http://tc.eserver.org/publisher/TC-FORUM A listing of works published by TC FORUM 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/TC-FORUM http://tc.eserver.org/30003.html http://tc.eserver.org/30003.html The need for TCs with traditional writing skills will remain fairly stable, but the need for TCs in total will grow. The new technical communicators will come from the world of game design, where they know all about 3D-vector animation, and they will come from the world of TV and video production. http://tc.eserver.org/23488.html http://tc.eserver.org/23488.html Although research has been conducted by several institutes on how to process written text for minority and vernacular languages, no academic research project thus far seems to have produced a usable, functional, authoring or translation tool for end-user native speakers of these types of languages. On the other hand, a set of software programs has been in the making for twenty years outside of academia. http://tc.eserver.org/23475.html http://tc.eserver.org/23475.html On December 9, 1997, Digital Equipment Corporation and SYSTRAN A.G. launched AltaVista Translation Service, the first European language translation service for Web content. For the first time, non-English speaking users can translate information on the predominantly English speaking Web in real time. http://tc.eserver.org/23486.html http://tc.eserver.org/23486.html A good understanding of the subject matter or the access to a specialist is an important element in technical writing and translation. It is a quality issue that I don’t believe too many people in the business would dispute. In Brazil, however, the creation and translation of technical material has increasingly become a problem exactly because this factor is being overlooked. http://tc.eserver.org/23493.html http://tc.eserver.org/23493.html The following summarizes the replies to the question of 'capitalization of headings and titles' in the mailing list tcf-gen in recent months. http://tc.eserver.org/23496.html http://tc.eserver.org/23496.html Controlled Language (CL) is a controversial issue for linguists, editors, readers, but also for firms. Costs, marketing and sales figures are at stake. Why did I select 'risks and side effects', from the numerous problems involved, for my contribution? I am convinced that CL will be successful because positive / financial arguments prevail. Consequently, we will have to avail ourselves of CL, and identify and realize the risks involved and potential vicious side effects. http://tc.eserver.org/23476.html http://tc.eserver.org/23476.html It goes without saying that controlled language makes it easier not only to understand a text, but also to translate it into another language, thereby reducing translation cost. This positive effect can be even more increased by the use of professional translation tools. By "translation tools", I do not mean machine translation systems such as Logos or Systran, but rather terminology database and translation memory applications. Typical examples of such tools are MultiTerm '95 Plus and Translator's Workbench. http://tc.eserver.org/23479.html http://tc.eserver.org/23479.html The following paper is a machine-translated text from German into English. And at the same time it explains the technology applied. http://tc.eserver.org/23489.html http://tc.eserver.org/23489.html Technical authors can compile technical documentation of high quality for a foreign market only if they are able to respect and understand the foreign culture. http://tc.eserver.org/23495.html http://tc.eserver.org/23495.html Although CRT is small in numbers, it is already acquainted with the 'big' sister societies, such as tekom (Germany), ISTC (Great Britain) and other Technical Communicator groups in Europe. We were very pleased with the initial contacts made in Brussels early in 2001 aimed at establishing a new umbrella organization for technical communicators in Europe. http://tc.eserver.org/23487.html http://tc.eserver.org/23487.html Product life spans and documentation production times are becoming increasingly short and the expenditures for documentation are rising simultaneously with increasing product complexity. Hence, translation projects are becoming more costly as the parallel increasing documentation complexity. http://tc.eserver.org/23497.html http://tc.eserver.org/23497.html There has been much discussion on the topic of Controlled Language (CL) in the past issues of TC-Forum. With several years of experience as a translator, as a trainer of Controlled English writing and translation post-editing, and as a developer of Machine Translation (MT) and Translation Memory (TM) systems, I would like to clarify some points that do not seem to have been presented in other articles. These points do not indicate all of the details of possible CL systems, but I hope that they open up the discussion to cover both past and recent developments in CL system and application research and development. http://tc.eserver.org/23501.html http://tc.eserver.org/23501.html He demonstrates how ministers of state who speak different languages often choose English as the most convenient language of communication. He cites the 11-nation European Central Bank in Frankfurt as a typical organization that works only in English. And he notes that many of the journals published by respected international organizations such as the Pasteur Institute also are published in English. TC-Forum is another example. http://tc.eserver.org/23474.html http://tc.eserver.org/23474.html The European Language Resources