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(U) Write Right: The Style Manual vs. USSID 300 -- er, USSID CR1400
FROM:
of the Reporting Board (S12)
Run Date: 03/29/2006
(U) Several correspondents have raised the issue of what belongs
in which reference, with regard to certain classes of reporting
instructions, and which reference document takes precedence. It is
true that the old USSID 300 contained detailed formatting
instructions, such as "indent paragraph five spaces" and "do not
use the pound character (#) for a number," but this was because
of transmission system constraints (remember the days of
reporting in all capital letters?). Those constraints are slowly being
done away with, and we hope to move such of those instructions as
still make sense from the USSID to the SIGINT Reporter's Style
and Usage Manual , or the Desktop Publishing Standards , where
they belong.
(U) In the meantime, since it takes a long time to coordinate
changes to a USSID, and that process should be used for more
substantive changes, keep the rationale in mind when a conflict
arises regarding guidance. Answer these questions: is it in the
USSID for a good reason (call the Reporting Board or Reporting
Policy and Guidance if you can't tell)? Does it make a difference to
the reader in terms of comprehensibility? In other words, don't
sweat the small stuff, but do make sure that it IS small
stuff. We can work these issues out if we all keep a reasonable
attitude.
(U) This brings us to our continuing revision and updating of the
Style and Usage Manual.
(U) Things even we won't bother to quibble about: cell phone vs.
mobile phone. Yes, it is true that most mobile phones now do not
use cell technology and that therefore "mobile phone" is more
accurate. It is also true that most Americans call all mobile phones
"cell phones" now, and our Commonwealth partners tend to stick
with "mobile." Some target countries use one term, and some the
other. Decide whether this is really an issue in your reporting
before you call us for arbitration; is it just a matter of translation,
or is it an indicator of the type of technology?
(U) Things we do bother to quibble about: the abbreviation for
"also known as." We prefer to use periods after the letters, even
though we are told that that is a less common usage these days,
but as sure as we say, "Oh, go ahead and spell it 'aka,'" a Foreign
Minister Aka will be appointed somewhere in a target country... so
take a nanosecond and stick in those periods, please.
SERIES:
(U) Write Right '06
1. Write Right : Grab
Bag
2. Write Right :
Frequently Asked
Question: Where Do
I Go for Help With
USSID SP0018
Issues?
3. Write Right : The
Style Manual vs.
USSID 300 -- er,
USSID CR1400
4. Write Right : The
Paperless Society
5. Write Right : Is That
Collateral, or Is It a
Comment?
6. Write Right : What's
a URS Center?
7. Write Right : Caveat
Scrutator (Or, 'But I
Saw It on the
Internet!')
8. Write Right : Seven
Things Not To Do in a
SIGINT Report
9. Write Right :
Breaking an Old
Reporter's Heart
10. Write Right : Where
Does It Say I Can't?
11. Write Right : Urban
Myths of SIGINT: 'I
Can Just Mark It
ORCON'
12. Write Right : Loaded
Words: Don't
Politicize Reports
" You should not aim to be understood, but to be impossible to
misunderstand. " - Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Roman rhetorician.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108