Humor, Credibility, and International Online Exchanges  

St. Amant examines the problematic effects of humor on international online communication.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2001). Articles>Writing>International

Identity and Cross-Cultural Communication  

In this project special attention is given to legal, commercial, political and institutional discourse used in specific workplaces, analysed from an intercultural perspective. In particular, through an exploration of the international ‘image’ suggested by major social and economic actors, our project aims to improve the understanding of identity-forming features linked to ‘local’ or professional cultures, as communicated by contemporary English in various specialised domains among native and non-native speakers.

Gotti, Maurizio. Association for Business Communication (2007). Articles>Language>International>Cultural Theory

Identity and International Online Communication  

St.Amant discusses the tendency of online communication to obscure a person's identity and suggests ways people can ensure clear communication with individuals of other cultures.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2001). Articles>Collaboration>International>Online

The Importance of International Laws for Web Publishers

Because of the inherent global nature of the Internet, a web publisher in one country cannot be unconcerned about laws in other countries. For example, some countries impose language requirements on web sites, while others may seek to apply their own defamation laws. This article explores some of the international legal consequences of web publishing.

Morris, Stan. GigaLaw.com (2001). Articles>Intellectual Property>International

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

Increasing User Acceptance Of Technical Information in Cross-Cultural Communication    

A significant problem in technical communication is persuading the user that the information is accurate, valid, and useful. All too often, technical communicators treat users as members of their own culture. When authors do consider cultural issues, they often focus on matters such as vocabulary, visuals, and organization. Other strategies, however, can be useful in gaining acceptance of technical information in cross-cultural situations. For example, the communication theory of compliance-gaining offers suggestions for how the technical communicators can adapt the text to enhance user acceptance when communicating to members of their own culture as well as when communicating across cultures. Communicators can use promises, threats, demonstrate positive and negative outcomes, extend friendliness, etc., to develop the text. In this article, I will explain several compliance-gaining strategies authors can use, identify rhetorical strategies they can combine with compliance-gaining strategies, show how these strategies can be effective in a cross-cultural environment by comparing the strategies in two sample cultures, and analyze a brief sample.

Warren, Thomas L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2004). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>International

Information and Communication Technologies and the Global Digital Divide  

This article examines the global digital divide-and discusses conditions and circumstances that have contributed to its creation. An important issue this article explores is whether there is a convergence, absolute convergence, divergence, or relative divergence in the application and diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) between developed countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and if so, which of these conditions will continue.

Rice, Mitchell F. Johns Hopkins University (2003). Articles>TC>International

Information Development in a Flat World    

The flat world has had a clear impact on information development and will continue to increase competitive pressure on the profession in the foreseeable future. By adapting to the realities of global organizations and global audiences and instituting a disciplined work environment that thrives on standards and best practices, technical communicators can remain competitive.

Hackos, JoAnn T. Intercom (2008). Articles>TC>International

INTECOM

INTECOM stands for international co-operation between technical communication organizations, and aims to improve technical documentation and communication. INTECOM represents approximately 30.000 technical communicators in fifteen member organizations.

INTECOM. Organizations>TC>International

INTECOM and the FORUM 2000 Conference  

This panel will present a discussion of the purposes and activities of INTECOM, the international umbrella organization of technical communication societies. The panel will describe the organization of INTECOM, its major programs such as the international FORUM conference, and the value it offers to member organizations.

Hibbard, Jeffrey L. STC Proceedings (1998). Academic>Conferences>International

INTECOM Present and Future  

This panel will present a discussion of the purposes and activities of INTECOM, the international umbrella organization of technical communication societies. The panel will describe the organization of INTECOM, its major programs such as the international FORUM conference, the value it offers to member organizations, and the activities and programs of some of its member societies.

Hibbard, Jeffrey L. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>TC>International

Intellectual Property Arbitrage: How Foreign Rules Can Affect Domestic Protections  

Differences in national intellectual property rules may cause economic activity to shift from one jurisdiction to another such that a higher protection rule in one jurisdiction will be undermined by lower protection rules in other jurisdictions. This article illustrates this phenomenon with four examples: as to rules on the enforceability of anti-reverse engineering clauses of software licenses, the protectability of bio-engineered research tools, peer to peer file sharing, and exceptions to anti-circumvention rules. It considers several options nations may have to respond to intellectual property arbitrages, none of which is likely to be very effective.