Association (ELRA) was founded in February 1995 as a membership association, by a number of leading academic and private-sector bodies in co-operation with the European Commission. As a non-profit making organisation, ELRA aims to serve as a focal point for the collection, marketing, distribution and licensing of language resources, as well as being a provider of general information in the field of language engineering. Day-to-day operations are run by the European Language Distribution Agency (ELDA), while the strategies and plans of ELRA are set by the member-elected board. http://tc.eserver.org/23483.html http://tc.eserver.org/23483.html 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'. http://tc.eserver.org/23481.html http://tc.eserver.org/23481.html Executives as well as customers demand quality from technical communicators. However, the requirements of both groups seem hard to combine: Executives want quality to be achieved inside the company by applying quality standards without causing any delay or additional costs. Establishing customer-based quality, on the other hand, usually demands extra money and extra time. Nevertheless both demands can and should be utilized for developing a user-oriented quality system. http://tc.eserver.org/23494.html http://tc.eserver.org/23494.html Technical communication is still quite a young field in Finland, and only a few people have been in the field for more than a decade. The average age of a Finnish technical communicator is probably around 30, and most of us have four or five years’ experience and an academic background in languages. Estimates of how many technical communicators there are in Finland are hard to come by, but our guesstimate would be anything from 500 to 1000 (and growing). Even though most of us speak Finnish as our native language, English is the main language of technical communication, since most of the products are exported. Localizability is one of the key elements in Finnish technical communication. http://tc.eserver.org/23485.html http://tc.eserver.org/23485.html The translation market is growing with tremendous speed. Pressure comes from various angles: volume, time, quality and price. Hence the challenge can be stated thus: Translate more better and in less time at a lower cost! There is no way this can be done without the use of translation tools. http://tc.eserver.org/23484.html http://tc.eserver.org/23484.html I work as a freelance translator, mostly with Word and html files. I also regularly organize localization projects involving translations into the main European languages. When I looked around at the translation memory systems on the market today, I found them not only seriously overpriced but also laden down with so many features that I'd never expect to use in a month of Sundays. http://tc.eserver.org/23478.html http://tc.eserver.org/23478.html Again and again we have seen how modern language use suddenly gives rise to new concepts or terms behind which, as closer observation shows, are simply the same old meanings. Whether it's the 'administrative assistant' who used to be the 'secretary', or the 'human resources manager' who has replaced the 'personnel manager' (or even ridiculous examples like 'domestic engineer' for 'housewife'!), such neologisms often generate little more than a smirk. Is there a similar situation when it comes to 'localization'? http://tc.eserver.org/23490.html http://tc.eserver.org/23490.html The easiest way to cope with existing language barriers undoubtedly is the use of translation programs, electronic helpers that translate texts automatically. However, with high expectations meeting poor quality translation results in the past, press media regularly concluded that users had better learn the language themselves or employ at least a human translator. Yet a closer look at modern machine translation (MT) programs allows a more subtle view. http://tc.eserver.org/23477.html http://tc.eserver.org/23477.html Instead of 'translation', AltaVista offered me unbelievable junk, evidently, an unedited MT version of American promotional material. The text was unreal, the result of a myth: You click a button and the translation is staring at you. You are in the middle of a jungle. http://tc.eserver.org/23473.html http://tc.eserver.org/23473.html As one of the first users of commercial MT in the United States, and as a senior professional translator, I see MT as one of many 'tools.' As an independent expert without connections to the industry I can be objective. Since 1980 I have used one system for years and have worked on and tested others. Few translators have years of experience in both the conventional and the MT fields. http://tc.eserver.org/23472.html http://tc.eserver.org/23472.html My English at its best is only average. In fact: my English was much better when I was a student of chemistry. Since the time I have started working as a technical translator I have forgotten a lot of it. Nevertheless, my clients like my manuals very much. How does this happen? http://tc.eserver.org/23500.html http://tc.eserver.org/23500.html Here is a summary of a survey that I conducted in April 1999. These results reflect replies received as of 10 June 1999. http://tc.eserver.org/23492.html http://tc.eserver.org/23492.html How to produce screenshots which include the mouse-pointer. http://tc.eserver.org/23471.html http://tc.eserver.org/23471.html Though ours was quite an international group, we soon found that we shared similar experiences. Comparing our experiences led us to affirm that when non-native writers produce English