Re: Question about phraseology in Docs for Cellular

["jan cohen" <najnehoc -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

If you're referring to the process by which a Mobile Telephone Switching 
Office passes a call from one cell phone to another, the proper term is 
handoff.  There are two types of handoffs: hard and soft, which I can 
elaborate more about later, if you'd like.

Software and hardware designers often abbreviate handoff in their design 
documentation, which can get carried forward into end-user docs in the "copy 
and paste" type of tech-writing environment.  Depending on the audience, I 
either spell-out "handoff" the first time it's used in a chapter and then 
follow with abbreviations (for the more advanced end-user, e.g., in 
system-level timing diagrams), or spell it out throughout a doc (more for 
the layperson).  When in doubt, spell-it-out, which for whatever reason just 
reminded me of OJ (and it's not even Friday yet).

As for UE, I'd avoid it.  Sounds too much like too many things to me. 
Rather than using the overly generic approach in this case, I'd prefer to 
use a lesser generic term like switch, base station, handset, etc.

HTH,

jan cohen


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Caroline Tabach" <caroline -dot- tabach -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 5:05 AM
Subject: Question about phraseology in Docs for Cellular


> Hi,
> I am documenting an application running on Cellular technology.
> Actually, apart from writing many new features I am trying to fix a
> book written by an outside contractor.
> I would like to know, is the word "handover" ever abbreviated to HO,
>
> May the term User Equipment be abbreviated to UE?
>
> (the documentation I received uses HO and UE, and handover written
> hand-over or Hand Over etc. I would like to use the terms correctly)
> Thanks

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.