Curly quotes are better in computer books

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#67

From: PAULMEDOFF
Date: Tue, 09 Aug 1994 21:18

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There's an aspect in favor of curly quotes that goes beyond the fact that
they look so much hipper than straight ones, largely important in 
computer books.  Many programs have specific uses for the straight quotes
(double primes).  For example, you might use them in a spreadsheet cell to
indicate a label that is to be aligned a certain way in the cell.  In a   
word processor it might indicated "inches" in a dialog box.  The computer
book has to separate uses of the quoted word (for example, words as words
in a book that already uses italics for variables) from uses of the inch
mark.  Conventions can get pretty convoluted in computer books.

Paul Medoff (paulmedoff@delphi.com)
Freelance editor

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From: PAULMEDOFF@delphi.com
Subject: Curly quotes are better in computer books
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 17:18:20 -0400
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