documents, mother tongue reviewers are required. http://tc.eserver.org/23498.html http://tc.eserver.org/23498.html In the field of technical writing the use of Controlled Language (CL) attracts more and more public interest. However, the merits of controlling language in the context of technical documentation are not uncontroversial. http://tc.eserver.org/23480.html http://tc.eserver.org/23480.html Looking at escalating costs and short deadlines for foreign-language documentation, we decided over two years ago that the time had come for a hands-on study of translation tools and their practical benefits. Machine-translation systems such as Systran and Logos were not an option; instead, we directed our attention toward Translation Memory tools. http://tc.eserver.org/23499.html http://tc.eserver.org/23499.html While the benefits of using a controlled language are clear from a business perspective (reduced translation costs, standardized phrases, reduced potential for misinterpretation), applying it can be a challenge when writing even simple service procedures. http://tc.eserver.org/23491.html http://tc.eserver.org/23491.html 'The 'part', could be called a 'piece', a 'section' or also a 'product' for a change', thinks the technical editor to himself, while writing the documentation for a new semi-automatic stamping and book binding machine. After all, everyone learns in school that you should write using a great variety of words. But how is the poor translator who gets to translate this documentation supposed to know that it always refers to one and the same item? http://tc.eserver.org/23465.html http://tc.eserver.org/23465.html Having read, with interest, the recent articles about the virtues (or otherwise) of Microsoft Word as a tool for producing technical documents we feel the real issue is not how to create technical documents using Microsoft Word, but rather what tool best suits the task. We suggest that the selection of the most appropriate tool be instigated by those enlightened people -- the Technical Publications people -- and not the business managers with little knowledge of the specialist needs of Technical Publications. http://tc.eserver.org/23466.html http://tc.eserver.org/23466.html During my research for a book project, I have found style guides in a wide variety of forms. Some are only a couple of pages. Others consist of hundreds of pages, delivered in ring binders. Some companies produce well-printed and bound books (for example, Microsoft and Sun). A lot of style guides, differing in quality and size, are in the Internet. Most of them cover the design of web pages; only a few deal with document design in general. From one company I received a multimedia CD containing their style guide. It is a well-designed piece of software, presenting graphic arts, sound and video. http://tc.eserver.org/23469.html http://tc.eserver.org/23469.html In electronic media we come across the two 'competing' formats, PDF and HTML. A closer look reveals, however, that the two formats are used with a different aim in mind and therefore cannot be considered as competitors. http://tc.eserver.org/23461.html http://tc.eserver.org/23461.html The language industries are rapidly embracing the use of translation tools such as automatic terminology lookup, terminology mining, terminology consistency checkers, and machine translation. Authoring tools that involve access to a termbase are also appearing, at least in the context of controlled language, but will over time no doubt also be used in the authoring processes where the syntax is less controlled. http://tc.eserver.org/23467.html http://tc.eserver.org/23467.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/23464.html http://tc.eserver.org/23464.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/23462.html http://tc.eserver.org/23462.html For long Word documents, I never use the main/sub document feature. It's unreliable. Instead I link the graphics without saving in the document. When the document is completed I change it to relative path (using a Find & Replace procedure) for reliable file transfer. http://tc.eserver.org/23463.html http://tc.eserver.org/23463.html If you use Win95, NT, Mac, or any other operating system that allows long file names, are you aware of the problems that can arise when files are transferred to Win 3.11 or DOS? The problems particularly affect files that have long file names in which the first eight characters are the same, e.g. 'minutes of 20 Sept meeting' and 'minutes of 14 Nov meeting'. The problem arises as soon as a file is opened in an operating system that allows only eight characters in the file name, suffix excluded. http://tc.eserver.org/23470.html http://tc.eserver.org/23470.html I work with a small team of scientists, specializing in technical documentation and translation. In the following text I will look from a different angle on the work of a technical translator. http://tc.eserver.org/23468.html http://tc.eserver.org/23468.html Authors producing larger texts usually structure their documents by paragraph-styles and character-styles, which are analysed by the program. This enables the user to produce, through the configuration of the converter, syntactically correct and ‘clean’ HTML, XML and even SGML. http://tc.eserver.org/23406.html http://tc.eserver.org/23406.html This article deals, despite the title above, with aspects on handling and checking of technical documentation. I consider these aspects as part of the functionality of documentation besides more conventional functionality such as factual correctness, layout, combination