back when, you didn't have that option. But now you do.

If my question depends on the format, then please feel free to state which type you prefer on each format! If, however, you believe that reading on paper means that a preference is unimportant, then I would have to ask :

(a) How can the readers' preference not matter? If 70% of readers say that they find it easier and more enjoyable to read ALL CAPS with waves beneath them and flowers at each end, why not change the manual so that that is suggested?

(b) If (a) violates people's beliefs in some fundamental way, and the manual is which controls writing upon paper is therefore a bible, why assume that I am talking about paper? Why not guess that I must be talking about some other non-religiously defined format?

Personally I am considering on-screen use only, but as I've said before I am (was) interested in knowing the official guidance. What I wanted to know, but am rapidly finding too tiresome, if what people would rather read.

As for being born in Germany - I promise that that is true, but I don't read German articles either. I raised it and said that I needn't raise it just because it wasn't relevant to my suggestion that you should be careful with blanket statements. Until we're all one nationality / sex / mind, people might have their own circumstances which allow them to have a legitimate view point that differs to your own - answering their questions is thus a better route than telling them that they shouldn't ask those questions.

Ysoi

 

[PennLady]

If my question depends on the format, then please feel free to state which type you prefer on each format! If, however, you believe that reading on paper means that a preference is unimportant, then I would have to ask :

Okay, fine. In print, I prefer italics, which is handy because in the US, that's the publishing industry standard. Online, I also prefer italics, although I understand if a writer does something else. In either case, it should be used sparingly. If you emphasize too much, then you lose your emphasis.

(a) How can the readers' preference not matter? If 70% of readers say that they find it easier and more enjoyable to read ALL CAPS with waves beneath them and flowers at each end, why not change the manual so that that is suggested?

If 70% of readers preferred all caps -- with or without waves and flowers -- then that would probably be the industry standard. As I said in the other thread, I wouldn't be surprised to find that preferences informed the standards (i.e., publishers realized that readers preferred italics for emphasis) until those preferences became the standard. Now I'm just guessing -- I don't know the history of publishing styles, so if anyone does know, I'd love to hear it.

I think it's safe to say that all caps is not very easy to read, and certainly in the internet age people see it (and have for a long time) as the online version of shouting. You don't need to shout to emphasize.

(b) If (a) violates people's beliefs in some fundamental way, and the manual is which controls writing upon paper is therefore a bible, why assume that I am talking about paper? Why not guess that I must be talking about some other non-religiously defined format?

What? Nothing's violating beliefs here. Even sr71 will say that although most publishers use the CMS, not all do. It's not a bible. It's just the industry standard.

Personally I am considering on-screen use only, but as I've said before I am (was) interested in knowing the official guidance. What I wanted to know, but am rapidly finding too tiresome, if what people would rather read.

In my experience, online writing is done much the same as print writing. Italics are used for emphasis except in certain cases. This makes sense. Print writing came first, has been around for a long time, and you can't expect a new style of writing or formatting to spring up overnight. Plus, at least to me, if print writing has survived for so long with certain standards, then those standards must work for most people.

I think people would rather read clearly-written text, and so long as emphasis on a word is done consistently, they probably won't care too much how the emphasis is done.

As for being born in Germany - I promise that that is true, but I don't read German articles either. I raised it and said that I needn't raise it just because it wasn't relevant to my suggestion that you should be careful with blanket statements. Until we're all one nationality / sex / mind, people might have their own circumstances which allow them to have a legitimate view point that differs to your own - answering their questions is thus a better route than telling them that they shouldn't ask those questions.

I never said anyone shouldn't ask questions, or that they shouldn't question the standards. You're the one who brought up possible international differences. If Germans or Italians or whoever else have something that works for them, great. In the US, and this is a US-based site, the emphasis standard is italics.