Samuelson, Pamela. University of California Berkeley (2003). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>International

The Intercultural Component in Textbooks for Teaching A Service Technical Writing Course    

This research article investigates new developments in the representation of the intercultural component in textbooks for a service technical writing course. Through textual analysis, using quantitative and qualitative techniques, I report discourse analysis of 15 technical writing textbooks published during 1993-2006. The theoretical and practical elements of intercultural teaching have been expanded in recent years, but this progress is quite slow. This article provides some directions in which the textbooks can be revised. Such an analysis may be of interest to textbook writers and educators.

Matveeva, Natalia. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2007). Articles>Education>Publishing>International

International Considerations in Creating Computer Documentation  

In creating computer software manuals, international users have become an important factor in design decisions. This paper discusses several issues and strategies useful in creating documentation with an international audience in mind.

Smart, Karl L. and Robert Bringhurst. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Technology>International

International Consumer Protection: Writing Adequate Instructions For Global Audiences    

In 2003, the United States exported nearly $720 billion in goods. Businesses that trade in the global market have a legal and ethical duty to make their products reasonably safe, and technical communicators who write the documentation for those products have a legal and ethical duty to protect international consumers by writing adequate instructions. Writing documentation for products that will be distributed internationally requires not only the ability to communicate clearly, but also awareness of the relevant product liability laws, the cultural variables, and the expectations of international audiences. This article first argues that devoting company resources to produce adequate instructions for international users is both practical and ethical, then provides a brief overview of the consumer protection measures that the top U.S. trade partners have implemented, and finally presents guidelines for developing adequate instructions for international audiences.

Lipus, Teresa. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Articles>Documentation>International

International Information Architecture

There are all sorts of idiosyncratic reasons why information architects should reach across borders.

Morville, Peter. Semantic Studios (2004). Articles>Information Design>International

International Issues in Copyright: Frequently Asked Questions  

The area of copyright can be confusing and presents numerous questions. Juillet provides answers to some common copyright questions, such as who holds the copyright in a work-for-hire situation and whether a copyright needs to be registered to have protection.

Juillet, Christopher. Intercom (2007). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>International

International Marketing for the Internet: The Power of Virtual Shopping

Linda, an American living abroad in a country with limited merchandise, orders online for books, contact lenses, and smoked ham. Her Dutch husband buys from www.amazon.com and www.ebay.com because U.S.-based retail web sites offer a wide range of goods at a cheaper price than their adopted country, including lower import duties and lower shipping costs from U.S.-based cargo carriers.

Lopez, Joselito T. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>International

International Project Management  

Declining domestic markets have opened global market opportunities to our entrepreneurs, A research has been made to determine if foreign clients view American project managers with suspicion. Some major problems encountered were: the lack of sociocultural sensitivities and failure to 'do our homework:' prior to taking on a foreign presence as an international project manager. Communications and inadequate foreign language knowledge are major problems. Overly aggressive behavior as guests in a host nation without respect to their social cultures can be selfdefeating. You can win!

Hamlett, James G. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Project Management>International

International Sites: Minimum Requirements

Users from other countries have special needs related to entry fields for names and addresses, measurements and dates, and information about regional product standards.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2005). Articles>Web Design>International>Usability

An International Technical Communication Curriculum: The Value Added  

In the expanding global economy, the focus on international communication has largely been devoted to machine translation of technical documents, and in a world of online information it only makes sense to take advantage of the computer’s speed and relative accuracy in translating documents. However, with the emphasis on machine translation as the standard, we still need well-trained people to conduct international business intelligently and effectively. The prototype curriculum presented below outlines some of the objectives and components for a program which focuses on both the technological and cultural elements of international technical communication.

Heba, Gary M. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Education>TC>International

International Usability Testing

Although products are commonly used in countries other than the one they were designed for, designers often forget to consider different usage circumstances. International use of the Web is particularly common since users can access pages from all over the world with a single click.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>Usability>Methods>International

International User Interfaces

Browse the complete table of contents for this book and read about international usability testing.

del Galdo, Elisa and Jakob Nielsen. John Wiley and Sons (1996). Books>Usability>User Interface>International

International Web Usability

They don't call it the World Wide Web for nothing. A single click can take you to a site on another continent and a business can attract customers from hundreds of countries without ever going to a Frankfurt trade show where they book you into a hotel two hours down the autobahn.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Design>Web Design>International>Localization