of figures and text. http://tc.eserver.org/23411.html http://tc.eserver.org/23411.html The contribution deals with the transposition of projects on the basis of the AECMA-1000D-specification. The author explains problems which exist outside aeronautics with the application of this specification. http://tc.eserver.org/23395.html http://tc.eserver.org/23395.html We can't halt the flow of incoming email messages, but we can give you some suggestions that will help you become a better email communicator. http://tc.eserver.org/23397.html http://tc.eserver.org/23397.html Why is the default color of PowerPoint dark blue? People prepare the best slides man can create - and yet they leave the default color stay dark blue. http://tc.eserver.org/23436.html http://tc.eserver.org/23436.html Early in April 2001, delegates from the European societies for technical communication met for the first time in Brussels, following a joint invitation by tekom - the German society -- and ISTC - the UK institute. Among the represented societies were CRT (France), FTI (Sweden), ISTC (United Kingdom), STD (Finland), STIC (Netherlands), TECOM (Switzerland) and tekom (Germany and Austria). The most important outcome was the formulation of a joint declaration of intent to found a European-wide 'umbrella' organisation. http://tc.eserver.org/23440.html http://tc.eserver.org/23440.html There are little pockets of special capability in technical communication throughout the world that we rarely hear about, because the people involved maintain a low profile and just get on with the job. http://tc.eserver.org/23422.html http://tc.eserver.org/23422.html Big producers of equipment and systems of all branches often have piled up enormous volumes of product documentation in various formats on different media over long periods. How does one deal with that in the Internet age? How will brochure-like product catalogs be converted to type-specific clickable web pages, and printed price lists to present-day worldwide retrievable tables? Experiences with a large converting project show the process to achieve such document management. http://tc.eserver.org/23450.html http://tc.eserver.org/23450.html There are core competencies and enabling competencies. The competency areas are Core Competencies, which distinguish a particular field from other fields. Enabling Competencies do not distinguish the field but are still required for its success. http://tc.eserver.org/23418.html http://tc.eserver.org/23418.html I believe technical writers and translators should focus on the real needs of their customers. Any attempt to control language by force of law, internal regulations, or nationalistic feelings that do not reflect reality would be as damaging as adopting foreign, synthetic words for fashion. http://tc.eserver.org/23428.html http://tc.eserver.org/23428.html Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a contracting technical communicator? What is a typical day like? What background brings someone to technical communication, and how does that experience play out on a daily basis? Here are some glimpses. http://tc.eserver.org/23401.html http://tc.eserver.org/23401.html Information products, e.g. manuals, drawings etc, must, besides the technical message, contain certain formal data, which too often is left out. Proper formal data contributes to good order and favours the producer as well as the user of information products. http://tc.eserver.org/23400.html http://tc.eserver.org/23400.html Given the number of Norwegian software and other high-tech companies, there should be quite a few technical writers in Norway. Why don't they cooperate and join a (professional) community? http://tc.eserver.org/23446.html http://tc.eserver.org/23446.html When I started as a technical writer more than ten years ago, I wrote my first drafts with a pencil. Soon after, desktop publishing became part of my work, as did writing story boards for computer based training and managing online information projects. For several reasons the work of a technical communicator will change at an even higher rate in the future. http://tc.eserver.org/23442.html http://tc.eserver.org/23442.html When tekom was established in 1978, education for technical communicators did not exist in Germany. Therefore one of tekom´s main objectives since its foundation was to set up and promote education in the field of technical communication. After all, the improvement of product quality depends largely on the quality of the education of those responsible for the products. By now, a number of universities offer programs in these fields. http://tc.eserver.org/23431.html http://tc.eserver.org/23431.html The European Association for Terminology (EAFT) was formed in 1996 and the first few years of its existence were largely taken up with organisational issues. Recently, however, the EAFT has become more active setting up a European Terminology Information Server (ETIS) and co-organising conferences. The EAFT has also established a number of special interest groups, including SIGs in terminology training and in minority languages. http://tc.eserver.org/23435.html http://tc.eserver.org/23435.html A discussion about INTECOM's project for researching and establishing English-language documentation guidelines. http://tc.eserver.org/23403.html http://tc.eserver.org/23403.html Despite the fantastic development of computers and software, the paperless society seems to be far from implementation. On the contrary, the consumption of paper for documents has increased over the recent years. http://tc.eserver.org/23424.html