[scribus] Quotes -- or, about typographical conventions

[Meho R.]

On 08.08.2011 09:00, S C ribus wrote:
> The thread about "proper" typography reminds me of some discussions about spelling, food etiquette or pronunciation.
>
> What is acceptable and considered OK by the majority is OK for me. Typography. like the rest of the language is subject to change over time, dictated by the whole body of speakers and users of the language. We do not use the language the same way as in the 18th or 19th Century, and only dead languages do not change.
True, but not always for better. An example: use of titling figures in 
running text. Though in his Elements of Typographic Style, Robert 
Bringhurst said: "By all means, break the rules, and break them 
beautifully, deliberately and well" (The Elements of Typographic Style, 
3rd ed., p. 10), breaking some rules is still (rightfully, I'd say) 
considered a serious error. For titling figures he said: "However common 
it may be, the use of titling figures in running text is illiterate: is 
spurns the truth of letters." (Ibid, p. 48) A lot of people typeset 
their documents today "by feeling", without any knowledge of even basics 
of typography, so breaking the rules for them is common practice, 
because they don't even know there are any rules.

As for quotes, John hasn't answered my question: aren't straight 
quotation marks considered an error in english? I've witnessed a lot of 
typographical discussions among professional book designers and 
typesetters, but I've never seen a single one of them who's been using 
straight quotes. So, I'm curious, why would John choose them over the 
common curly quotes?
> Specifically, I understand that some people may want their documents to stick to "historic" typography rules and the need for Scribus to support such rules.
> Nonetheless I feel there is no place on this list for typography talibans, as it primarily deals with the software we use - and not the do's and don'ts of typography.
>
> Cedric Sagne
Cedric, are you're trying to change Godwin's Law [1] or you're simply 
confirming it, with a slight terminology change? ;-) I, for one, 
consider your last sentence an absurd, if we do take the proper meaning 
of words into consideration: you do know that "talibans" means 
"students", do you? :-)

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwins_law

M.