Re: Multi-lingual user guides

[Ed Hoornaert <Ed -dot- Hoornaert -at- VENTANA -dot- COM>]

Jack Shaw responds to Larry Grinnell by saying:

>First, the point of Americans being xenophobic about getting
>a multilingual user book with an "American" product seems
>to do a disservice to the average American user. That the latter
>views such a multilingual book as some sort of "gol' durn
>furrin' thang" is a bit doubtful.

Personally, I *like* multilingual manuals.  Those booklets that come with
classical music CDs, printed in English, French, German?  Love 'em; I
read the English and then see if I can get the gist of the other
languages.   Ink cartridges for my venerable HP Deskject (NB, from an
American company); they throw in Japanese and Spanish, for added value.
French on boxes of Canadian corn flakes?  A veritable rosetta stone --
for the price of a mere box of cereal.

All of which doesn't solve Larry Grinnell's problem, which he views as
being that folks in the factory seem incapable of reading a simple part
number and using a barcode.  Well, I wouldn't mind if documentation were
able to ride to the rescue of folks in production.  Talk about having the
value of our work accepted, about justifying the cost of what we do!

Nonetheless, if I were really dead set against the multilingual manuals,
I wouldn't bother with academic studies or papers.  I'd sprinkle dollar
signs throughout my arguments; much more likely to get management's
attention, IMHO.  Get estimates on the cost of translation, as well as
how much time would be added to the project.  Get estimates of the cost
added by the larger manual size.  Quantify the extra shipping costs, etc.

If multi-lingual manuals are less cost-effective than hiring shippers who
can read, tell *that* to management.  And if they're more cost-effective
. . .  well, your department has just saved the company money.  Not a bad
way to lose.

Ed -dot- Hoornaert -at- Ventana -dot- com
Disclaimer: Ventana Corporation should not be held responsible for my big
mouth.