http://tc.eserver.org/23424.html Discusses briefly the work market for technical communicators and their careers. http://tc.eserver.org/23420.html http://tc.eserver.org/23420.html This paper focuses on the technical communicator’s role as it relates to computer technology. http://tc.eserver.org/23449.html http://tc.eserver.org/23449.html Analyses of users, functions, situations, risks and cost/benefit, together with functional testing which guarantees that needs are met, provide the basis for the real-life projects which the students of technical communication perform at Karlstad University in Sweden. Tutor support throughout is vital. This article gives examples of such projects from the latest academic year. They show that the students can often demonstrate that technical information is highly worthwhile, as is the value of having a holistic approach to the tasks. http://tc.eserver.org/23389.html http://tc.eserver.org/23389.html The current trend among technical communicators is a twisted form of minimalism that says the documentation should contain procedural documentation but little or no reference documentation. I believe that this trend is a disservice to our customers and tends to increase technical support costs because customers subjected to this form of documentation have little or no access to the information they need. If it’s not there, they can't find it. http://tc.eserver.org/23384.html http://tc.eserver.org/23384.html Quality Systems (QS) have become essential for (inter-)national competition. Companies spend large amounts of money for 'measuring' quality defined by national and international standards. Quality, however, is a value, and like creeds and ideologies values cannot be measured with scientific exactness and are difficult to control. Total Quality Management (TQM) and other standardized concepts take that idealistic dimension into account. Certification according to ISO 9000, for instance, covers only about 50% of a TQM implementation. http://tc.eserver.org/23385.html http://tc.eserver.org/23385.html In recent months, as part of my doctoral research, I have been interviewing technical communicators, users and developers of information systems to try and find out if in fact the work of a technical communicator is of value to those developing and using information systems. The interviews demonstrated clearly that technical communicators do add value. This was further confirmed in Paris where I discussed my work with technical communicators at the Comtec '97 conference. The following discussion encapsulates some of the comments from participants at Comtec '97 and the interviews I conducted. http://tc.eserver.org/23441.html http://tc.eserver.org/23441.html Schools sending a representative to the annual CPTSC meeting have increased over the years from 9 in 1974 to 39 in 1993. Approximately 10 to 12% of the Society for Technical Communication membership identifies itself as being associated with academic programs-- although not all these programs offer certificates or degrees in technical communication. http://tc.eserver.org/23399.html http://tc.eserver.org/23399.html Quality management is forcing technical communicators to meet the challenge of writing user-centered documentation. Adequate preparatory work would be to categorize potential users according to experience, knowledge, tasks to be performed, and other use-relevant features. Users' requirements and requests should then be incorporated into the document's design. http://tc.eserver.org/23409.html http://tc.eserver.org/23409.html Documentation, operators’ manuals, maintenance instructions, etc, can never be perfect and satisfy all users. The organization of the documentation, particularly for large systems, will never suit all users and there will always be some errors present. This means the supplier and the user need to cooperate in various ways to avoid the fatal consequences of errors and misinterpretations, and for the improvement of documentation over time. http://tc.eserver.org/23434.html http://tc.eserver.org/23434.html Differences in culture add problems, as we learned during several months of work with four mixed German/American project teams. http://tc.eserver.org/23387.html http://tc.eserver.org/23387.html The basic principle of indexing is still valid: key words in an index must point end users to pertinent information concepts. This is even more important with on-line documents. http://tc.eserver.org/23388.html http://tc.eserver.org/23388.html Language reflects the special characteristics of each culture; its conventions, history, tradition, race, religion, and political stand. These cultural conventions do not only concern language, but also the way we view and perceive the world. That is why it is important for technical communicators to learn the conventions of a particular culture, and particularly its language, if they are to write the most suitable documentation for the target group. http://tc.eserver.org/23402.html http://tc.eserver.org/23402.html Assuming that not everybody knows the INTECOM Code of Good Practice, we use this opportunity to publish it in this and following issues of TC-FORUM. http://tc.eserver.org/23386.html http://tc.eserver.org/23386.html To invite users to provide knowledge that informs your readers, you can try different approaches. In a small company, meeting with users is more informal: you can stop by and casually ask a few questions, rather than hold a more extended interview. When you’re speaking with an expert, tailor your conversation to that person. To establish rapport with a