Re: Clipart in technical documentst: opinions needed (reply)

[Kent Newton <KentN -at- METRIX-INC -dot- COM>]

In  an earlier message, I wrote:
>>Sherlock Holmes may be too obscure to be recognized (I doubt it, but
may
>>be), especially if your manual is to be translated for use outside the
>>U.S.

On Thursday, February 29, 1996 7:52 PM, TPotter243 responded:
>Unfortunately, this may be true only in the United States. In most parts
of
>the world I've traveled in the literate population was well versed in
English
>literature (It's a prerequisite in their schools).


You'll note that while I said Sherlock Holmes _may_ be too obscure to be
recognized, I added, parenthetically, that I _doubted_ that would be the
case.  I'm aware that Sherlock would probably be recognized in most
countries that are even remotely exposed to English culture and arts.

The point I was trying to make, albeit obtusely, is that when selecting
graphics, we should avoid culture-specific images and biases if we plan
to publish the manuals in other countries.  While Sherlock Holmes may
have become universal enough to be recognized in, say, Sri Lanka, there
are many images that may not be.  We, as conscientious communicators,
should carefully consider whether our selected images would be understood
 -- and appreciated -- by the majority of our readers.

Thanks for pointing out that my original post did not fully explain my
position and offering me the opportunity to expand on it.


Kent Newton
Senior Technical Writer
Metrix, Inc.
kentn -at- metrix-inc -dot- com