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: Advice re: Consistency review From:Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- FS -dot- COM -dot- AU> Date:Thu, 7 Aug 1997 17:01:02 +0800
Jennifer -
> Now the question: anyone have tips, tricks, advice on how to structure =
> an extensive consistency review? I'm most interested in how to get my =
> ducks in a row before I start...organizational strategies, so to speak. =
A good start would be a company glossary. Collect any official words and
phrases relating to your company's products and services, trademarks,
etc. Show the official spelling, capitalisation, logo. . . whatever
you want to keep consistent. Do a brief one-sentence or one-paragraph
definition.
This glossary will provide useful raw material for preparing marketing
stuff and real glossaries for your product manuals.
To give an example: in our backup product we have occasional trouble
keeping our terms for loading tapes consistent. Backups are nearly
always done to tape, but you could also use diskette, CD, MO, etc.
In the past we've had interchangeable references in the software and
manuals to tapes, volumes, backup media, and (wince) mediums.
A glossary would help software designers and datasheet writers (and
me) to use terms like these correctly and consistently.
Regards
---
Stuart Burnfield This message _Powered by vi_
Functional Software Pty Ltd mailto:slb -at- fs -dot- com -dot- au
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