reluctant or skeptical source, try asking a specific question about a certain computer function. Or ask a general question on a broad function. Once the expert is talking, then you can pose more specific questions. http://tc.eserver.org/23443.html http://tc.eserver.org/23443.html How did Karlstad, a medium-sized town in central Sweden, come to be a 'centre of excellence' in Technical Communication? Well, a lot of it has to do with Ericsson. http://tc.eserver.org/23453.html http://tc.eserver.org/23453.html Knowledge management - is it a challenge for technical editors? Shouldn't knowledge management be more than just taken for granted in technical editing? And isn't the technical editor also the knowledge manager, per se? http://tc.eserver.org/23454.html http://tc.eserver.org/23454.html We haven't just been doing this since the term 'knowledge management' has been floating around. We’ve been at it for a long time now. http://tc.eserver.org/23391.html http://tc.eserver.org/23391.html With his back towards the reader, a bucket over his head, hands and feet tied up by SGML, CALS and company standards, and half choked by all the possibilities of the latest computer system the writer tries to produce manuals and instruction books for unsuspecting readers! http://tc.eserver.org/23444.html http://tc.eserver.org/23444.html In 1991 the University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) in Hanover was the first German academic institution to teach technical writing. Since then our curriculum has been subject to changes and it still is: Developing a curriculum is an ongoing process. http://tc.eserver.org/23426.html http://tc.eserver.org/23426.html There have been tries to put modern software technology to work for our profession. True, we use tools that were created using object-oriented (OO) technology and we even document such programs. But you know the problem: The programmers change 'a single bit' of the program and you chase down all those 39 instances of that change. This paper will give you insights into possible ways to use object-oriented technology by yourself. http://tc.eserver.org/23437.html http://tc.eserver.org/23437.html Communication over the Intranet can change how a company's employees and departments work as a team. This is especially important for companies with branches or subsidiaries overseas. http://tc.eserver.org/23421.html http://tc.eserver.org/23421.html As a technical communicator you know that the work you do adds value to the final product, but how do you demonstrate this to management? Research that I have undertaken recently focused on how technical communicators add value to the development of software, particularly information systems. What is presented here are some examples of how I found technical communicators added value and how I measured the value. http://tc.eserver.org/23398.html http://tc.eserver.org/23398.html A problem that sometimes occurs, when authors ask my advice about the method of presenting an instruction, is that they use words that I think will not necessarily be understood by people whose mother-tongue is not English. http://tc.eserver.org/23445.html http://tc.eserver.org/23445.html For most readers of TC-Forum, technical communication is an activity undertaken by dedicated technical communicators, for whom writing, editing, illustrating, or page-making is their chosen vocation. Yet there is also a much larger community for whom technical communication is only a secondary activity, although it remains an essential part of their work. http://tc.eserver.org/23433.html http://tc.eserver.org/23433.html What's it like being a technical writer on a kibbutz? One obvious difference is the money. I do manage the business, but I don't own it - The Text Store is part of the kibbutz and, as such, is owned jointly by the kibbutz's 125 members. As a member of the kibbutz, I get a monthly allowance instead of a salary, so the money I earn from technical writing goes straight into the kibbutz's bank account. My only reward for landing a big contract is my co-workers' congratulations (we usually celebrate with ice cream). http://tc.eserver.org/23394.html http://tc.eserver.org/23394.html What is more important in technical writing: obeying the standards and regulations or following the customer's needs? http://tc.eserver.org/23417.html http://tc.eserver.org/23417.html All over the world professional organizations advertise the technical communication profession. My personal impression is this: Many of these activities address students of higher schools (which is basically fine), while others address professionals already working in the field (which only makes sense if the objective is to sell memberships or training). What I have not seen up to now are activities to address young people in the early process of planning their higher education and professional careers. The following thoughts contain some ideas for those trying to make our profession known to young people and to encourage them to consider a career in technical communication. http://tc.eserver.org/23430.html http://tc.eserver.org/23430.html Nobody reads user manuals for pleasure. And yet we all make our living from them, and hope that what we produce is at least useful, if not actually enjoyable http://tc.eserver.org/23427.html http://tc.eserver.org/23427.html To keep abreast of current issues, Australia's federal parliamentarians need timely information, analysis and advice. This is used not only within the Parliament itself, but also by Members and Senators when undertaking their electorate duties. A large and vital part of this service is provided by the Parliamentary Library. The particular characteristics of clients and their diverse needs means the Library’s communication issues differ from those faced by other libraries. From a myriad of manual techniques the Library has increasingly moved into using electronic sources and dissemination methods, which are being enhanced and expanded regularly and will soon include a comprehensive intranet portal to Library services. http://tc.eserver.org/23447.html http://tc.eserver.org/23447.html Multilingual aspects play a major role in Technical Communication. This involves translating and editing texts, developing multilingual terminology and generally coping with the challenges posed by intercultural communication. http://tc.eserver.org/23405.html http://tc.eserver.org/23405.