TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Data, vice versa, et al From:Allen Kutner <akutner -at- WINNIE -dot- FIT -dot- EDU> Date:Fri, 24 Mar 1995 22:33:18 -0500
"Vice versa may" indeed be found in any English pocket dictionary,
but the issue involves translating documentation into the native language
of other countries. To ensure readability avoid forcing the reader to
locate expressions that have no literal translation due to the fact that
they are "Latin loaners" to the English language.
As a deaf individual English is a second language, while American Sign
language (ASL) is my "native tongue." If you wish to market products in
another country or to another sector successfuly, provide product
documentation that will be perceived as having a native "feel." If the
documentation is well designed and executed, then the additional effort
to properly translate it will increase its readability and maketability.
Allen Kutner akutner -at- winnie -dot- fit -dot- edu
On Fri, 24 Mar 1995, Daniel Strychalski wrote:
> "Vice versa" can be found in any pocket dictionary. More importantly, it is
> extremely common in English conversation. I say use it. Its origin is
> irrelevant. You would have a hard time writing more than a few English
> sentences without loan words.
> "Data" is plural. Treating it as such won't bother the comic-book crowd, and
> will make your writing more acceptable to literate people. If we want respect,
> we must work to earn it.
> When translating computerese into English for non-technical readers, you can
> often change "data" to "material," "information," or something specific, such
> as "code," "command(s)," "message(s)," "text," "numbers," or "image(s)."
"File"
> is OK if that's what the material is, was, or is becoming (NOT if it is
unsaved
> data scooting through wires or sitting in RAM). Lord, do I hate "document."
> "Multi-media," according to the rules of English, should be "multi-medium."
Oh,
> well, you can't win 'em all.
> Let us strive to make our writing comprehensible to eighth-graders -- and
> acceptable to those eighth-graders' English teachers.
> Dan Strychalski dski -at- cameonet -dot- cameo -dot- com -dot- tw
