Please review the extensive STC_GATF_report by STC’s Globalization Audit Committee.
From the Executive Summary:
“As one of the largest international associations for technical communicators, STC has a unique opportunity to lead the way toward a more globally aware and culturally considerate workforce. In the past several years, STC has come a long way in this regard, and having a global approach is one of the behaviors we highlight in our strategic plan. However, we have never formally assessed how we are doing in regard to globalization, but rather have reacted to issues as they have arisen. The results of this audit will help us prioritize and become more proactive in our approach to globalization, particularly as it relates to member communication.”
Features, ITC SIG News, STC News
Communication, global, globalization, Localization, strategic plan
If your organization does business in more than one part of the world, your web team faces the challenge of internationalization and localization of the website.
Internationalization refers to making a product ready for use throughout the world, and localization refers to making a product ready for use in a particular geographic area. For a website, internationalization requires making the code work worldwide, especially to support presenting the site in multiple languages, and developing a design and content for audiences with different cultural expectations.
Several articles are available to help meet these challenges. Four are presented here.
Several basic tips for internationalizing code are presented in Implementing Websites For Internationalization.
If you are providing a website in multiple languages, it’s desirable to avoid creating and maintaining multiple versions of the site. Internationalize JSP-based Websites presents one method.
A design blog addresses the challenge of providing a way for users to change to their preferred language. The author notes there is no standard interface for this. For details, visit Design Examples of Website Internationalization and Localization.
Creating content for readers worldwide is the focus of 7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Website. This is part of a larger guide with many resources, Culture Customized Content.
Features
Communication, Cross-cultural communication, Design, Internationalization, Localization, Marketing, Resource
Follow this link to an interesting article that reports on how jargon can actually be a detriment to security. Perhaps it is a lesson to us all…
Tech Comm News
Communication, Simplified English
The International Technical Communication (ITC) SIG of the Society for Technical Communication is very pleased to announce a partnership with The Localization Institute, bringing ITC members and other technical communication professionals a webinar series. “Writing and Designing for an International Audience,” taught by Nancy Hoft, is a 4-part series that can help you hone some of your communication skills.
This partnership will allow members of the ITC SIG of the Society for Technical Communication to subscribe to the live series at a reduced rate. Anyone can attend, but ITC members alone get the benefit of the rate reduction.
For complete information, registration and more, visit:
http://www.localizationinstitute.com/index.cfm?onlinecat=techwrite
ITC SIG News
Communication, Cross-cultural communication, Design, Event, Translation, Writing and editing
Twitter accounts in multiple languages is among the subjects of a July, 2009 blog post, Pros and Cons of Multiple Twitter Accounts. The author observes that “we are not listening enough to social media conversations on a global scale.” Check the post to learn which countries have the heaviest users of Facebook.
Features
Communication, Social media
There is a new international open access online peer-reviewed journal, conneXions: international professional communication journal | revista de comunica profissional internacional (ISSN 1647-2373), published by the Center for Comparative Studies of the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Letters. The journal is dedicated to promoting and developing efficient and effective single and multimedia communication and its constituent communities in local, national, international, and global worksite and civic settings–business and industry, commerce and services, economy and finance, education and the academy, government and politics, media and the arts, medicine and health, research and non-profit, science and technology, the home and public places. The journal’s major topics lie at the intersection of
- International Professional Communication and Communication and Information Management.
- Communities of Practice and Ethics.
- Education and Professional Development.
- History, Theory/Theories, Research.
- Human-Computer Interface and Interaction.
- Information Delivery and Quality.
- Information Design and Visual Communication.
- Information Development and Artifacts.
- Knowledge Domains, Databases, Terminology.
- Rhetoric and Functional Communication.
- Tools and Technologies.
- Translation, Interpretation, Internationalization, Localization, Globalization, Controlled Languages.
- Types of Communication and Work Processes.
While centered in international professional communication, the journal welcomes manuscripts from different approaches and domains of knowledge and professional practice. conneXions: international professional communication journal | revista de comunica profissional internacional is aimed at researchers, practitioners, students and emerging scholars with diversified backgrounds, interests and nationalities. The journal is aimed at researchers, practitioners, students and emerging scholars wishing to publish in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish. The journal welcomes submissions of original research articles, teaching cases, reviews of books and other artifacts, and summaries of articles relevant to international professional communication. Click here for the CFP for the first 2010 issue: http://www.connexionsjournal.org/announcement/view/55> .
If you would like to know about *conneXions*, please consult the website at http://connexionsjournal.org.
Tech Comm News
Communication, Internationalization, Localization
