RE: "install" as a noun? (remember the translators)

["Cummings, Elizabeth" <CummEl -at- ncs -dot- com>]

I think Bonnie's right on.  I'm sure there are varying opinions of the
content in the Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, but one
entry of interest to me is "International Considerations", whose
introductory remarks include the following excerpts:

Making the U.S. source material as clear, correct, and internationally
relevant as possible is essential to smooth localization.

Try to think "international" from the earliest product stages on, and
include relevant localization staff in planning and the documentation
review.

Writing for translation
Because most documentation is localized by third-party vendors in the target
country, it's very important for the English source material to be highly
translatable. Simple mistakes, ambiguity, or inappropriate use of
terminology can surface as queries or errors in translation, requiring
revision in more than 20 language versions of the same product. Clear,
concise, and grammatically correct English writing results in shorter review
cycles for translated material and reduced costs.

--Elizabeth Cummings

-----Original Message-----
From: Bonnie Granat [mailto:bgranat -at- att -dot- net]
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 8:49 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: "install" as a noun?


Chris L wrote:
> 
> Hey gang --
> 
> Has anyone run across any tech documents written by
> engineers using "install" as a noun? I checked
> Websters but the word is strictly a verb. I'm
> wondering if in certain tech circles it is acceptable
> to bend the rules to use the word as a noun.
> 
> Chris
> 

We let them _talk_ like that, but in
documentation, it is "installation" or
nothing. 



-- 
Bonnie Granat 
http://home.att.net/~bgranat
Technical Writer and Editor    
http://www.artisoft.com


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