Winter 2002 newsletter, International Technical Communication Special Interest Group, Society for Technical Communication
News of technical communication worldwide Winter 2002. Items on Latin America and Mexico, the ATA, and the European Union.
News of STC worldwide Winter 2002. Items on several chapters, regions and countries.
ITC SIG news Winter 2002: Membership report
News of technical communication worldwide Winter 2002
Latin America
The Latin American Congress of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association held the 5th Congreso Internacional de las Americas at Universidad de las Americas, Cholula/Puebla, Mexico, October 18 to 20, 2001. Pre-conference information was available on www.udlap.mx/congress/5/pca_index.html. Papers were planned in Spanish and English on issues that affect technical communication, with the focus on communication and trade between the US and Mexico and other Western Hemisphere countries. Technical communication is just one thread in this large gathering of scholars from across the Western Hemisphere. The Congreso Internacional de las Americas is sponsored by The Hoover Institution (Stanford University); The American Culture Association; The Popular Culture Association; The United States Embassy; and The Embassy of Canada. Source: web search, June 27, 2000. Updated August 22, 2001.
Mexico
Carol Peterson has an article on technical communication in Mexico and knowing our audience in the December, 2002 issue of the Sidebar newsletter of the Snake River Chapter,
www.stc-src.org/SRC_News/1202/index.html.
Internationalization Working Group of Web Consortium
The Internationalization Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium consists of three Task Forces: Core Task Force, Web Services Task Force, and GEO (Guidelines, Education and Outreach) Task Force.
The GEO task force has been answering one question a week related to internationalization and the web. Questions addressed to date are posted at www.w3.org/International/questions.html. Questions needing answers are posted at: www.w3.org/International/geo/upload/2003/questions/.
Participants in the task forces are being sought. For more information visit www.w3.org/International/geo/ and www.w3.org/International/about . Updated September 2003. Originally posted October 2002.
Translation and terrorism: news of the American Translators Association
On the afternoon of November 13, 2002, CNN broadcast its coverage of "Translation and Terrorism: A Town Hall Meeting," which took place at the 2002 annual conference of ATA. This is the first time senior representatives of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence have appeared before the translation community on the subject of language and national security. Panelists included Margaret Gulotta of the FBI, Ron Wolfe of JTG and Glenn Nordin of the Pentagon.
This is the first time ATA has had international television coverage of a conference event. In other national and international coverage of the event, NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox broadcast segments of the panel, interviews with ATA translators, and video of the exhibit hall. These segments have aired in 21 US markets, including New York, Boston, San Diego, Dallas, and Denver, sometimes on multiple broadcasts at 5:00 and 11:00 p.m. The Associated Press also ran a story that appeared on www.cnn.com. Source: ATA member via email list on localization. Posted November 2002.
European Union metric unit requirement
The European Union has established an official deadline of December 31, 2009 for submitting materials with metric units only. No dual dimensions will be allowed. All materials that are shipped with a product to any EU country may not have inches, horsepower, etc. The deadline was originally planned for 1999 but was pushed back ten years after strong protest from US manufacturers. http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/rg/en/1999/pt0137.htm. The EU home page is www.europa.eu.int. This is a multilingual web site. The US government has information at www.ita.doc.gov/exportamerica/AskTheTIC/qa_Metric.html. Posted December 2002.
News of STC worldwide Winter 2002
STC chapters with SIGs on international communication
Boston Chapter STC, Marie-Anne de Warren, MA_deWarren@msn.com. The International SIG has been re-activated and provides opportunities for professional development, networking, and enrichment as well as addressing creation and localization of information for international audiences. The initial meeting is January 23, 2002 and the group seeks speakers for the Spring meeting.
Chicago Chapter STC, Betsy Maaks, bmaaks@tellabs.com. The Global Communication SIG provides continuing professional development, networking opportunities, enrichment, and education in the area of international technical communication. The purpose is to address issues related to creating information for international audiences. The SIG is a committee of the Chicago Chapter and meets three times a year. Posted January 2002.
Silicon Valley Chapter STC, www.stc-siliconvalley.org. This chapter SIG meets once a month. The mailing list has about 150 names, and attendance varies up to 50. There is a speaker, and International Technical Communication SIG members visiting the area are encouraged to volunteer as speakers in their areas of special expertise. The chapter SIG announces meetings of other localization groups in the area. These groups address the concerns of programmers, engineers, and other groups. At the November meeting the speakers presented "Single Sourcing Documentation for Localization." Posted October 2001. Updated January 2002.
Twin Cities Chapter International Technical Communication SIG, www.stctc.org/sigs/itc.html. Posted June 2001.
STC in Asia, Australia, New Zealand
STC has four chapters in this area:
Australia (Region 8)
India (Region 6)
New Zealand (Region 8)
Singapore (Region 7)
The article The technical communication field in Australia and New Zealand (pdf) by Kay Maitra is posted on this site (January 2002).
INDUS, newsletter of the India chapter, is online at www.stc-india.org/indus.htm.
The web site of the India chapter, www.stc-india.org, has articles by members on trends in technical communication in the region.
STC in Canada
STC has nine chapters in Canada:
Alberta (Region 7)
Canada West Coast (Region 7)
Eastern Ontario (Region 1)
Manitoba (Region 6)
Montreal (Region 1)
Saskatchewan (Region 6)
Southwestern Ontario (Region 1)
Toronto (Region 1)
Vancouver Island (Region 7)
The January 30, 2002 Toronto Globe & Mail carried a special report on careers. One article featured Kim Van Rooy, president of the Toronto Chapter STC. At the time of publication the article was online at www.globeandmail.com. Posted February 2002.
The Canadian Issues SIG web site is online at www.stcsig.org/canadian/index.htm. The SIG manager is Alexa Campbell, acampbell@rrc.mb.ca. Posted January 2002.
STC in China
STC has the Republic of China chapter (in Region 7).
The November 2001 issue of the STC journal Technical Communication has three articles on technical communication in China, www.techcomm-online.org (free registration required). Posted January 2002.
STC in Europe
STC has six chapters in Europe:
Belgium (Region 2)
France (Region 2)
Netherlands (Region 2)
Nordic (Region 2)
TransAlpine (Region 2)
United Kingdom (Region 2)
The Europe chapters have a common web site at www.stc-europe.org. Posted October 2001.
The November 2001 issue of the STC journal Technical Communication has an article on use of the Web by Russian-American immigrants. www.techcomm-online.org (free registration required). Posted January 2002.
The article Technical communication in Ukraine (pdf) by Kirk St. Amant is posted on this site (October 2001).
The article Christine Borgman on online communication and change in Central and Eastern Europe (pdf) by Kirk St. Amant is posted on this site (January 2002).
STC in Israel
STC has the Israel chapter (in Region 2).
The article Israel Chapter against Repetitive Stress Injury (pdf) by Mark L. Levinson is posted on this site (January 2002).
STC in Japan
STC has the Tokyo chapter (in Region 7).
ITC SIG news Winter 2002: membership report
As of December 31, 2002 the ITC SIG had just over 1100 members. From October to December, 2002 the SIG gained 144 members, representing the following countries:
Australia 1
Austria 1
Belgium 2
Canada 15
Finland 1
France 3
Germany 1
India 6
Ireland 2
Israel 1
Italy 1
Japan 4
Netherlands 2
Sweden 1
United Kingdom 5
United States 98