#25150
When you are at the onset of a publication design, you need to set up a prototype. The style or personality of the publication is determined at this point, so you need to be sure each decision you make pays careful attention to the details of good design.
Showker, Fred. Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Design>Document Design>Standards
#29327
Put XHTML 1.0 Strict and Transitional to Work 
As its name suggests, XHTML--which is considered the successor to HTML 4--is a combination of HTML and XML. By combining the power of XML and HTML, XHTML makes Web content more accessible to devices such as phones, handhelds, and televisions. XHTML 1.0 is broken up into what the W3C refers to as three flavors: Strict, Transitional, and Frameset. In this article, I focus on the two most useful, Strict and Transitional.
Morton, Shawn. TechRepublic (2003). Articles>Web Design>Standards>XHTML
#30559
ISO 9000 are quality assurance standards that allow companies to do business in Europe and ensure customers that quality processes are in place. As writers, we are very involved in quality standards-both in assisting our companies in recording their quality policies, procedures and instructions and in making sure our own departments follow quality procedures. We can do this through needs analyses, documentation plans, documentation design standards, status reports, usability reviews, editing by someone other than the writer, and usability testing.
Yeo, Sarah C. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Management>Standards>ISO 9000
#30560
ISO is a quality system that all companies interested in global competition must subscribe to. ISO certification includes hidden benefits for the technical writing area, which will improve the day-to-day operation of that area. Not only will these benefits help technical writing management in project and contingency planning, they will also help in performance appraisals. Most importantly, the final result is an overall definition of technical writing's role in the company.
Jahnke, Jean M. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Standards
#24847
HTML (the hypertext markup language used for the worldwide web) may be easier than you think! Experienced users guide you through the basics to more advanced topics, describe paper-to-web conversions, and provide hints for effective use of this medium. We’ll focus on real applications and on putting information on the web. Topics such as online providers and setting up a web server will not be covered.
Tatge, Pamela K., Kathlyn Auten and Ann Balaban. STC Proceedings (1996). Design>Web Design>Standards>HTML
#28088
A Quick Look Inside Standards for Technical Communication 
Learn about different types of standards and STC's role in producing and promoting standards for technical communication.
Reilly, Annette D. Intercom (2006). Articles>TC>Standards
#21383
Experts from around the World are working on a new ISO standard for software documentation (Guidelines for the design and preparation of user documentation for application software). This article outlines how the standard is being produced, its current status and what it contains.
Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2003). Articles>Documentation>Standards
#31958
Real-World CSS Zen for Your Site
By now we all know the benefits of “web standards” - creating sites where content and presentation are separated by use of semantic XHTML and CSS. Early adopters of web standards have long extolled the many payoffs.
Sheriar, Mani. Vitamin (2007). Design>Web Design>CSS>Standards
#31000
ISO 9000 requires that records be kept of critical operations. Record keeping is the fourth tier of required documentation in ISO 9000, following the Quality Policy Manual, Procedures, and Work Instructions.
Kurtus, Ron. School for Champions (2001). Articles>Business Communication>Standards>ISO 9000
#25849
RELAX NG is a simple schema language for XML, based on RELAX and TREX. A RELAX NG schema specifies a pattern for the structure and content of an XML document. A RELAX NG schema thus identifies a class of XML documents consisting of those documents that match the pattern. A RELAX NG schema is itself an XML document.
RELAX NG (1997). Articles>Information Design>Standards>XML
#29984
HTTPR aims to ensure that a Web transmission gets delivered to its destination only once, or gets reported as undeliverable. HTTPR is geared toward business-to-business communications over the Web, such as paying a bill or processing a purchase order, where a request must be delivered once and only once to its intended receiver.
HyperWrite (2004). Articles>Web Design>Standards
#27294
As web sites become more and more like traditional applications, the call-response-reload model used in HTTP transactions becomes increasingly cumbersome. Instead of delivering a single dynamic page, the DHTML or JavaScript developer must create a series of separate pages. The flow of the application is interrupted by page reloads whenever the client communicates with the server. Remote scripting provides a solution to this problem, easing development of complex JavaScript applications, and providing a better experience for the end user.
Apple Inc. (2006). Design>Web Design>Standards>HTML
#27421
Required Elements, and Required Tags
The difference between required elements and required tags has received a fair amount of attention recently, but the difference between the two is rarely (if ever) explained in detail.
