diff --git a/development/vic/slack-desc b/development/vic/slack-desc
index 92a28174d2..77592c8aed 100644
--- a/development/vic/slack-desc
+++ b/development/vic/slack-desc
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
-vic: The VIC wrapper to easily edit RCS maintained files
+# HOW TO EDIT THIS FILE:
+# The "handy ruler" below makes it easier to edit a package description.  Line
+# up the first '|' above the ':' following the base package name, and the '|'
+# on the right side marks the last column you can put a character in.  You must
+# make exactly 11 lines for the formatting to be correct.  It's also
+# customary to leave one space after the ':'.
+
+   |-----handy-ruler------------------------------------------------------|
+vic: vic (The VIC wrapper to easily edit RCS maintained files)
 vic:
 vic: 'vic' first checks the file out of RCS, presents the editor,
 vic: then checks the file back into RCS. Also included is a simple