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/23438.html http://tc.eserver.org/23438.html The whole process and structure of globalisation is still very fragile indeed. As international business and international relations converge, businessmen will need to learn much more about diplomacy and diplomats will need to become more knowledgeable about business http://tc.eserver.org/23393.html http://tc.eserver.org/23393.html Executives as well as customers demand quality from technical communicators. However, the requirements of both groups seem hard to combine: Executives want quality to be achieved inside the company by applying quality standards without causing any delay or additional costs. Establishing customer-based quality, on the other hand, usually demands extra money and extra time. Nevertheless both demands can and should be utilized for developing a user-oriented quality system. http://tc.eserver.org/23408.html http://tc.eserver.org/23408.html Technical communicators have always been proud of the quality of their work. Can it be that we are overdoing it? Do we need to change our understanding of what we do? Is readiness to compromise and economize to keep pace more important today than perfecting our work? http://tc.eserver.org/23404.html http://tc.eserver.org/23404.html Recommends that INTECOM set up a working group to further research technical communicators' preferences and then establish guidelines. http://tc.eserver.org/23439.html http://tc.eserver.org/23439.html The cause for the careless handling of possible dangers is not so much unwillingness, but rather the lack of know-how. There are no standardised and well-documented processes that are simple to implement and use. http://tc.eserver.org/23396.html http://tc.eserver.org/23396.html There are several ways of spelling English – the English/Canadian style, and the American style. Both are correct. http://tc.eserver.org/23416.html http://tc.eserver.org/23416.html During 1998 a member survey was made by FTI, the Swedish Society for Technical Communication as a follow up to a survey made in 1991. Some 25% answered of the 400+ FTI members. Here follows a selection of the results along with some comments. http://tc.eserver.org/23392.html http://tc.eserver.org/23392.html Working on a global scale might give you the opportunity to add value to your technical communicator's job. In particular, when dealing with encryption on the Internet, you should be aware of restrictions which might have an impact on your documentation. http://tc.eserver.org/23452.html http://tc.eserver.org/23452.html When the Euro comes to bring the EU-countries closer together on the financial level, technical communication won't stay behind. 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/23414.html http://tc.eserver.org/23414.html In spite of the limited population, Sweden is a highly industrialised nation with a number of globally well known industries. As the home market for these industries is far too small, they have to rely on the export markets to sell their products. This situation creates a rather special situation for technical communicators in Sweden. We have to translate the manuals into a large number of languages. And, as our own culture really does not have a dominating position in the world, we have to adapt the information to the target cultures on the different markets. Internationalization is a part of our everyday life. http://tc.eserver.org/23432.html http://tc.eserver.org/23432.html Camille Johnson (CJ) in Forum 02/2000 (SA 16) indicates that a TC (Technical Communicator) can work on (almost?) any subject without any special training. I am dismayed by the frightening carelessness of this statement! http://tc.eserver.org/23425.html http://tc.eserver.org/23425.html A conversation about the role, qualifications and self-understanding of technical communicators. http://tc.eserver.org/23451.html http://tc.eserver.org/23451.html We all know that products are designed and developed by a variety of experts, such as engineers, programmers, scientists, and designers. And each of these experts belongs to a particular category. For example, engineers are divided into such categories as Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, or Aeronautical Engineer. Without that categorisation, there is no way that we can possibly know in what field a particular expert specialises. But who creates product documentation? http://tc.eserver.org/23423.html http://tc.eserver.org/23423.html Today, the translation of technical documentation is no longer a process which can be ignored until the source text has been produced. Translation issues need to be taken into account both prior to and during source-text production, and thus, to some extent, they become tasks of