Lemon, Gez. Juicy Studio (2006). Design>Web Design>Standards>HTML
#21000
Resource Description Framework (RDF)
The Resource Description Framework (RDF) integrates a variety of applications from library catalogs and world-wide directories to syndication and aggregation of news, software, and content to personal collections of music, photos, and events using XML as an interchange syntax. The RDF specifications provide a lightweight ontology system to support the exchange of knowledge on the Web.
W3C (2003). Resources>Information Design>Standards>XML
#23404
Recommends that INTECOM set up a working group to further research technical communicators' preferences and then establish guidelines.
Blicq, Ronald S. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>TC>Standards
#25546
Retooling Slashdot with Web Standards
A look at the markup behind Slashdot.org that demonstrates how simple -- and cost-effective -- the switch to a standards-compliant Slashdot could be.
Frommelt, Daniel M. List Apart, A (2003). Design>Web Design>Standards>CSS
#20770
Retooling Slashdot with Web Standards Part II
In Part I, we showed how Slashdot could save money and reduce bandwidth requirements by converting to semantic XHTML markup and CSS layout. In Part II, we explore how standards-compliant markup and deft use of CSS could make Slashdot (and your sites) play nicely in print and on handheld devices.
Frommelt, Daniel M. List Apart, A (2003). Design>Web Design>Standards>CSS
#21909
Ever wonder why some graphics file formats have a poor reputation? Sometimes, it's not because they're inherently bad, but because they're not designed to be used in certain ways, on certain printers, or on certain platforms. Knowing how to match a job with the right formats can save you some real headaches.
Kvern, Olav Martin. Adobe Magazine (1997). Design>Graphic Design>Image Editing>Standards
#19800
The Role of the Technical Communicator in Quality Programs: A Case Study
Most companies are trying to improve their products, services, and processes. As a result, numerous buzzwords are flying around these days: TQM, ISO 9000, IEEE, SEI, standards, procedures, methodologies, models, registration, and compliance. How can the technical communicator assist in the assessment and selection of a quality program and policy? This paper takes a look at the steps the Telecommunications division of Carnegie Group, Inc. (CGI) took to establish its quality program and the role of the technical communicator in this process.
Cerroni, Karen A. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>TC>Quality>Standards
#28083
S1000D: A Standard for Technical Documentation
S1000D is a military standard for the creation and delivery of technical documentation. Many companies can benefit from its methodology. Review its history and principal concepts, and learn important information to keep in mind when applying the standard to your work.
Weidenbrueck, Dieter. Intercom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Technical Writing
#27315
Most developers are happy to follow the W3C guidelines and have their pages 'just work,' with no need for browser-specific HTML. Safari has the features you'd expect of a modern browser plus a few unique ones; understanding these, as well as a few Safari development tricks, will ensure your pages work exactly the way you and your users expect.
Apple Inc. (2006). Design>Web Design>Standards>Web Browsers
#31948
Same DOM Errors, Different Browser Interpretations
Have you ever looked at how the different browsers handle the same DOM errors? As this article from Opera JS guru Hallvord R. M. Steen points out, their different interpretations can be surprising.
Steen, Hallvord R.M. Vitamin (2008). Articles>Web Design>Standards>Web Browsers
#21024
Setting Standards for Documentation Quality
Managing for quality requires effective, enforced standards. Effective standards make it possible for everyone on the information team to be responsible for quality – for what J.M. Juran has called 'fitness for use.' This paper examines why standards improve quality and what actions are necessary to manage for quality by creating and using effective standards.
Bibus, Connie M. 'C.J.' and Jennifer Bown. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Standards
#24045
SGML: The Chameleon of Publishing Technology
SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) is an international standard publishing technology that's increasingly being used in government, industry, and academia. Despite this growth, SGML is perhaps the most misunderstood technology around.
Donovan, Truly. Editorial Eye, The (1996). Articles>Information Design>Standards>SGML
#30104
Silverlight 1.0: Getting Started
Silverlight facilitates the creation of rich web content and applications using a lightweight add-on that is friendly to both designers and developers.
Nathan, Adam. Dr. Dobb's (2007). Design>Web Design>Standards>Silverlight
