[Year 12 IPM] Formats & Conventions

Mon Oct 16 17:32:16 EST 2006

...and then there's the interpretation that 'optional' means there is a
choice of two (or perhaps more) conventions; eg money is conventionally
represented as either whole dollars or with two decimal places, it's your
choice but consistent application of the chosen convention is expected
within a document.

Also, to add to Mark well explained distinction between formats and
conventions, don't forget that formats themselves can be subject to
convention; eg layout of a business letter.

Regards
Robert T-A

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Kelly" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
To: "Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'
Mailing List" <ipm at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 7:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IPM] Formats & Conventions

> As I interpret it...
>
> Mandatory: required by law or rules, e.g. "Tax invoice" and a date on
> receipts; driving on left hand side of the road; a company requires all
> employees to put the corporate letterhead on all printed correspondence.
>
> Preferred: no punishment for disobedience, but it's STRONGLY advised
> e.g. using Post Office preferred envelope addressing format; spelling
> accurately; pages are numbered in large documents.
>
> Optional: there is a choice, but people tend to prefer one way as
> opposed to others e.g. most folk expect and prefer web links to be
> underlined; page numbers appear in the footer rather than the header.
>
> The dividing lines between preferred and optional conventions are blurry.
>
> Feel free to argue, anyone.
>
> The old VBOS conventions are cached at...
>
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/conventions/conventions.htm
>
> Love
>
> Marky
>
> Stewart, Andrew wrote:
> > Thanks Mark,
> >
> > Are there a set of guidelines for optional and preferred conventions?
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Andrew
> >
> >
> > Andrew Stewart
> > Head of Information & Communication Technologies
> > Ballarat & Clarendon College
> > 1425 Sturt St
> > Ballarat Vic 3350
> > Ph:    63 3 53308200
> > Fax:   63 3 53323553
> > Mob: 0419516701
> > www.clarendon.vic.edu.au
> >
> >
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> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> > On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
> > Sent: Sunday, 15 October 2006 5:58 PM
> > To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> > Teachers'Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [Year 12 IPM] Formats & Conventions
> >
> > This keeps coming up...
> >
> > 1. Formats and conventions are not the same thing
> > 2. Formats describe how information is structured or arranged e.g. as a
> > table, a graph, a web page, an annual report.
> > 3. Once a format has been chosen, there are conventions that are (a)
> > mandatory (b) preferred or (c) optional for that convention.
> >
> > e.g. once you choose to the format of a table to present data, the
> > conventions are to have bold headings, right-aligned numbers in columns
> > etc.
> >
> > If you'd chosen the format of a bar graph, you'd need to follow the
> > conventions of labelling axes, using different colour or fill pattern
> > for the different bars etc.
> >
> > Does that help?
> >
> > Ooroo.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > Stewart, Andrew wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> Can someone please describe an easy way to explain to my students the
> >> difference between preferred and optional formats or conventions?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> My students have struggled with Q 4 of the 2004 VCAA paper.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Cheers
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Andrew
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Andrew Stewart
> >>
> >> Head of Information & Communication Technologies
> >>
> >> Ballarat & Clarendon College
> >>
> >> 1425 Sturt St
> >>
> >> Ballarat Vic 3350
> >>
> >> Ph:    63 3 53308200
> >>
> >> Fax:   63 3 53323553
> >>
> >> Mob: 0419516701
> >>
> >> www.clarendon.vic.edu.au <http://www.clarendon.vic.edu.au/>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Disclaimer
> >> This message, including any attachments, is provided without
> >> responsibility in law for its accuracy or otherwise and without
> >> assumption of a duty of care by the School. Whilst every attempt has
> >> been made to ensure material in this e-mail message is free from
> >> computer viruses or other defects, the attached files are provided,
> > and
> >> may only be used, on the basis that the user assumes all
> > responsibility
> >> for use of the material transmitted. This e-mail is intended for the
> > use
> >> of the named individual or entity and may contain confidential or
> >> privileged information. Any dissemination, distribution or copying by
> >> anyone other than the intended recipient of this e-mail is strictly
> >> prohibited. If this Email has been received in error, then please
> > notify
> >> Ballarat & Clarendon College immediately and destroy the original
> > message.
> >>
> >>
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>
> --
> Mark Kelly
> Manager - Information Systems
> McKinnon Secondary College
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