Think about it. Have you ever been nearly hit by a car that ran a stop sign? How would you react if you saw someone fly? How do you feel about people who butt in the registration line? Would you notice if someone came to class naked?
Okay, you can stop thinking about that now. The point is that broken rules—or whenever something seems out of the ordinary—get noticed. Doesn’t you agrees? That’s right, buddy, I’m asking you. Sometimes the effect is negative, sometimes dangerous, sometimes humorous, sometimes annoying, sometimes it’s merely interesting.
Sometimes you have some point that you really want to get noticed in your paper. You can take advantage of rules to make them stand out. In other words, don’t break rules for no reason. The effect this usually has is to make you look incompetent or careless. Break rules only to have specific effects as you plan it.
Here are a few examples of breaking rules you’ve learned from this CD ROM: