Fast Online (Machine) Translation - But...?

Even if the attainable quality of automatic translation systems is insufficient under certain conditions, and despite careful preparation of the original text, nevertheless the translation provides a useful basis for a technical translator. The automatic translation greatly simplifies the production of a foreign language text and leads, all in all, to an efficient translation process. For example, the translation of a customer Website with the help of an automatic translation system (i.e. post-edited machine translation) cost us only a third of the time, which we had previously calculated as pure 'manual work'.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation

Impressions from German/American Projects

Differences in culture add problems, as we learned during several months of work with four mixed German/American project teams.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>Collaboration>International

Obey Standards or Follow Customer Needs?

What is more important in technical writing: obeying the standards and regulations or following the customer's needs?

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Writing>Standards>Technical Writing

Problems with Colors - and the Solution: Color Management

The profession of the technical editor is rapidly changing, from the pure text manufacturer to a data manager, which leads inevitably to intensive occupation with the production of the final product: the technical documentation on paper or online. The color matching reproduction on the local screen or printer plays a new, important role. Particularly since the meaning of color in documents increases rapidly.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Color

Technical Documentation Goes Electronic: New Media Create New Problems for Technical Writers

It is not very helpful if we reject any responsibility, even if it would be covered by some laws dealing with product safety and product liability.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Design>Multimedia>Legal

There Goes the Productivity...

The productivity factor is defined as the relation between the daily amount of working time spent on paid projects and the total amount of working hours. The difference is the nonproductivity in a technical writer’s life.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1998). Careers>TC

Time-Consuming Email Communications

Our documentation and advertising bureau mails five emails with attachments on the average per day to different customers, partners and other service organisations. The sizes of the attachments vary roughly from 50 KB up to 2 MB. About 60% of our emails with attachments don't create any problems with the addressee. However, 40% need additional attention. This fraction causes communication problems.

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>Collaboration>Correspondence>Email