http://tc.eserver.org/authors/Guren,_Leah A bibliography of works by Guren, Leah in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Guren,_Leah http://tc.eserver.org/30641.html http://tc.eserver.org/30641.html Over the past ten years, there has been an ever-increasing amount of usability recommendations for improving website design. Much of the data has focused on navigation of single-language websites. But few studies have tackled the problems of bilingual sites, and virtually no information has been gathered about usability of bilingual or multilingual sites where the languages are not written in the same direction (for example, English, which is read from left-to-right, and Hebrew, which is read from right-to-left). http://tc.eserver.org/28809.html http://tc.eserver.org/28809.html What are hazards and why do we need them? Best practices for key elements of hazards. http://tc.eserver.org/27920.html http://tc.eserver.org/27920.html Many Israeli companies maintain websites that support both Hebrew and English; some also support Russian, Arabic, and several European languages. As we worked with clients to help them improve website usability, we discovered that no one had analyzed the problem of bidirectional website usability. We assumed that the visual hotspot area on the screen is influenced by the user's mother-tongue language; that is, we assumed that a native speaker of any left-to-right language would view the upper-left quadrant of the screen as the dominant visual area, while a native speaker of a right-to-left language (Hebrew or Arabic) would be drawn to the upper-right quadrant. We further assumed that this difference would affect the success of navigation elements, such as menus and internal links. Because no viable data in this area existed, we decided to launch our own research in November 2004. http://tc.eserver.org/23413.html http://tc.eserver.org/23413.html Israel rates as one of the highest per-capita technology consumers in the world, but its actual market size is small, as the total population is only about six million. This means that most high tech companies here must find additional markets outside of Israel. Therefore, most technical writing is in English, which is accepted in many countries and is also a more practical source language (for localization) than Hebrew. http://tc.eserver.org/20749.html http://tc.eserver.org/20749.html If you have ever considered accepting an overseas contract, you may have already looked into the issues of visas, work permits, inoculations, and compensation. But to really thrive in an overseas job, you must learn as much as possible about the host culture so that you are prepared for the cultural rules and expectations; if possible, learn the language. This workshop raises a number of cultural issues and uses value-assessment exercises to help you determine whether an overseas job is realistic for you. http://tc.eserver.org/20761.html http://tc.eserver.org/20761.html You know how to write, but do you know what to write? Much of the information which is needed to plan and execute a project is not technical detail about the product. You need access to specific corporate information to produce the required documentation. The flow of information to and from Tech Pubs (the technical publications department) is determined by several factors, including the company’s commitment to procedures (such as ISO-9000), the corporate culture, the physical location of the department, and the personalities involved. By being aware of this information flow, you can take control of your projects and produce documentation which is appropriate and on time. http://tc.eserver.org/20333.html http://tc.eserver.org/20333.html Sometimes we focus so much on tools and technologies that we forget the underlying theory of basic, good technical writing. Yes, there are basic laws of technical writing which remain intact despite the constant changes in the way we produce documentation or the way users access it. Whether you are writing a printed user guide, an online reference manual, or context-sensitive online help, these same basic laws apply. I call these basic laws my 'golden rules' for producing effective user documentation and eliminating sloppy habits. This workshop covers each rule in detail, plus provides practical tips for applying them. http://tc.eserver.org/14386.html http://tc.eserver.org/14386.html Working in another country can be a rewarding, exciting experience. Preparing for an overseas job, however, involves more than sorting out visas, work permits, inoculations, and currency exchanges. You must also learn as much as possible about the host culture in order to avoid some of the more unpleasant “cultural pitfalls” discussed in this session. Once you are aware of these issues, you can reasonably assess whether an overseas project is right for you.