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: standards From:Nancy Hoft - CONTRACTOR HRIS <nhoft -at- SDDLIB -dot- EAST -dot- SUN -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 29 Jun 1994 21:41:26 GMT
On the subject of standards for terminology...
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has
developed standards for some terminology. I'm not a standards
expert, so I can't be much more specific than this. It's my
understanding that ISO standardized terminology for telecommunications,
some computer software terminology, and some computer hardware
terminology. There is work being done on "standard" translations
of terms, too, I believe.
So, before you start blasting the concept of standardized terminology,
realize that some work has been done in this arena. Why? Because in
a global marketplace (or whatever the current buzzword/phrase is today) you
need standard terms so that people whose native languages are different
can use one term to convey one meaning. As more and more companies
"go international" and feel the pangs of what this costs (translation, etc.),
they will quite willingly agree that standardized terminology is
smart!