How many times have you paused and reflected, ‘man, I know I am right, but the style guide does not agree…’?
For example, some style guides proscribe the use of the possessive pronoun noun (earlier I had written ‘pronoun’. Thanks Guy for pointing it out.) and demand that you elaborate: IP address of the Server as against Server’s IP address . In certain contexts I prefer the latter; for it is shorter and I am sure it won’t confuse the users. But the style guide does not agree.
I think that a style guide is by no means sacrosanct. It is around to help us, and not to put us in dilemmas. So, if you strongly believe that certain rules of the guide are rigid do share your opinion. A style guide evolves. It needs inputs from all concerned for it to become comprehensive, robust, and current. Do we need styled guides at all? Yes sir, product documentation needs to be consistent in terms of tone, style, and grammar. So, we need style guides. Also, when there is a team of writers working on the various modules of the product, a style guide helps in making the documentation coherent and consistent.
You thoughts?
Some style guides…
The American Psychological Association (APA) Style
Columbia guide to online writing
Write to me: Suman[at]techwritersindia[dot]com
Be consistent. That’s why a style guide exists. I see nothing wrong in updating a house style guide (overriding ‘offical’ style guides from books or websites).
So ultimately I agree with you (a style guide is an aid), although I’d have a tendency to write “IP address of the Server”, unless of course instructed otherwise by the house style guide 🙂