the technical communicator. This article gives an overview of current developments in the workflow patterns leading to multilingual technical documentation and outlines the consequences these developments should have for degree programmes in technical communication and translation. http://tc.eserver.org/23419.html http://tc.eserver.org/23419.html For technical communicators, usually busy looking ahead, the new milennium is an occasion to review our history and achievements so far, and the development of our slightly strained relationship with those who tend to emphasize the T and disregard the C in TC: the developers. http://tc.eserver.org/23415.html http://tc.eserver.org/23415.html Though the technical writing field in India is growing faster than ever before, no institution in the country imparts any kind of technical writing course or training. Some University courses include a paper in Technical Writing, but its scope is very limited. Also, no figures are available about the number of technical writers in India. http://tc.eserver.org/23412.html http://tc.eserver.org/23412.html The reason for the relatively low number of technical writers in India is because India has been concentrating mainly on doing projects. It is only in recent years that many top multinationals have set up their development factories here. This has dramatically increased the technical writers' population in India. In some companies in Bangalore and Pune, one gets to hear of teams of 10 and 20 technical writers. Otherwise, India is no different to other countries: a large number of technical writers work alone in their companies. Today, all these technical writers have come together to share information and ideas through TWIN, the Technical Writers of India mailing list. http://tc.eserver.org/23448.html http://tc.eserver.org/23448.html Is it possible? Can a writing course be delivered effectively from a distance, without interaction from an instructor? It’s not easy, but we think it can. In fact we are well into developing an online course which is entirely self-evaluated. http://tc.eserver.org/23429.html http://tc.eserver.org/23429.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/23407.html http://tc.eserver.org/23407.html The question to the list-subscribers was I am looking for studies dealing with the difference between small letters and capitals. Are small letters easier to read? In France, road signs are written in capitals but it is not the case in the US or Canada. http://tc.eserver.org/23410.html http://tc.eserver.org/23410.html Everyone wants to be on the Web. But why should he or she? Having answered the question, how do you reach your goal? You might be interested in my experiences. http://tc.eserver.org/22438.html http://tc.eserver.org/22438.html The number of technical communicators working as independent consultants has increased remarkably over the past decade - may you call this a trend? http://tc.eserver.org/21890.html http://tc.eserver.org/21890.html Technical communication as a profession should have some mechanism for identifying and validating the work that its professionals do. In many countries in Europe, professional societies have made some progress in this direction. http://tc.eserver.org/21665.html http://tc.eserver.org/21665.html A story about testing the stability of airplane windshields from collisions with birds. http://tc.eserver.org/13823.html http://tc.eserver.org/13823.html There are scores of books on technical indexing that are really useful in teaching us how to create an index the right way, with the least amount of stress, while keeping up with the documentation development lifecycle. This is, of course, when you do not have the luxury of a full-time indexer. That, so far, has been a dream in the various companies I have worked at and not a very coveted one at that. Usually it is left to the writers to put whatever indexing skills they have into practice. The theory goes that it is best to index as you write. Usually this is feasible, with the embedded indexing features that are provided with packages such as FrameMaker, Word, and so on. But even being an indexing enthusiast, like me, does not always guarantee that this will happen. From experience, you tend to get so caught up in the process of writing, structuring, organising, and reviewing documents, that taking time out to index breaks your train of thought. http://tc.eserver.org/13824.html http://tc.eserver.org/13824.html Research I recently conducted highlighted the high level of involvement technical communicators have in the design of user interfaces. Most technical communicators make some contribution, ranging from comments to developers if, from their perspective, something on the interface does not work, to actually designing the interface elements. This led me to propose a question for an idea market for IPCC 98 in Quebec. The question I asked participants was: How do you, as technical communicators, contribute to interface design? The question generated a lot of interest, with technical communicators sharing their experiences and providing many examples of what they do and how they contribute. Here is a summary of the points they raised. http://tc.eserver.org/13000.html http://tc.eserver.org/13000.html The idea for TC-Forum evolved during Forum 95. Forum 95 was an international conference organized by the international umbrella organization INTECOM, the International Council for Technical Communication. Forum conferences take place every five years. The first one was held in Malmö, Sweden, in 1975, the last one in Germany in 1995.